Love and Death - Chemicals EP

Love and Death is the band I think everyone wishes Korn would have become. Love and Death is the new band from Brian Head Welch. It's the band he's been touring with for the past couple of years and the name change brings a fresh start for Head. Chemicals is a nice way to give fans a glimpse at what the band is going to sound like on their full-length (due out later this year).

Like I said, Love and Death is what I, and I think most people, wish Korn still sounded like. Or ever sounded like. For Head, Chemicals is a step up from Save Me From Myself. Having seen Head live, his live show was always more brutal and the songs from Save Me From Myself worked way better live than they did on the record.

Chemicals on the other hand is stellar. The songs are heavy, driving, and all around well done. My issue is the songs are so good that I want more. A lot more. I know this ep is just a taste but the taste makes me want more. And that's the point of the ep right?

5 songs. 2 originals, 1 cover, and 2 remixes.

Paralyzed kicks the ep off. The intro reminds me of the great tracks on Korn's first three records. Great atmosphere before the intro riff kicks in. And then the song explodes. The hook is catchy but the song is straight up brutal. When the bridge drops and the track crescendos... Just wow. Turn your speakers up and get ready to bang your head. Then comes the cover of Whip It. Yes, the Devo song. It might be one of the best covers I've ever heard. If you heard this song on the radio, you would have no clue that this is the Devo track. Even when the chorus comes in you have to double take and ask yourself is this really Whip It? Next up this the title track. Chemicals is a little more hook based. Again, the intro riff is stellar and heavy but the track has a little more atmosphere and electronics that creates great layer on top of great layer.

Both Paralyzed and Chemicals have remixes. Both are well done and give just enough of a twist to the originals that make them fun listens without completely changing up the track.

Love and Death is great and these 5 tracks are enough to make Chemicals one of my favorite albums I've heard this year.  It puts Love and Death's up-coming full-length to the top of my most anticipated albums list.