2004 DRT

And the greatest American rock band of the 21st century returns with an album that amazingly tops the incredible Pure Rock Fury.  Blast Tyrant is widely regarded as Clutch’s best album and you’ll get no argument from me, this CD and the follow-up Robot Hive-Exodus combining for an unstoppable one-two punch that constantly finds its way onto my media player in repeat shuffle play.

Once again, from the kick-ass opener ‘Mercury’ to the closer ‘WYSIWYG,’ Clutch just piledrives through their strongest batch of songs to date.   If I have to pick personal highlights from an album of nothing but highlights, I’d have to say my faves are stompin’ classic “The Mob Goes Wild,” “Spleen Merchant,” “Cypress Grove,” “La Curandera,” “(In the Wake of) The Swollen Goat,” and “Subtle Hustle.”

I’ve liked Clutch ever since the Transnational Speedway League album and Neil Fallon is the ultimate king wordsmith in the history of rock, but damn if it doesn’t seem like a major light switch was flipped on with the Pure Rock Fury album.  It’s like the 90’s chronicled the gifted 4 in the search for their own unique muse and with the coming of the millennium they’ve found said muse.  This is a band on fire with an album that truly is an embarrassment of riches.

There’s not a wasted moment on here, as Clutch creates a masterpiece of groove-heavy rock steeped in the best of classic rock sensibilities and given the woofer-chomping punch of modern production.   A classic and an absolute must for any rockhead.

Rating:  5 out of 5