Melvins have spent decades making slow, heavy rock music that refuses to hurry. Their 2017 album A Walk with Love & Death continues that tradition with 23 tracks spread across 81 minutes. This is not a band looking for radio hits. It is a band looking to bury you under noise, repetition, and sheer weight.
The record runs long, and some of those 23 tracks feel like filler. But the best moments here reach deep into the band’s catalog and come back with something that feels fresh.
Opening With Black Heath
The album opens with “Black Heath,” a six-and-a-half-minute crawl that sets the tone immediately. It is slow, deliberate, and built on a riff that refuses to resolve itself. The song drags in a way that feels deliberate, not accidental. It is a statement of intent: this is not a record about hooks, it is a record about endurance.
“Sober-delic (Acid Only)” follows at 6:03, and it leans into the psychedelic side of the band’s sound. The track wanders through a haze of feedback and delay, with the band letting the instruments drift rather than locking into a steady beat. It is not the tightest thing here, but it shows a willingness to explore space that is often absent from their heavier work.
“Euthanasia” pulls things back with a tighter focus. At 4:36, it is one of the shorter tracks on the front half of the record, and it earns that brevity by being direct and menacing. The title suggests death, and the song delivers on that promise with a relentless, crushing groove.
“What’s Wrong with You?” is a brief interlude at 2:37, a question posed and left unanswered. It is a small pause before the record’s strangest moment: “Edgar the Elephant,” a track named after a character from a children’s book that turns into a heavy, lumbering beast of a song. The title is playful, the music is not.
The Middle Stretch
“Flaming Creature” and “Christ Hammer” form a pair that shifts the album’s energy. “Flaming Creature” is a slow-burning track that builds tension over its four-plus minutes, while “Christ Hammer” is a faster, more aggressive number that breaks the pattern. Together they show the band can switch gears without losing their identity.
“Cactus Party” and “Cardboa Negro” are shorter, more straightforward cuts. They do not linger in memory, but they keep the album moving. “Aim High” is a quick, almost jaunty track at 2:02, a rare burst of lightness in the middle of so much heaviness.
“Queen Powder Party” and “Street Level St. Paul” continue the run of mid-length tracks. Neither stands out as a highlight, but both are competently made and fit the album’s overall shape.
The Hidden Joice and the Turn Toward the Back Half
“The Hidden Joice” is a strange title for a 1:11 track. It is a brief, almost skeletal piece that feels like a sketch rather than a finished song. It passes without leaving much of an impression.
“Give It to Me” picks things back up at 2:49, a track that leans on a simple, hypnotic riff. It is not the most inventive thing here, but it works as a palate cleanser before the album’s more adventurous stretch.
“Chicken Butt” is a short, odd track at 1:50. It is not offensive, but it is the kind of song that makes you raise an eyebrow and move on.
“Eat Yourself Out” is a five-minute track that stretches out into a slow, grinding crawl. It is one of the record’s best moments, a track that rewards patience and builds to a satisfying release.
“Scooba” is a brief, odd detour at 1:09. It does not add much, but it keeps the momentum from stalling.
Halfway to the Bakersfield Mall and the Final Run
“Halfway to the Bakersfield Mall” is a four-minute track that takes its time getting anywhere. It is a solid, mid-tempo cut that does not overstay its welcome.
“Pacoima Normal” and “Park Head” are two of the record’s more consistent tracks. Both are built on a steady, driving rhythm that keeps the album grounded even when the songs around them wander.
“T-Burg” and “Track Star” are the longest tracks on the back half, both pushing past five minutes. They are the most ambitious pieces here, and they show the band stretching for something bigger than their usual slow crawl.
“The Asshole Bastard” closes the record at 4:56, a final statement that lands with force. It is a fitting end to an album that never lets up.
Ranking the Highlights
Not every track on A Walk with Love & Death earns its spot. Some of these 23 songs feel like they exist only to fill space between the better moments. But the high points are high indeed.
- “Eat Yourself Out”
- “T-Burg”
- “Track Star”
- “Halfway to the Bakersfield Mall”
- “The Asshole Bastard”
Those five tracks justify the album’s existence on their own. The rest are competent, sometimes pleasant, and rarely memorable.
Weighing the Length Against the Content
The album’s 81-minute running time is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it gives the band room to breathe and explore ideas without rushing. On the other, it means there is a lot of ground to cover, and not all of it is interesting.
The best tracks are the ones that commit fully to the Melvins’ approach. They do not try to be anything else. They just sit there, heavy and unyielding, and let the listener sink into the noise.
| Track | Length | Role |
|---|---|---|
| “Black Heath” | 6:42 | Opening statement |
| “Euthanasia” | 4:36 | Tight, menacing |
| “Eat Yourself Out” | 5:04 | Best track |
| “T-Burg” | 4:11 | Ambitious |
| “The Asshole Bastard” | 4:56 | Closing statement |
The Verdict
A Walk with Love & Death is a mixed bag, but it is a mixed bag with a clear center. The best tracks here are among the strongest the band has ever recorded. The weaker tracks are merely competent, and a few feel like padding that could have been trimmed.
This is not an essential Melvins record. It is a good one, full of highs and lows that sit side by side without blending together. For fans who want to hear the band at their most unhurried, it delivers. For everyone else, the long middle stretch might test patience.
- Black Heath6:42
- Sober-delic (Acid Only)6:03
- Euthanasia4:36
- What's Wrong with You?2:37
- Edgar the Elephant3:37
- Flaming Creature4:23
- Christ Hammer3:52
- Cactus Party3:38
- Cardboa Negro2:59
- Aim High2:02
- Queen Powder Party2:15
- Street Level St. Paul2:19
- The Hidden Joice1:11
- Give It to Me2:49
- Chicken Butt1:50
- Eat Yourself Out5:04
- Scooba1:09
- Halfway to the Bakersfield Mall4:17
- Pacoima Normal2:33
- Park Head3:39
- T-Burg4:11
- Track Star5:03
- The Asshole Bastard4:56
