CLUTCH — Psychic Warfare (review)

CLUTCH — Psychic Warfare album cover Album · 2015 · Stoner Rock Buy this album from MMA partners
5/5 ·
UMUR
"Psychic Warfare" is the 11th full-length studio album by US hard rock act Clutch. The album was released through WeatherMaker Music in October 2015. As always Clutch have kept busy touring, but still found time to write and record "Psychic Warfare". "Psychic Warfare" is the successor to "Earth Rocker" from 2013. An album where Clutch returned to packing a bit more punch than they had on the last couple of preceeding releases...

...and that tendency is continued on "Psychic Warfare", which features some of the most hard rocking and energetic tracks yet released by Clutch. Tracks like "X-Ray Visions", "Firebirds", and "Noble Savage" are so wild and full of raw energy, that it´s impossible to sit still while listening to them. Not all tracks on the album are as fast paced as those tracks, but even mid-paced heavier tracks like "Sucker For The Witch", "Decapitation Blues", and "Behold The Colossus", are still full of great uplifting raw energy, blues based licks, and groove. The album also features two mellower tracks in "Our Lady of Electric Light" and "Son of Virginia". None of them are ballad type tracks though, and they still rock pretty hard.

The musicianship is as always strong and one of the band´s greatest assets. The rhythm section of bassist Dan Maines and drummer Jean-Paul Gaster groove and rocks hard throughout the album, guitarists Tim Sult ripps out one great hard rocking riff after another, and occasionally spice things up with some great lead work or solos, and lead vocalist Neil Fallon sounds as commanding as ever. It´s indisputable that Fallon has a strong voice and a personal delivery, but the storytelling type lyrics featured on "Psychic Warfare" make his vocals come out even stronger. There is both great thoughtful wit and tons of even greater humour featured in those words, and I can´t help smile whenever I hear the lyrics to tracks like "X-Ray Visions" or "Son of Virginia". High class lyrics in my book.

The whole thing is packed in a raw, organic, and powerful sounding production, which suits the music perfectly. And upon conclusion perfect is exactly the right word to use about "Psychic Warfare". It was great the first time I listened to it, but the fact that it has grown even better with each listen since, proves to me that this is a very speciel release. The relative diversity of the material, the way the tracklist is constructed, and all of the positive things I´ve described above, make this a sure 5 star (100%) rating in my book.
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Nightfly wrote:
more than 2 years ago
A great album!
UMUR wrote:
more than 2 years ago
Definitely in top 5 of mine favorites of this year too...
Unitron wrote:
more than 2 years ago
Great review, I completely agree that it is a perfect album. This is easily my album of the year!

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