In our media-dominated world, the average television viewer is bombarded by more than 60 jolts of brainwave-disrupting images per minute. At the other end of that twisted spectrum is the force known as Clutch, pulling back the reins, demanding an alteration of perspective and legitimate digestion of life.
To that end, the new year represents a new beginning as the band - Neil Fallon (vocals), Tim Sult (guitar), Dan Maines (bass), Jean Paul Gaster (drums) - returns to Atlantic Records with "PURE ROCK FURY." Inspired in part by the pitfalls present in a pop culture-jamming generation, the album resounds with wide-open guitar riffs, funk-punk show drums, and soul-flushing bass, all astutely entwined with the lyrics of Fallon - who is revealed here as a true yarn-spinning champion.
"I always try to tell a story," states Fallon, while acknowledging the free form lyrical approach that has come to distinguish Clutch. "I make up some kind of fiction and then act like I know what I'm talking about. I don't really know about UFOs or monster trucks, but I would rather tell a story instead of trying to sing about my life or how I feel."
The "PURE ROCK FURY" ride flows easily from the infectious call of "Open Up The Border" to the jabber-rocky groove of "Careful With That Mic," from the brawny, celerity of "Immortal" to the murky swagger of "Drink To The Dead," and the album-closing live recantation of the classic "Space Grass" - originally heard on 1995's "CLUTCH." Produced by Uncle Punchy (Chuck Brown, R.L. Burnside, Rev. Gary Davis) and mixed by Jason Corsaro (Jeff Beck, BuckCherry), "PURE ROCK FURY" features a well-rounded cast of guest stars, including Mountain legend Leslie West, Maryland's heavy hitters Sixty Watt Shaman, percussionist Heartbeat (Dog Eat Dog), and Spirit Caravan's guitarist Scott "Wino" Weinrich (renowned for his many years with the Obsessed).
The Clutch story began in August, 1991, when the band assembled to play their first show. During that hot summer in Germantown, Maryland, all hopes were pinned on the group as the guys sought the solution to life after high school. The quartet started out as an aggressive, motile, hard core-influenced fury, as documented on their 1992 7-inch debut, "Pitchfork" (Inner Journey Records). Their hard rock aptitude was even more evident on 1993's ensuing "TRANSNATIONAL SPEEDWAY: ANTHEMS, ANECDOTES AND UNDENIABLE TRUTHS" (East West) and on 95's "CLUTCH" (Elektra). With 1998's "THE ELEPHANT RIDERS" (Columbia), the group initiated a more roots-oriented rock expression, one that continued the following year with "JAM ROOM," issued through their own River Road Records.
"We just do what we do, with no apologies," explains Fallon. "We entertain ourselves first, and then others. We're not trying to produce what is popular and we never write songs just to be played on the radio. As a result, it's been difficult for labels to place us. Sometimes it's like trying to fit square pegs in round holes."
As a testament to the unrelenting, unchecked quality of the Clutch sound, the group has shared stages with such diverse acts as Marilyn Manson, Bad Religion, Fu Manchu, Therapy?, Pantera, and, most recently, Corrosion of Conformity. Along the way, fans have been drawn to clubs and halls across North America and beyond to experience Clutch's live fortitude.
Close to a thousand shows down the road from that evening back in 1991, the band takes a bold step forward with "PURE ROCK FURY," their most adventurous and admittedly defiant declaration of self, while simultaneously issuing a promise for further exploration and refinement. For the practicing critic or discerning music lover, Clutch is unmistakable in the form of the good ol' rock band, playing music for the music's sake.
Neil Fallon - vocals Tim Sult - guitars Dan Maines - bass Jean Paul Gaster - drums
- March, 2001
