Clutch

For those who think music can´t be simultaneously heavy, catchy, and intelligent, the work of Clutch should serve as a thudding refutation. When it comes to Clutch, you can basically just take everything you know about heavy music and throw it out the window, because they bend genres more easily than Superman could bend a fork. Is it metal? Hard rock? Jam Rock? Stoner Rock? More like "E," all of the above.
What makes this self-titled second album lovable and durable above all is its extreme quirkiness. Every song stands out on its own, making for a collection of memorable tunes. "Big News I" boasts a deep bass groove and some hilariously inane lyrics, while its sequel "Big News II" and "Animal Farm" turn on the heaviness. "I Have the Body of John Wilkes Booth" and "Tight Like That" are solid slow-burning Jams, and "Spacegrass" is a soaring, multi-faceted epic. I could talk about every song, but suffice to that the variety on display here is truly impressive.
On top of the songwriting, there´s a lot more to like about this band. Neil Fallon has quickly earned a place among my favorite vocalists. Sometimes he sings, sometimes he wails, sometimes he growls, but he always sounds like he´s been gargling with gravel. Tim Sult is a terffic and versatile guitarist, who cranks out lots of thick, heavy riffs and insinuating lead lines. Meanwhile, the rhythm section of Dan Maines and Jean-Paul Gaster keeps up an infectious power groove in the background.
I don´t think this is Clutch´s best album, as I think they´ve been improving with the subsequent releases "The Elephant Riders" and "Pure Rock Fury." Still, the self-titled album and its predecessor "Transnational Speedway League" are still a good place to start. I like all kinds of heavy music, from classic metal right up to death metal (and beyond), but Clutch will always occupy a prominent place in my CD collection. If you like your metal mixed with some intelligence, you can´t go wrong with Clutch.