[Advanced Review] American rock’s last line of defense – Clutch – will unleash their eleventh studio album ‘Psychic Warfare’ on October 2, 2015. You will not hear a better rock album this year, or from last year, or probably next year, hell at this rate you won’t hear something this great until Clutch decides to release a 12th effort.
‘Psychic Warfare’ is the follow-up to my favorite overall album of 2013 – ‘Earth Rocker’. I always have high expectations when Clutch are set to drop another record and I think the band knew they had a difficult task ahead of them when they started crafting ‘Psychic Warfare’. I’m happy to tell you that they not only succeeded by making a better album, but they have made their best album. Ever. Loaded with Southern Blues, a little bit o’ funk and a whole lotta beard – ‘Psychic Warfare’ is the best album of 2015 so far. Clutch have struck gold once again and they’ve done so all these years later since forming way back in 1991.
Songs like ‘Our Lady of Electric Light’ or ‘Son of Virginia’ sound like they belong on a soundtrack to a post apocalyptic western that hasn’t been made yet. If they ever adapt the Image Comic series ‘East of West’ — and they don’t put Clutch on the soundtrack then they need to re-evaluate their life choices. If you dug ‘Gone Cold’ from the last album, get ready to be happy here. Clutch have run the gamut from barn burners to slow jams that would make a robotic cowboy shed tears of joy.
When Frontman Neil Fallon announces his bandmates Tim Sult (brilliant as always on guitar), Dan Maines (that bass is slick as hell) and drummer Jean-Paul Gaster in the track ‘X-Ray Visions’ according to their Zodiac signs…. I’ve never heard anything so cool before in a song. “And on the microphone…. SCORPIOOOOO!” – Holy shit take my money you brilliant Southern rock inspired bastards.
‘Firebirds’ is music to crash your hot rod to. ‘A Quick Death in Texas’ is music to duel to. There is not one throwaway track to be found here. My favorite one so far after listening to this record an insane amount of times on repeat would be ‘Sucker For The Witch’. Only Clutch can craft a rock n’ roll love song about falling for a witch and make it sound so convincing. There’s nobody else as cool as these guys that exist on planet Earth at this time unless you still count say… George Thorogood. Clutch just have it and if you aren’t listening to the world’s best damn rock and roll band then you’re living a lie.
Rating: [star rating=”5″]