Search - Clutch :: Clutch

One of the Best of the 90s!

sc_demandred | Irvine, CA USA | 03/15/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Clutch... if ever there was a band that had more going on thanmeets the eye, this is it. Their self-titled second album is anamazing piece of music. The songs flow into one another so artfully that at times you'll find yourself glancing at the CD box to see if this is some kind of wild concept album.I'm still not sure that it isn't, but there are too many concepts at work here to be positive. Part X-Files, part pirate chanty, part Bible study, part Civil War history, part trucker's anthem and part English Lit class, "Clutch" rocks hard and grooves deep. "Big News" parts 1 and 2 are raucous, rollicking latter-day pirate tunes that start the record on a grooving, low-speed note. "Texan Book of the Dead" and "Escape From the Prison Planet" are two of my favorites, the former turning the concept of the codified death ritual on it's ear; the latter describing scenes that must have inspired Chris Carter to base some X-Files episodes."Spacegrass" is one of the best songs for driving at night... you can imagine yourself cruising at Escape Velocity out of the solar system. My absolute favorites are "I Have The Body Of John Wilkes Booth", "Animal Farm", "Droid" and "7 Jam".This album took a few years to grow on me, but it is now one of my favorites. It's different, original, enjoyable, thought-provoking and a-kicking. It proves that rock, far from being dead, has simply become the tool for more sophisticated musicians.Worth it. END"

Clutch=good

Wheelchair Assassin | The Great Concavity | 08/04/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"For those who think music can't be simultaneously heavy, catchy, and intelligent, the work of Clutch should serve as a thudding refutation. When it comes to Clutch, you can basically just take everything you know about heavy music and throw it out the window, because they bend genres more easily than Superman could bend a fork. Is it metal? Hard rock? Jam Rock? Stoner Rock? More like "E," all of the above.
What makes this self-titled second album lovable and durable above all is its extreme quirkiness. Every song stands out on its own, making for a collection of memorable tunes. "Big News I" boasts a deep bass groove and some hilariously inane lyrics, while its sequel "Big News II" and "Animal Farm" turn on the heaviness. "I Have the Body of John Wilkes Booth" and "Tight Like That" are solid slow-burning Jams, and "Spacegrass" is a soaring, multi-faceted epic. I could talk about every song, but suffice to that the variety on display here is truly impressive.
On top of the songwriting, there's a lot more to like about this band. Neil Fallon has quickly earned a place among my favorite vocalists. Sometimes he sings, sometimes he wails, sometimes he growls, but he always sounds like he's been gargling with gravel. Tim Sult is a terffic and versatile guitarist, who cranks out lots of thick, heavy riffs and insinuating lead lines. Meanwhile, the rhythm section of Dan Maines and Jean-Paul Gaster keeps up an infectious power groove in the background.
I don't think this is Clutch's best album, as I think they've been improving with the subsequent releases "The Elephant Riders" and "Pure Rock Fury." Still, the self-titled album and its predecessor "Transnational Speedway League" are still a good place to start. I like all kinds of heavy music, from classic metal right up to death metal (and beyond), but Clutch will always occupy a prominent place in my CD collection. If you like your metal mixed with some intelligence, you can't go wrong with Clutch."

Clutch: Rock N Roll OutlawsThat Kick Every Band's Ass.

SpacegrassMan | Insane Land of Words & Music | 03/07/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"These guys are crazy. Neil Fallon's voice has more attitude than Mike Tyson on the wrong medication, and the rest of the package will have you cracking open a cold beer and banging your head until it gathers enough speed to launch off your body, through your roof and into outer space with beer drool hanging off your lower lip ... and what a beautiful smile Clutch has put on your face. Anyone into hard, heavy, sleazy, sludgey, insane hard rock/metal bands, needs Clutch in their collection the way Whitney Houston needs weed.



All Hail Clutch!

Necrosoul."