Melvins have made a career out of slow, heavy rock built on repetition and dead air. The Devil You Knew, the Devil You Know is their latest, and it doubles down on both instincts. The band recorded the album live in the studio, then cut the tracks in half, repeating each song twice with slightly altered arrangements. The result is a 26-minute record that asks listeners to sit with discomfort — and sometimes it delivers exactly what it promises.
Opening Tracks
“Easy as It Was” opens the record at 2:41, a crawling riff that builds slowly before it even starts moving. “Now a Limo” follows at just 58 seconds, a quick burst that barely has time to breathe. “Grinding Process” stretches to 2:46, grinding out a single idea across nearly three minutes. “At a Crawl” moves at a deliberate pace, letting the bassline do most of the work.
“Disinvite” is a tight 1:24 of guitar squall and tension. “Snake Appeal” closes the first half at 1:53, the shortest track on the record, and it feels like a release after the preceding heaviness.
Repeating the Songs
The second half repeats everything in reverse order, with slight changes in arrangement. “Easy as It Was” runs 2:59 this time, giving the band room to stretch out. “Now a Limo” comes in at 57 seconds again, nearly identical to the first take. “Grinding Process” drops to 2:41, and “At a Crawl” trims to 3:09.
“Disinvite” runs 1:27, a small increase over the first version. “Snake Appeal” ends the record at 1:40, the longest repeat of the six tracks, but still shorter than the original.
Which Tracks Stand Out
The record succeeds when it commits fully to its own rules. The repeated versions of “Easy as It Was,” “Now a Limo,” and “Grinding Process” show the band working through ideas rather than simply doubling content. The shortest takes — “Now a Limo” and “Snake Appeal” — feel like sketches rather than finished songs, but they keep the record’s momentum from stalling.
The two versions of “Disinvite” are the most distinct of the repeats, with the second take adding a layer of distortion that the first version doesn’t have. That variation is the clearest argument for the record’s structure.
Ranking the Tracks
Here’s how the six original tracks stack up:
- “Disinvite” — the most distinct repeat, with a second take that adds new texture
- “Easy as It Was” — strong on both versions, particularly the longer second take
- “Grinding Process” — consistent and well-built, though slightly less distinctive
- “At a Crawl” — solid but unremarkable
- “Now a Limo” — a sketch rather than a full song
- “Snake Appeal” — the weakest track, barely a minute long
The Verdict
The Devil You Knew, the Devil You Know is a niche success. It rewards patience and punishes skimming. The best tracks — “Easy as It Was,” “Grinding Process,” and “Disinvite” — justify the experiment. The weaker tracks — “Now a Limo” and “Snake Appeal” — exist mostly to fill space.
The record is at its best when it stops being clever and just lets the music breathe. That balance earns it a solid score.
- Easy as It Was2:41
- Now a Limo0:58
- Grinding Process2:46
- At a Crawl3:26
- Disinvite1:24
- Snake Appeal1:53
- Easy as It Was2:59
- Now a Limo0:57
- Grinding Process2:41
- At a Crawl3:09
- Disinvite1:27
- Snake Appeal1:40
