Clutch Albums Ranked

Clutch is an American rock band from Germantown, Maryland. Since its formation in 1991, the band line-up has included Tim Sult (lead guitar), Dan Maines (bass), Jean-Paul Gaster (drums), and Neil Fallon (vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards). To date, Clutch has released twelve studio albums, and several rarities, and live albums. Since 2008, the band has been signed to their own record label, Weathermaker Music. In an August 2020 interview on the Detroit-based radio station WRIF, drummer Jean-Paul Gaster stated that Clutch would “probably” begin recording their thirteenth studio album in the winter. In an interview with Metal Kaoz in April 2021, Gaster offered an update on the new album, saying: “Over the last year, we’ve written a lot of songs for our new album, and we’ve done some streaming shows too, which was something we knew nothing about prior to the pandemic. But we educated ourselves quickly, and that kept us busy for a lot of last years as well. We’ve been writing now for our new album that we will record in the fall, and I think we’re spending more time than ever in the studio, just trying out different ideas. And most of the ideas don’t ever really make it to the end; we try 10 things and we keep one.” Gaster also stated that their new album will likely not be released until early 2022. Here are all of the Clutch albums ranked.

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10. Transnational Speedway League: Anthems, Anecdotes, And Undeniable Truths (1993)

“Clutch jams, they’re heavy, and they have a killer frontman. This was my 1st intro to Clutch. Every song on here is unlike any you’ve heard before; I don’t think anyone sounds like Clutch. You want the kind of band that’s funny as well as serious at the same time, able to deliver their songs with ultimate heaviness while still proving their musical abilities? There you have it. Get on this band now! For any fans of bands that you can party to as well as get into in a serious way. I can’t name any other bands that are kind of like Clutch because I don’t think anyone sounds like them.”

9. Strange Cousins From The West (2009)

“The music as a whole sounds angry, but those Sabbath-esque riffs and hardcore punk tempos are long gone. However, it’s a little more spastic and closer to the old-school Clutch sound than From Beale Street to Oblivion. A natural (and mature) growth.”

8. Pure Rock Fury (2001)

“A superb album packed full of meandering bluesy/rock riffs and rhythms, staggering between drawling drunkenness and raging fury; it never fails to impress me. There’s some amazing, crushing riffage on ‘American Sleep’, ‘Smoke Banshee’, and the title track; a few squelchy blues/furious tremolo picked solos, and a collection of mystical and often humorous lyrics, delivered with a throaty, oak-aged voice. Strangely, the highlight for me is the live recording of Spacegrass though, a song originally from their eponymous 1995 album. Something about the atmosphere of the recording, and Neil Fallon’s incredible delivery of the (brilliant) lyrics, makes for a sort of heated, heavy magic which can’t be replicated.”

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7. Live From The Doom Saloon Vol. II (2020)

“You really do get the sense that they just write and play and jam and perform for fun. They don’t just get together every few years to smush out an album and rake in some cash, they live and breathe it and are really super happy to be so appreciated”

6. Robot Hive/Exodus (2005)

“Clutch gets the reputation of a band that doesn’t really change their sound at all from an album, much like AC/DC and Motorhead. I actually think there is some truth to this statement, but Clutch albums still sound surprisingly fresh when compared to the other two bands. This album in particular, is a lot of what i expect out their sound, but do to their sheer amount of awesomeness in producing guitar riff and silly attitude, it ends up being their best album i have heard. The riffs are really something to praise, they are meaty and so so tasty to my ears. The loud, brash vocals give a sort of playful attitude to the intense hard rock pounding, which makes this one really fun to listen to. An album that definitely puts me in a good mood whenever it is playing.”

5. Psychic Warfare (2015)

“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.”

4. The Elephant Riders (1998)

“The Elephant Riders has this very homey production, warm and inviting like a nice fireplace on a brisk day. It brings out Dan Maines’s fittingly warm and fuzzy basslines to their fullest, and Tim Sult’s guitar tones are simultaneously massive like the elephants they’re riding and clean like freshly fallen leaves. Jean-Paul Gaster’s drums ignite the total groove that all instruments thrive in. Clutch perfects a blend of southern blues and metal that was almost lost when the stupid idea that blues can’t make metal came about. These riffs curbstomp that idea. I used to be more closed-minded and didn’t like brass instruments, but the horns in Muchas Veces, hidden track 05, and especially instrumental Crackerjack completely changed that with the trombone adding a lot to these already fantastic songs and helped me start to appreciate these great instruments.”

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3. Blast Tyrant (2004)

“Blast Tyrant… what an album and what a title. It conjures images of a powerful god shooting blasts of thunder in the form of kick-ass rock and roll. It’s an old school album with a decidedly modern style and a strong psychedelic bent. It’s bigger and louder than the Clutch albums that came before, even though those albums were explosive in their own ways. This takes what made those great and goes for more muscle and some more diverse and emotive song structures. This is still the badass fuzzbox rock Clutch is famous for, but bigger, louder, craftier, and with a few more clever hooks. If you’re looking for a real kicker, Blast Tyrant is happy to kick you into orbit.”

2. Clutch (1995)

“Clutch” is the self-titled 2nd full-length studio album by US hard/stoner rock act Clutch. The album was released through Eastwest Records in May 1995. Clutch started out as a hardcore band, and their debut album “Transnational Speedway League: Anthems, Anecdotes, and Undeniable Truths (1993)” still featured quite a few hardcore traits although it´s mostly a hard rock/stoner rock album.”

1. Earth Rocker (2013)

“Nice blues inspired hard rock with good energy that’s being passed on to the listener. Great rock with a good attitude in the vocals as well. At times also some stoner like licks here and there. This music will just blast you straight in the face with it’s straight forward riffing and aggressiveness. While listening, it’s hard not to start banging your head in the tempo the drummer decides.”