Melvins and Napalm Death to release new music

The Melvins and Napalm Death join forces for Savage Imperial Death March, which is set for release on April 10 via Ipecac Recordings.

An abbreviated version of the album was released during the band’s 2025 tour last February as a hyper-limited vinyl / CD edition, with this latest version featuring two new songs, Awful Handwriting and Comparison Is The Thief Of Joy, along with new artwork created by Mackie Osborne.

The album was recorded at the Melvins’ Los Angeles studio, with 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 honour 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,” says Osbourne. “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 travellers 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.”

Pre-orders for Savage Imperial Death March are available now, and 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.