Not much happened today unless you're a Husker Du fan and, if you are, you're probably already celebrating Bob Mould's birthday. I am not a Husker Du fan and since none of you creeps wrote about him today, we are going to talk about an album that was released 10 days ago back in 2015 - Clutch's "Psychic Warfare".
Excerpted from previous Sunday Metal Shop and TIMH articles:
Sunday Metal Shop checks in from Germantown, Maryland to bring you the genre-defying sound of Clutch. Four high school friends – Tim Sult, Dan Maines, Jean-Paul Gaster and Neil Fallon – formed the band in 1991 and released their first EP “Pitchfork” that same year. That release presented Clutch to the world as a metal band and they have been both rejecting and reinforcing that image ever since.
Relentless in their touring and recording, Clutch has established themselves as the most consistent and one of the best metal/hard rock acts of the past 25 years. Over that time they’ve released 11 albums, a handful of live records and performed thousands upon thousands of shows. They’ve been signed to major labels but have never had breakthrough, mainstream success.
Perhaps owing to the lack of massive success, Clutch has been free to continually reinvent themselves from album to album. While their sound is ever in flux there are constants within the band. Forged from playing hundreds of tour dates a year, Clutch is as tight a rock band as there is in 2015. True masters of their craft, the band is propelled by the sonically punishing rhythm section of Dan Maines on bass and Jean-Paul Gaster on drums. Maines brings an almost funk sensibility and Gaster is rooted in a heavy jazz/swing sound. On top of that foundation floats the understated guitar of Tim Sult while Neil Fallon’s lyrics and vocals alternate between revivalist preacher and paranoid conspiracy theorist.
Clutch has evolved from an early 90s alt-metal sound to one that defies easy explanation. Fittingly, the lyrics are no easier to categorize. Fallon is a masterful raconteur whose subject matter knows no bounds. On a single album he covered topics ranging from the Civil War, centerfold models, the importance of being a good member of the community, holiday meals and the springtime mating rituals of woodland creatures. And that’s without getting into the weird songs on the album.
Their most radio friendly album is “Blast Tyrant” and I’d recommend checking that out if you’re a Clutch neophyte. If you want to see where they began listen to “Transnational Speedway League”. Other excellent albums include, “Clutch”, “The Elephant Riders”, “Pure Rock Fury” and “Robot Hive/Exodus”.
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https://www.elevenwarriors.com/forum/anything-else/2015/07/56718/clutch-...
Clutch continued their evolution by recording perhaps their most straight forward rock album with "Psychic Warfare". It was Clutch's highest charting album by far, debuting at #11 on the main album chart and at #1 on both the Top Hard Rock and Top Rock charts. The songs are concise and clean without being overpolished or produced. If you are one that laments the lack of "real rock and roll" in today's musical soundscape then you ought to give this album a spin.
