(2008 Weathermaker)
If you’ve spent much time in the Abyss, you’ve probably figured out that Clutch, Swell and The Tea Party are my favorite bands. We all have those bands whose albums we don’t need to hear before we buy them. We buy them because we know they’re going to satisfy every time. These are three of mine and Clutch just seems to be an unstoppable freight train.
I’ve watched this disc so many times…even let it play on after I’ve fallen asleep late at night. Song after song just relentlessly grooves and captivates you with riffs you can just chew on forever. If you’re looking for flash and hype (hey, I still love watching the old KISS concerts from back in the day), you won’t find any here.
What you will find is a guitarist (Tim Sult) in total command of his style, a lead vocalist (Neil Fallon) who is incomparably intelligent and incommand of his vocabulary, and a rhythm section (Jean-Paul Gaster on drums and Dan Maines on bass) who is the most underrated in rock. I used to say that about Matt Cameron and Ben Shepherd of Soundgarden before that great band sadly broke up. I mean Gaster and Maines are just relentless and on the money to the point where I have to think Fallon and Sult just couldn’t be any more comfortable in their respective roles. I’ve never seen anyone get more out of a simple jazz kit than Gaster. I just don’t think there’s anyone better.
The song selection is very satisfying, although I could have used more from “Pure Rock Fury.” The DVD opener “The Dragonfly” (from The Elephant Riders CD) really sets the tone and sounds better than the fine studio version.
If you’re a Clutch fan already, you MUST own this. If you’re not a Clutch fan, it’s a fine introduction to the otherworldly machine known as Clutch.
The greatest rock band of the 21st Century.
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UPDATE 3/3/09: Just saw these guys (finally!) live for the first time two nights ago at the Chameleon Club in Lancaster. Wow. The place was packed and Clutch just took over. I remember leaving very satisfied with the songs in the set that night (opener “I Have The Body of John Wilkes Booth” just blew the roof off the place and set the tone) while at the same time noticing the absence of some of my faves like “Escape From the Prison Planet,” “Pure Rock Fury,” and “The Soapmakers.” These guys have so many good songs there’s no possible way they could play them all in one show. While they may not be as huge as Phish, Clutch shares that characteristic with that band and, like Phish, delivers time after time for their fans. If this is how Phish Heads feel about their favorite band, I understand now after watching this DVD countless times (and still running) and finally going to a live show. I’m hooked now more than ever.