The Melvins - Nude With Boots

In their nearly quarter century career, The Melvins have accomplished a lot. They've become underground heroes with a huge cult following. Other bands love them, and they've been important influences on groups like Nirvana, Tool and Mastodon. They've even had a tribute album (We Reach: The Music Of The Melvins) that came out a few years back.

Not content to be elder statesmen or rest on their laurels, with Nude With Boots The Melvins continue to move forward. They are a band that's never afraid to experiment, and on past albums some of those experiments haven't really worked. That's not the case here.

It's impossible to wedge The Melvins into a genre, but they incorporate elements of sludge, grunge, progressive, psychedelic, punk and probably a few others that I'm forgetting. The songs are driven by fuzzy guitars with a wicked groove. The intensity ebbs and flows, going from harsh and extreme to smooth and melodic.

Returning for Nude With Boots are Big Business singer/bassist Jared Warren and drummer Coady Willis, teaming up with longtime members Buzz Osborne (vocals/guitar) and Dale Crover (drums) for a second straight album. It's a nice combination of youth and experience, plus having two drummers adds to the uniqueness of their sound.

The Melvins seem to be able to keep an identifiable sound that fans can latch onto while still continually evolving. That's helped them remain relevant all these years, and Nude With Boots is another strong effort.

(released July 8, 2008 on Ipecac Records)