Clutch (usa)
Many have tried to define Clutch and all of them have failed. Verbs have been stretched, metaphors mangled, and adjectives invented, but nothing ever captures the band?s unique rock sound. Attentive listeners will sometimes hear Led Zeppelin in their music, others will recognize the dynamics of John Coltrane, the eccentricity of Frank Zappa, the blues-soul of Elmore James, or the lyrical invention of Chuck D. But it is never derivative or subjective; Clutch is an encyclopedia of musical styles, but they burn every page down into gold. It?s sonic alchemy. Blast Tyrant is the sixth full-length Clutch record to date. It is also the band?s first record for DRT Records and the first Clutch record since Pure Rock Fury (2001). Pre-production for Blast Tyrant was done mostly at drummer Jean Paul Gaster?s Maryland home studio, while basic tracking was recorded between Water Music and the Machine Shop (Hoboken, N.J). Blast Tyrant breaks new musical ground for Clutch. The songs alternate between compact form and elaborate instrumental sections. It features new instrumentations, such as acoustic guitars (on ?Ghost? and ?The Regulator?). These can now be added to their arsenal of experiments with go-go beats, cowbells, harmonica, fiddles, keyboards, and other instruments. Blast Tyrant is perhaps closest to continuing the precedent set by their self released fourth album Jam Room (1999): it is a rhythm-driven, eccentric record that rewards the listener?s attention with lyrical invention and musical power. Clutch has spent the past three years on the road. They have toured during that time with Deftones, System of a Down, and Corrosion of Conformity in the U.S., toured Japan and Europe with Spiritual Beggars, and performed hundreds of concerts everywhere from college bars to sold-out arenas. They continue their proud tradition as a great live act that brings fans of various musical styles together under a single roof. And their fans return, from one show to the next, and one year to the next, for over one decade, to hear the musical experiment known as Clutch. Twelve years strong, six albums deep, and almost two thousand concerts old, Clutch holds its unique course across the musical universe.