### Clutch: Earth rocker

#### 03/05/13 || gk

In the interest of full disclosure, the last two Clutch albums just bored me. It felt like after the sheer brilliance of “Robot hive/ exodus” in 2005, the band slipped into cruise control and both albums were just a little too laid back for my liking. Still, Clutch is a band I’ll always check out and when “Earth rocker” came my way, I listened.

…and I’m glad I did. “Earth rocker” is a terrific return to form for Clutch. The band sounds re-energized and they’ve returned to the hard rocking southern swagger of old. Title song Earth rocker starts proceedings with vocalist Neil Fallon sounding terrific and it’s a driving, heavy rock song with trademark Fallon lyrics and seriously catchy hooks. The momentum doesn’t let up as Crucial velocity, “Mr. Freedom” and “D.C. Sound attack” all roll along with drive, energy and hooks to kill for. Still, the best part of the album is the middle and Unto the breach is one of the finest songs Clutch has written in a long while. The bluesy “Gone cold” sounds like the logical successor to “The regulator” from 2003’s “Blast tyrant” while The face with its rousing chorus and incredibly catchy vocal line will get stuck in your head for days. “Oh, Isabella” has this 90s vibe to the chorus which just brings a big smile to my face and then ends with this killer space rock jam. The album ends with “The wolf man kindly requests…” which has another virtuoso performance from Fallon and a groove to kill for.

Neil Fallon drives this album for me. Sure, the rest of the band, guitarist Tim Sult, bass player Dan Maines and drummer Jean-Paul Gaster are as good as ever but it’s Fallon’s amazing vocal performance that makes “Earth rocker” absolutely irresistible. He brings so much passion to his delivery that I find myself listening to this album with a fair degree of envy. “I wish I could sing like that” is a thought that crops up in my head quite a few times through the course of this album. His lyrics are top notch as always and great fun to sing along to.

Clutch is now well past 20 years as a band and honestly, they sound as good as they ever have. The band has effortlessly brought the blues base of the last 2 albums to the heavy rock sound of old and it’s a seamless union with “Earth rocker” at times playing out like a funkier, bluesier “Blast tyrant”.

This is a collection of high quality songs with a few surprises in store as well as just being consistently fun and kick ass. Clutch sound absolutely vital on “Earth rocker” and this is essential listening for fans of the band but also well worth checking out if you’ve never heard them before.

- Information
- Released: 2013
- Label: Weathermaker Music
- Website: www.clutch.com
- Band
- Neil Fallon: vocals, guitars, keyboards
- Tim Sult: guitars
- Dan Maines: bass
- Jean-Paul Gaster: drums

- Tracklist
- 01. Earth Rocker
- 02. Crucial Velocity
- 03. Mr. Freedom
- 04. D.C. Sound Attack!
- 05. Unto the Breach
- 06. Gone Cold
- 07. The Face
- 08. Book, Saddle, & Go
- 09. Cyborg Bette
- 10. Oh, Isabella
- 11. The Wolf Man Kindly Requests…