The Melvins and Napalm Death join forces for “Savage Imperial Death March” (out on April 10th, 2026, via Ipecac Recordings), a true collaboration – not a split, but a new album featuring members of both bands.
The album shares its name with the bands’ “Savage Imperial Death March” tours from 2016 and 2025, but marks their first full-length studio collaboration under the moniker.
Listen to the first track from the album, “Tossing Coins Into the Fountain of Fuck” below.
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”, 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”.
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”).
Formats include:
• Digital
• CD Digipak
• Black As Your Soul Vinyl
• Indie Exclusive Obnoxious Orchid Vinyl
• Ipecac Exclusive Absurd Aqua Vinyl
• Revolver Exclusive Neon Coral Vinyl
Pre-order “Savage Imperial Death March” here.
Tracklist:
1. Tossing Coins Into the Fountain of Fuck
2. Some Kind of Antichrist
3. Awful Handwriting
4. Nine Days of Rain
5. Rip the God
6. Stealing Horses
7. Comparison is the Thief of Joy
8. Death Hour
Separately, the Melvins play Sick New World this Spring, with a pair of California headlining dates surrounding the festival appearance. Napalm Death are currently on tour in Europe ahead of their North American trek later this Spring.
Weblinks:
linktr.ee/melvinsdotcom
napalmdeath.org
