THE MELVINS And NAPALM DEATH Join Forces For 'Savage Imperial Death March' Collaborative Album

THE MELVINS and NAPALM DEATH have joined forces for "Savage Imperial Death March", due on April 10 via Ipecac Recordings. The effort is described in a press release as "a true collaboration — not a split, but a new album featuring members of both bands."

The album shares its name with the two bands' "Savage Imperial Death March" tours from 2016 and 2025, but marks their first full-length studio collaboration under the moniker.

Yesterday, the first track from the album, "Tossing Coins Into The Fountain Of Fuck", premiered with Jose Mangin on SiriusXM's Liquid Metal and can now be streamed below.

"Savage Imperial Death March" was recorded at THE MELVINS' Los Angeles studio, with THE MELVINS' Buzz Osborne (vocals/guitar) and Dale Crover (drums) joined by NAPALM DEATH's Barney Greenway (vocals),Shane Embury (bass) and John Cooke (guitar).

"I have loved THE MELVINS forever and their outlook on music," Embury explains. "A chance to make an album of eclectic musical madness with them was truly an honor and a whole lot of fun, which surely is the whole point! Let's do another one soon."

"NAPALM DEATH are one of my favorite bands ever," Osborne says. "It was an absolute pleasure and a dream come true to do this collaboration with them. We wrote songs together. I would write a riff and we would learn it and record it right there. They wrote stuff and we would learn it immediately as well. It was truly a 50/50 partnership."

"Funny how life turns out sometimes... collecting hard-to-find MELVINS 7-inches on Bleecker Street in 1989 and then touring twice and doing an album with them within the following 35 years," Greenway adds. "Had a great time with it all, and nice to work with fellow travelers in THE MELVINS who also couldn't care about pandering to 'demographics.' I felt myself almost babbling lyrically during the recording, and that alone made for very fun recording times."

"Savage Imperial Death March" pre-orders are available now. The eight-song album will be released on CD, digitally and across four limited-edition vinyl variants: Black As Your Soul, Indie Exclusive Obnoxious Orchid, Ipecac Exclusive Absurd Aqua and Revolver Exclusive Neon Coral. An abbreviated version of the album was released during the band's 2025 tour as a hyper-limited vinyl/CD edition. This iteration features new Mackie Osborne-created artwork and two new tracks ("Awful Handwriting" and "Comparison Is The Thief Of Joy").

The "Savage Imperial Death March" cover art was created by Mackie Osborne.

"Savage Imperial Death March" track listing:

01. Tossing Coins Into The Fountain Of Fuck
02. Some Kind Of Antichrist
03. Awful Handwriting
04. Nine Days Of Rain
05. Rip The God
06. Stealing Horses
07. Comparison Is The Thief Of Joy
08. Death Hour

Separately, THE MELVINS will play Sick New World festival this spring, with a pair of California headlining dates surrounding the festival appearance. NAPALM DEATH is currently on tour in Europe ahead of a North American trek later this spring.