Love and Death

Love and Death came together in 2012 as a Christian alt-metal outfit led by nu-metal pioneer Brian "Head" Welch, the founding Korn member whose earlier work helped define the genre. The group’s first album, Between Here & Lost, issued in 2013, blended inspirational themes with stylistic range, while the similarly oriented follow-up Perfectly Preserved, released in 2021, drew listeners from both secular and faith-based circles.

Welch handles guitar and vocals alongside guitarist J.R. Bareis, drummer Dan Johnson, and bassist Michael Valentine; together they fuse the detuned, guitar-driven approach Welch helped establish with lyrics carrying a more uplifting outlook. The band first appeared in 2012 via the digital-only EP Chemicals, then delivered their debut full-length Between Here & Lost on Tooth & Nail in early 2013, where it registered solidly across several charts. In subsequent years Welch rebuilt the lineup with Bareis, drummer Isaiah Perez, and guitarist/bassist/co-songwriter Jasen Rauch of Breaking Benjamin, shaping material for the next record at studios in Nashville, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Issued by Earache in 2021, Perfectly Preserved included contributions from Lacey Sturm of Flyleaf and Keith Wallen.