Formed in 1991 by Neil Fallon (vocals), Tim Sult (guitar), Dan Maines (bass) and Jean-Paul Gaster (drums), the band quickly gathered a strong local following through relentless gigging in their hometown of Germantown, Maryland, US. With this strong local presence, they were hot property for record labels, gaining a contract with EastWest records after impressing with their debut single, “Passive Restraints” on Earache.
In 1993, Clutch released their debut full-length, “Transnational Speedway League,” helping to grow their cult following before finding their first taste of mainstream exposure with their self-titled sophomore release in 1995. Moving to Columbia Records, two further releases, 1998’s “The Elephant Riders” and 1999’s “Jam Room” continued to raise the band’s profile.
It was with 2004’s “Blast Tyrant,” on DRT Records, that Clutch gained significant radio airplay and branched out from their cult status, bolstered by the Bam Magera directed video for the single, “The Mob Goes Wild.” ‘Robot Hive/Exodus” in 2005 brought in the talents of organist Mike Schauer, helping to expand their sound. 2007’s “From Beale Street to Oblivion” also displayed a change in the band’s sound, displaying an element of influence from producer Joe Barresi, who had previously worked with Kyuss and Melvins.
A reissue of 2004’s “Blast Tyrant” brought Clutch more commercial success, still proving its relevance seven years after its initial release. Their tenth album, “Earth Rocker” appeared in 2013, peaking at number 15 on the Billboard 200, giving the band their highest chart position of their career at that time. National and European tours followed, proving that Clutch were still pulling out the goods, over 20 years after the band had begun.
Cluth is a band that is able to cover many diverse styles. They can tear up the place with their heavy metal music, or they can get you hooked on their funky-blues style. Whatever kind of music Clutch tries to mix together they end up doing a fantastic job and their live performances hit you with a punch. Lead singer, Neil Fallon, has a really interesting presence as the front man of the band. He often sings in a howling voice that is reminiscent to the blues legend, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, and at other times he sings in a swamp rock kind of style that seems similar to John Fogerty with a deeper voice. The guitar player, Tim Sult, uses much vibrato on his distorted guitar that produces an unstable resonance that has a bluesy psychedelic sound. He also produces deep, fuzzy, sludgy sounds with his guitar creating a vibe that is similar to the stoner rock genre. The drums are often played at a slow, steady pace, but they are loud and deep with the drummer banging on the floor tom and bass drum.
Neil Fallon is very enthusiastic about his music when he performs. When he is not playing guitar he is strutting around stage with his microphone and making hand gestures as he is passionately belting out his lyrics. The crowd loves every bit of the performance, rocking their heads back and forth to the music, and occasionally starting up mosh pits to the more heavy songs. Their stage props are very engaging with bright colorful lights flashing over the stage creating a unique atmosphere. Clutch’s setlist is long and diverse. The audience is sure to hear all the hits they have come to hear as well as some deep cuts.
When going to a Clutch concert you can be sure that you will be fully invigorated by their intense performance and energetic delivery. All of the crowd will be sure to go insane when they perform the hard-hitting song, “Electric Worry”.
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