The Melvins return with a double album, A Walk With Love and Death, on July 7 via Ipecac Recordings. The dual albums find the trio of Buzz Osborne, Dale Crover and Steve McDonald showcasing two distinct sides to the band's music: Death, a proper Melvins' release and Love, the score to the Jesse Nieminen directed, self-produced short also titled A Walk With Love and Death. The albums, which include guests Joey Santiago (The Pixies), Teri Gender Bender (Le Butcherettes/Crystal Fairy) and Anna Waronker (That Dog), were co-produced with engineer Toshi Kosai.

'We don't feel comfortable calling Dear a return to our slow and heavy style,' says Tokyo's amplifier worshipping experimental metal institution Boris. 'We've been heavy since day one.' And it's true. From the droning thunder of their Absolutego debut and through the cinematic crescendo of albums like Flood, the bombastic licks of the Heavy Rocks records, the punk rage of Vein, the bottom-dwelling psychedelia of Akuma no Uta and Pink, and the grimy thump of Attention Please and New Album, Boris has always attempted to search out new ways to level listeners with their sound.

‘We don’t feel comfortable calling Dear a return to our slow and heavy style,’ says Tokyo’s amplifier worshipping experimental metal institution Boris. ‘We’ve been heavy since day one.’ And it’s true. From the droning thunder of their Absolutego debut and through the cinematic crescendo of albums like Flood, the bombastic licks of the Heavy Rocks records, the punk rage of Vein, the bottom-dwelling psychedelia of Akuma no Uta and Pink, and the grimy thump of Attention Please and New Album, Boris has always attempted to search out new ways to level listeners with their sound. On the 25th year of their existence, the trio delivers Dear, an album they describe as ‘heavenly far beyond heavy.’ Though Boris has traversed a broad swath of sonic territories, they have always been consistent in their embracing of excess, pushing their myriad of approaches and stylistic forays to points of intoxicating absurdity.

'We don't feel comfortable calling Dear a return to our slow and heavy style,' says Tokyo's amplifier worshipping experimental metal institution Boris. 'We've been heavy since day one.' And it's true. From the droning thunder of their Absolutego debut and through the cinematic crescendo of albums like Flood, the bombastic licks of the Heavy Rocks records, the punk rage of Vein, the bottom-dwelling psychedelia of Akuma no Uta and Pink, and the grimy thump of Attention Please and New Album, Boris has always attempted to search out new ways to level listeners with their sound.

An interesting and slightly unexpected release on the Brian Jonestown Massacre's label – doubtless because Dead Meadow opened for that band, whose Anton Newcombe ended up providing the tapes – Got Live if You Want It! is, indeed, a show recording from a date in early 2002. The combination of sludge, drift and, in Jason Simon's singing, a surprisingly easy-to-grasp melodicism that defines the group stands out pretty well here, and, while long-time fans might debate the virtues of these takes with the studio ones, this is definitely a great starting point for those new to the group. Most of the selections come from the self-titled EP – the only Howls from the Hills song is a mighty fine "Dusty Nothing" – and, as befits the band's oldest songs, they sound well-seasoned in the group's capable hands. Simon's got it down as both a good singer and an even better guitarist; the odd semi-whine in his vocals might initially be a touch off-putting, but, by steering clear of more clichéd bellows or roars, it's a great contrast to the heavy-psych mania that the trio kicks up.

As We Cup Our Hands And Drink From The Stream Of Our Ache is the 2017 album by Wisconsin rock combo Cavernlight. This is a Gilead Media presentation.

Endless Boogie craftily anticipate the comments that listeners might offer by putting the phrase in their name. And they do indeed boogie endlessly, settling into a psychedelic ZZ Top kind of vibe and then riding it all the way over the horizon. Vibe Killer is another fine collection of cosmic chug, released on CD and LP by No Quarter.

“Rougarou” is the third album of the Sardinian heavy blues band King Howl. Ten tracks of blues fueled – booze soaked Rock’n’Roll. A new proof for the band’s peculiar, distinctive sound defined through these years on the road. Here, the essential patterns of blues music are mixed again with a strong Rock’n’Roll attitude, that pushes the composition more to the side of 70’s Classic Rock, without denying the reference with other important influences like Stoner Rock, the late sixties proto-punk, the psychedelia. The tracklist is composed by 9 unreleased songs plus the band’s version of Canned Heat’s classic “On the Road Again”. “Rougarou” explores the thematic of the change, of the transformation, no matter If this is linked to the growing up of a kid, the romance of traveling, a nervous breakdown, or the mutation in a werewolf.

In Dead Meadow's universe, the wah-wah pedal is just as important as the guitar itself, and both are clearly more important than any sort of vocals. In fact, at first listen, singer/guitarist Jason Simon's barely audible whine puts the band's eponymous debut in some jeopardy before it has a chance to get underway. Coupled with the all-too-sluggish haze through which early tracks "Sleepy Silver Door" and "Indian Bones" slowly drift into focus, it may scare off many listeners before they can discover the secret of Dead Meadow's true appeal. First hinted at by the sweet, acoustic simplicity of "At the Edge of the Wood" (where the singer redeems himself with a gentle, much more effective Neil Young-like delivery), this subsequently takes shape via Simon's inspired guitar work. Displaying a subtle but nevertheless formidable control of tone and feedback, the guitarist creates a hypnotic wash of sound – akin to a softcore Hendrix. Having figured out this small mystery, open-minded stoner rock enthusiasts can then appreciate the laid-back perfection of the album's stellar second half.