Circa the early 21st century, it has become quite uncommon for
hard rock
bands to create a substantial following the old-fashioned way -- nonstop touring -- rather than having to rely on
MTV
and radio's stamp of approval. But
Clutch
have done it their way since the very beginning, and their tenth full-length overall, 2007's
From Beale Street to Oblivion
, may just be their strongest and most focused recording yet. The riffs are still meaty, the still somewhat new addition of organ has added a deep classic
rock
dimension, and
Neil Fallon
's pissed-off trucker vocals are as, well, ballsy as ever (if you want
emo
-boy whining you've come to the wrong place, buster). Unlike some similar-styled bands that completely align themselves with either
stoner metal
or
retro-rock
,
borrow equally from both, as evidenced by such standouts as the album-opening big
of
"You Can't Stop Progress,"
the
Southern rockish
"The Devil & Me,"
and the snake-hiding-in-the-grass
boogie
"Electric Worry."
And
get extra points for offering one of the best lyrics you're going to hear on a 2007
recording -- "You can always tell the terrorist/By his cologne and the watch on his wrist" (from the furious 'n' defiant
"Power Player"
). If you long for the days when
Soundgarden
were still a functioning band,
Kyuss
were still patrolling the desert, and
Black Sabbath
had yet to make up with
Ozzy
will definitely not let you down with
. ~ Greg Prato