Change is not a function we connect with CLUTCH. Yet it is constant even though in imperceptible portions in short terms but palpable in the full picture.
Make the effort to hear their debut album from 1993 “Transnational Speedway League”, after that listen to the sixth “Blast Tyrant” 11 years later and then the brand new “Sunrise on Slaughter Beach” and you will witness totally different records – from aggressive, almost hardcore southern metal, through epic blues and boogie moves to the current rock’n’roll funky groove rodeo.
Still you will always recognize the band – this is CLUTCH and they will always deliver.
And there are elements we have never heard with CLUTCH before – theremin, vibraphone and female backing vocals. Purposeful, slightly dark, slightly angry, the album surprises with its direction even the musicians who recorded it – they claim that in the two years of isolation they aimed towards more joyful and vivid mood. But while playing the new tracks they realized they just pull them in other direction and you can’t force the muse. So they just let go on the stream of the river of inspiration who took them to the sunset of Slaughter Beach.
There’s nothing calm about the music of CLUTCH. There are no compromises either – something they can comfortably afford now, 13 albums (14 if we also count the collection of unreleased songs “Slow Hole to China”) and 31 years. And their road is only straight ahead, top gear. In a muscle car, roaring on hot rock’n’roll with pure high octane.