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Written by David Lichius Thursday, 07 August 2008 05:12

From beginning to end, it is clear that Nude With Boots is not a repeat of (A) Senile Animal.

Following up a record which loads of critics hailed as your best album in over a decade can be a tough act to follow. For Los Angeles' Melvins, 2006's (A) Senile Animal was a bombastic reminder of how good the Melvins were and could be. With zero disrespect to elder Melvins Buzz Osborne and Dale Crover, a great deal of credit to this rejuvenation was attributed to the two new Melvins, bassist Jared Warren and drummer Coady Willis—otherwise known as Big Business. In the simplest of terms, (A) Senile Animal was a beast of a record, living up to all aural expectations one would expect from the collaboration between the Melvins and Big Business.

From beginning to end, it is clear that Nude With Boots is not a repeat of Animal. For those wanting said repetition, this might prove slightly problematic. In comparison, Nude With Boots' volume has been turned down a notch. However, that does not mean that Boots equals the equivalent of a Melvins pop record; indeed, the disc it is still mighty noisy and ripe with devilish swagger.

The hooks and melodies found within "The Kicking Machine," "Billy Fish" and the title track are mighty catchy and memorable. Also, for those out there pining for some bombast that more resembles Animal, "Suicide in Progress," and the outstanding "The Smiling Cobra" stand out. With the funeral dirge "Dies Iraea"—best known as the music that played during the opening credits of Stanley Kubrick's The Shining—the Melvins have created a rendition will likely amuse fans of the Kubrick film, but it proves largely to be a bit of a novelty.

In the end, while Nude With Boots has its moments, in the current context it is a bit of disappointment. This by no means a bad or mediocre record; it just falls in the decent to sufficient range. Whether it is fair or not, the shadow of (A) Senile Animal does loom over this disc. In all likelihood, the passage of time will be the kindest ally for Boots. B | David Lichius