The first solid heavy music release of 2013 is here. Love And Death’s Between Here And Lost is quite simply, a force to be reckoned with. The brainchild of former Korn guitarist Brian “Head” Welch, Love And Death puts Welch’s former band to shame with its heaviness. Continuing on the path Welch set with his solo debut Saving Me From Myself in 2008, Love And Death is so much more giving nods to his old band while putting his unmistakable stamp on every note.
“The Abandoning” is how you want an album to start. It’s riff driven, fast and furious. Head easily switches from a graceful clean vocal to a menacing sneer in a heartbeat and within the first minute and a half of this song, fans will get a taste of his broad range. Any Devo fans in the house? Great, because up next is L&D’s cover of “Whip It” previously heard on last year’s Chemicals EP. You remember “Whip It”, right? And that video? Yeah, this version sounds nothing like it. It’s almost unrecognizable and proves that Welch’s songwriting and arranging capabilities are tops.
“Watching The Bottom Fall” brings the Korn elements back into the mix but sounds as if Welch emerged from the ashes of Take A Look In The Mirror much like a phoenix. “By The Way” is just a great, well-written song and focuses on the more melodic aspects of L&D while “Meltdown” and “My Disaster” go heavy on the, um, heavy and lead into the fierce “I W8 4 U” featuring For Today’s Mattie Montgomery.
But enough about Welch because Love And Death is a band after all. Drummer Dan Johnson is a beast. On the cover of “Whip It” he pummels furiously. “By The Way” he’s slow and steady and on “Meltdown” he’s a syncopated animal. Elsewhere bassist Michael Valentine lays down a low end that drives songs like “Fading Away” and “Chemicals” while JR Bareis accents Welch’s guitar riffs creating a wall of sound throughout.
Definitely the right way to start off 2013 and easily a solid “debut” from Brian Welch, Between Here And Lost is out on January 22nd on Tooth & Nail Records. Get your copy here.
Grade: A+