THE MELVINS and NAPALM DEATH

"Savage Imperial Death March" is an impressive collaboration between two of extreme music's most groundbreaking bands that are vastly different acts stylistically. THE MELVINS were defining doom and sludge decades ago in Washington, while also laying the groundwork for grunge and alternative rock, something they're not exactly proud of. On the other side of the world, the Birmingham bruisers, NAPALM DEATH, were pushing the boundaries of noise and speed with grindcore. "Savage Imperial Death March", which derived its name from both bands' co-headlining tours in 2016 and 2025, is a collaboration in the truest sense, more than a simple split. The effort leans significantly toward THE MELVINS's recent material, also incorporating the ambient, experimental and industrial-flavored tendencies that NAPALM has embraced since 1994's "Fear, Emptiness, Despair".

The puzzle's pieces are made of THE MELVINS's core dynamic duo — Buzz Osbourne and Dale Crover — while NAPALM DEATH offers most of their lineup, that is vocalist Barney Greenway, bassist and main songwriter Shane Embury and (newer) guitarist John Cooke. The lack of NAPALM's drummer, Danny Herrera, is notable. His signature blasts, basically inextricable from NAPALM DEATH, are nowhere to be found, nor does Dale Crover attempt to mimic him. Crover's hard-hitting metallic stomp takes hold in a way that matches NAPALM DEATH's intensity, albeit in a different manner.

"Tossing Coins Into The Fountain Of Fuck" kicks the proceedings off with an unrelenting, catchy as hell noise rock punch. It is very likely to embed itself to the grey matter of many who take it in. "Awful Handwriting", one of the two new songs that were added onto the existing material from last year's initial release, which saw the light of day during said tour, is goofy in the best way possible. There are spastic electronic bleeps that seem nonsensical, yet they're perfectly rhythmic.

"Nine Days Of Rain" taps the vein of the ambient soundscapes that NAPALM has crafted for the better part of its career, informed largely by the spirit of KILLING JOKE. It's a slow burn that's never explosive nor climactic. It's quite the stand-out track with its repetition; however, the ongoing delivery of the main riffs proves to be a two-edged sword, as there is also a sense of redundancy.

"Rip The God" is another snail-paced dirge that digs into the heart and soul of classic MELVINS, replete with that cocky swagger that's melodic and dressed heavily with Buzz's one-of-a-kind crooning that's almost mocking, delivery-wise, while also being slightly vulnerable. More scathing energy sinks in deeper into the song. Once Barney's strong death vocal belch rears its ugly head, the track soars to greater heights.

Neither NAPALM DEATH nor THE MELVINS need to prove themselves to anyone. They've given birth to some of the most important heavy music, paving the way for so many. These legendary bands have left their indelible marks upon the extreme music underground, and they've both guided their respective trajectories in ways that are self-gratifying as well as being satisfying for their longtime fan bases. What they've done for the underground, and in some ways the mainstream, is undeniable. This release isn't anything new, but it is fresh: It's fun, playful, energetic and atypical.