Widely regarded as pioneers of the stoner rock genre, Clutch has been moving, grooving, and pumping out the jams since 1991. The Maryland-based band made up of old friends and classmates has released 13 studio albums, each staying true to the group’s groove-heavy sound.
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Today, we’ll look back through the Clutch’s deep discography and pull four deep-cut tracks that show why they’re among stoner rock royalty after all these years.
“The Yeti” from The Elephant Riders (1998)
The Elephant Riders marked several changes for Clutch. First, it was their first release on Columbia Records after being dropped from EastWest. Maybe more importantly, it showed a different side of vocalist/guitarist/songwriter Neil Fallon. It saw him stepping away from writing angry songs and leaning into positivity. “For me, spiritual matters are much more important than material ones, and anger is the easy and lazy way to write a song,” he told Lollipop Magazine ahead of the album’s release. “It’s more challenging and rewarding to write a song with a positive intent,” he added.
Fallon and the band were also sober during the writing process for The Elephant Riders. “I had to do a lot of thinking with this album,” he said, calling each song a work of short fiction.
The literary bent of the songs and the band’s positive outlook come together wonderfully in “The Yeti,” a song about a peaceful meeting with an abominable snowman and the beauty and wonder of the world around us.
“Guild of Mute Assassins” from Slow Hole to China: Rare & Unreleased (2003)
After more than a decade of near-constant touring, Clutch released Slow Hole to China, a collection of rarities and unreleased songs. Fans had been making bootleg copies of many of the tracks on the album for years. So, the band decided to deliver official versions of tracks that fans loved. Additionally, they included alternate versions of old songs and a John Coltrane cover (“Equinox”).
“Guild of Mute Assassins” was among those rare songs and gave a look into the future of the band. While the origins of the lyrics are obscure, the story that unfolds within them is intriguing. More importantly, the groove in this track is undeniable.
“La Curandera—(Notes from the Trial of)” from Blast Tyrant (2004)
Blast Tyrant is a fan-favorite album that carries on the literary feel of The Elephant Riders. While it’s not a concept album, many of the songs present stories that seem to intertwine when listened to with the right mindset. It also saw the band toying with different sounds with songs like “The Regulator.”
“La Curandera—(Notes from the Trial of)” is a retelling of a witch trial in which the court alleges that the young woman is in league with the devil. Interestingly a curandera (female) or curandero (male) is a Spanish word that refers to a folk healer.
“Sleestak Lightning” from Strange Cousins from the West (2009)
Strange Cousins from the West was the band’s most successful release at the time. Early singles like “50,000 Unstoppable Watts” and “Abraham Lincoln” gave fans more of what they wanted to hear from the band. The album cuts had even more to offer.
“Sleestak Lightning” is a masterclass on packing a ton of fun into less than four minutes. The swinging groove-heavy arrangement makes it the perfect song to drift away to. The fun comes from the lyrics, though. The song is from the perspective of a cryptozoologist who is trying to alert the authorities to the existence of sleestaks on earth.
For those who don’t remember, sleestaks were the lizard people from the sci-fi series Land of the Lost.
“Mountain of Bone” from Sunrise on Slaughter Beach (2022)
More than thirty years after they started, Clutch proved they still had it with their 2022 release Sunrise on Slaughter Beach. While songs like “Slaughter Beach” and “Red Alert (Boss Metal Zone)” get more attention, “Mountain of Bone” can’t be overlooked.
The song plays out like a story of a group of warriors attempting to pillage the den of an unnamed beast throughout the first verses. However, the final reverse reveals the truth. Yet here I am still rolling / A twenty-sided die. / Am I chaotic evil / Or lawfully good aligned?
That’s right, it’s a song about a Dungeons & Dragons campaign.
Featured Image by Scott Legato/Getty Images
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