Clutch
Clutch performing at First Avenue, Minneapolis
Background information
Origin	Germantown, Maryland, United States
Genre(s)	Stoner rock Hard Rock Heavy Metal Stoner Metal Blues Rock Hardcore Punk (early)[1]
Years active	1990–present
Label(s)	Atlantic, Columbia, DRT, Earache, Eastwest, Inner Journey Records, Megaforce, River Road Records
Associated acts	The Bakerton Group Five Horse Johnson
Website	Pro-Rock.com
Members
Neil Fallon Tim Sult Dan Maines Jean-Paul Gaster Mick Schauer

Clutch is a musical group from Germantown, Maryland in the United States. They have been playing together since the early 1990s, and released their first EP, Pitchfork, in October 1991. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Germantown is the name of some places in the U.S. state of Maryland: Germantown, Anne Arundel County, Maryland Germantown, Baltimore County, Maryland Germantown, Montgomery County, Maryland -- This is the most common place referred to as Germantown, Maryland. ... Official language(s) None (English, de facto) Capital Annapolis Largest city Baltimore Largest metro area Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area Area  Ranked 42nd  - Total 12,407 sq mi (32,133 km²)  - Width 101 miles (145 km)  - Length 249 miles (400 km)  - % water 21  - Latitude 37° 53′ N to 39° 43′ N... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Stoner rock and stoner metal are interchangeable terms describing sub-genres of rock and metal music. ... Hard Rock redirects here. ... Heavy metals, in chemistry, are chemical elements of a particular range of atomic weights. ... Stoner music, stoner metal and stoner rock are interchangeable terms describing a sub-genre of rock music. ... Blues-rock is a hybrid musical genre combining elements of the blues with rock and roll, with an emphasis on the electric guitar. ... Hardcore punk, now commonly known as hardcore, is a subgenre of punk rock that originated in North America in the late 1970s. ... In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... Atlantic Records (Atlantic Recording Corporation) is an American record label, and operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of Warner Music Group. ... DRT Entertainment is a New York City based independent record label founded in 2003 by Derek Shulman, Ron Urban and Theodore Ted Green. ... Earache Records is a heavy metal-orientated record label based in Nottingham, UK and New York, USA. It helped to pioneer extreme music by releasing many of the earliest grindcore and death metal records, in the period 1988-1992. ... old logo current logo Eastwest Records was started in 1955 as a subsidiary label of Atlantic Records. ... Megaforce Records has been the record label for several bands in the heavy metal and/or thrash genres and also rock genres, including Metallica, Testament (band), Anthrax, S.O.D., Warren Haynes, The Disco Biscuits, and have recently signed with Ministry, Bad Brains, Rose Hill Drive, and Mushroomhead, among others. ... The Bakerton Group is instrumental bluesy jam band and the side project of the stoner rock outfit Clutch. ... Five Horse Johnson is an American blues band, formed in 1995. ... Neil Fallon is the lead singer and guitarist for American rock band Clutch. ... Tim Sult is the guitarist for stoner rock/funk metal/hard rock band Clutch. ... Jean-Paul Gaster is an American drummer best known for his work as member of stoner rock band Clutch. ... Germantown is an unincorporated, but urbanized Census-Designated Place in Montgomery County, Maryland in the USA. It is the sixth most populous Census-Designated Place in Maryland. ... Official language(s) None (English, de facto) Capital Annapolis Largest city Baltimore Largest metro area Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area Area  Ranked 42nd  - Total 12,407 sq mi (32,133 km²)  - Width 101 miles (145 km)  - Length 249 miles (400 km)  - % water 21  - Latitude 37° 53′ N to 39° 43′ N... For the band, see 1990s (band). ...

Biography

Each Clutch album is marked by a distinct and cohesive sound. The musical style of the band has migrated from metallic hardcore punk to hard rock. Strong blues influences have become prominent in the releases of the later years as vocalist/guitarist Neil Fallon notes: "We've been really conscious of the blues over the last couple of years, and you have to admit that the blues really is the source of all rock and roll. I think it's important to go to the source to find that inspiration."^[2] Heavy metal redirects here. ... Hardcore punk, now commonly known as hardcore, is a subgenre of punk rock that originated in North America in the late 1970s. ... Hard Rock redirects here. ... Blues music redirects here. ...

The lyrics of Clutch songs have progressed from early releases that were marked with an angry, serious tone to latter releases that are characterized by intelligence, wordplay, and subtle humour. The songs make frequent references to history, mythology, popular culture, and religion; for example, "I Have the Body of John Wilkes Booth", from the self-titled album, tells the story of a fisherman who discovers the corpse of Lincoln's assassin in the Susquehanna River, and Jam Room's "Release the Kraken" inserts a hero called "Useless the Younger" into the movie Clash of the Titans. The lyrics also contain some surrealistic imagery, as in this quote from Robot Hive/Exodus's "Burning Beard": "Every time I look out my window/ same three dogs looking back at me. Every time I open my windows/ cranes fly in to terrorize me." For other uses, see Humour (disambiguation). ... This article is about the study of the past in human terms. ... For other uses, see Mythology (disambiguation). ... Popular culture (or pop culture) is the widespread cultural elements in any given society that are perpetuated through that societys vernacular language or lingua franca. ... John Wilkes Booth (May 10, 1838 – April 26, 1865) assassinated Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, at Fords Theatre in Washington, D.C. on April 14, 1865. ... For other uses, see Abraham Lincoln (disambiguation). ... Jack Ruby murdered the assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, in a very public manner. ... The Susquehanna River (originally Sasquesahanough per the 1612 John Smith map) is a river located in the northeastern United States. ... For other uses, see Kraken (disambiguation). ... Clash of the Titans is a 1981 fantasy movie based on the myth of the Perseus. ... Max Ernst. ...

Neil and Clutch performing in 2007.

Clutch formed in 1991 and built a local following through constant gigging. Following the initial 7" single release of "Passive Restraints" on the Earache label, Clutch was signed by the EastWest Records label. The debut LP, Transnational Speedway League, was released in 1993. It was followed by a self-titled album two years later that afforded Clutch mainstream exposure. The band moved to the larger Columbia label for 1998's Elephant Riders release, and many thought the group might join their sonic cousins Korn and Deftones in the alternative metal winner's circle. That did not quite happen, but it did not matter, because a quality fan base continued to thrive for Clutch.

Pure Rock Fury appeared in 2001 on the Atlantic label. The title track was initially released as the first single. The program director for North Carolina rock station, WXQR (Rock 105), Brian Rickman, suggested that the label switch singles to another track from the album: "Careful With That Mic." Atlantic did so, and Clutch was afforded a surprise hit single. The follow-up tracks, "Immortal" and "Open Up The Border" were also well-received by American rock stations. Official language(s) English Capital Raleigh Largest city Charlotte Largest metro area Charlotte metro area Area  Ranked 28th  - Total 53,865 sq mi (139,509 km²)  - Width 150 miles (240 km)  - Length 560[1] miles (900 km)  - % water 9. ... WXQR 105. ...

The similarly uncompromising Blast Tyrant came three years later, their first for DRT Records. The band once again enjoyed more rock radio airplay and heavy rotation on the Music Choice cable service thanks to the single "The Mob Goes Wild." Its accompanying video was directed by Bam Margera. Brandon Cole Bam Margera (born September 28, 1979 in West Chester, Pennsylvania) is a professional skateboarder, creator of the CKY skate/prank/stunt videos, and radio personality. ...

Their seventh full-length album, Robot Hive/Exodus, followed in 2005 and featured the first lineup change since the early 1990s: the addition of organist Mick Schauer. Among Clutch's numerous side releases were a groove-based album, 2000's Jam Room, as well as Live at the Googolplex and the rarities record Slow Hole to China, both issued in 2003. The 2005 release Pitchfork & Lost Needles combined Clutch's 1991 Pitchfork 7 with unreleased demos and early tracks.

In the fall of 2006, the band hit the studio with producer Joe Barresi (Kyuss, Melvins, Tool) to record their next album, From Beale Street to Oblivion which was released in March 2007. The album was leaked onto the internet in early March. Critical reaction has been overwhelmingly positive; the magazine Metal Hammer called it a "future classic, the best album the group has ever produced, and easily a front runner for album of the year." Joe Barresi is an American record engineer and producer who has worked with bands such as Kyuss, The Melvins, Queens of the Stone Age, Tomahawk, L7 and The Jesus Lizard. ... This article is about the band. ... Melvins are an American rock/metal band that usually perform as a trio. ... Tool is a Grammy-award winning American rock band, formed in 1990 in Los Angeles, California. ... Metal Hammer (sometimes MetalHammer) is a monthly heavy metal magazine in the United Kingdom, Ireland and in Germany, Austria, Spain, Greece, Poland, Hungary, Switzerland, Serbia and Montenegro by a different publisher. ...

While the band has not recovered their previous radio airplay with subsequent releases, Clutch have accumulated a devoted cult following. The following has been cultivated by an ambitious touring schedule; the band has often perform more than 100 shows per year. This article does not discuss cultist groups, personality cults, or cult in its original sense of religious practice. See cult (disambiguation) for more meanings of the term cult. A cult following is a group of fans devoted to a specific area of pop culture. ...

Clutch also receives air play on Sirius Satellite Radio on chanels Octane and Faction.

Members

• Neil Fallon – vocals, guitar, harmonica
• Tim Sult – guitar
• Dan Maines – bass guitar
• Jean-Paul Gaster – drums
• Mick Schauer – organ

Neil Fallon is the lead singer and guitarist for American rock band Clutch. ... For other uses, see Singer (disambiguation). ... An electric guitar An electric guitar is a type of guitar that uses pickups to convert the vibration of its steel-cored strings into electrical current, which is then amplified. ... A harmonica is a free reed wind instrument. ... Tim Sult is the guitarist for stoner rock/funk metal/hard rock band Clutch. ... An electric guitar An electric guitar is a type of guitar that uses pickups to convert the vibration of its steel-cored strings into electrical current, which is then amplified. ... A sunburst-colored Fender Precision Bass The electric bass guitar (or electric bass[1][2]; pronounced , as in base) is a bass stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers (either by plucking, slapping, popping, or tapping) or using a pick. ... Jean-Paul Gaster is an American drummer best known for his work as member of stoner rock band Clutch. ... A drum kit (or drum set or trap set) is a collection of drums, cymbals and sometimes other percussion instruments, such as a cowbell, wood block, chimes or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single drummer. ... Organ in Katharinenkirche, Frankfurt am Main, Germany The organ is a keyboard instrument played using one or more manuals and a pedalboard. ...

Other projects

In the late 1990s, Clutch and its sibling project The Bakerton Group (an instrumental jam band composed of Clutch members Maines, Sult, Gaster, and Schauer) formed an independent record label, River Road Records, to release their own music. River Road does not sign any other artists. The Bakerton Group has released one 3-track EP, Space Guitars. They have since recorded a self-titled full length album, and are accepting pre-orders. The Bakerton Group is instrumental bluesy jam band and the side project of the stoner rock outfit Clutch. ... An instrumental is, in contrast to a song, a musical composition or recording without lyrics or any other sort of vocal music; all of the music is produced by musical instruments. ... The term jam band is commonly used to describe psychedelic rock-influenced bands whose concerts largely consist of bands reinterpreting their songs as springboards into extended improvisational pieces of music. ...

Drummer Jean-Paul Gaster made an appearance on the album The Mystery Spot of blues-rock band Five Horse Johnson. The album was released on May 23, 2006 via Small Stone Records.^[3] In 2007, Jean-Paul Gaster collaborated with Opeth keyboardist Per Wiberg and Kamchatka guitarist Thomas Andersson on a project.^[4] Five Horse Johnson is an American blues band, formed in 1995. ... Small Stone Records is an American record label based in Detroit, MI. // Current Artists Acid King Bottom Dixie Witch Dozer Five Horse Johnson Greatdayforup Gideon Smith & the Dixie Damned The Glasspack Honky Halfway To Gone Lord Sterling Los Natas Milligram Novadriver The Men Of Porn Puny Human Red Giant Sasquatch... Opeth are a heavy metal band from Stockholm, Sweden. ... Per Wiberg Per Wiberg is the keyboard player for the progressive metal band Opeth. ... Kamchatka are a Swedish power trio highly influenced by late 1960s and early 1970s blues-rock bands. ...

Discography

Main article: Clutch discography

• 1993: Transnational Speedway League: Anthems, Anecdotes, and Undeniable Truths
• 1995: Clutch
• 1998: The Elephant Riders
• 1999: Jam Room
• 2001: Pure Rock Fury
• 2004: Blast Tyrant
• 2005: Robot Hive/Exodus
• 2005: Pitchfork & Lost Needles
• 2007: From Beale Street to Oblivion

See also: 1993 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 1993 Record labels established in 1993 // Date Unknown- Christian Rock label Tooth and Nail Records is formed. ... See also: 1995 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 1995 Record labels established in 1995 January 1 - Debut album Sixteen Stone by Bush hits #4 on the Billboard 200 a post grunge success January 18 - Jerry Garcia wrecks his rented BMW into a guard rail near Mill Valley, California. ... Clutch Clutch is the second full-length album by rock band Clutch. ... See also: 1998 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 1998 Record labels established in 1998 // 1998 - The single Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls sets a new hot 100 airplay record, 18 weeks at number one. ... The Elephant Riders The Elephant Riders is the third full-length album by rock band Clutch. ... See also: 1999 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 1999 Record labels established in 1999 // January 7 After eight years of marriage, Rod Stewart and supermodel wife Rachel Hunter announce their separation. ... Jam Room is the fourth full-length album by rock band Clutch. ... See also: 2001 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 2001 Record labels established in 2001 // January 1 Comeback of Guns N Roses in House of Blues Hum disbands. ... Pure Rock Fury Pure Rock Fury is the fifth full-length album by rock band Clutch. ... See also: 2004 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 2004 Record labels established in 2004 2000s in music. ... Blast Tyrant Blast Tyrant is the sixth full-length studio album by rock band Clutch. ... See also: 2005 in heavy metal music 2005 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 2005 Record labels established in 2005 Albums released in 2005 January 1 - In most of Europe, copyright expired on a number of classic pop and rock-and-roll songs recorded in 1954 and earlier, including... Blast Tyrant Robot Hive/Exodus is the seventh full-length studio album by rock band Clutch. ... See also: 2005 in heavy metal music 2005 in music (UK) Musical groups established in 2005 Record labels established in 2005 Albums released in 2005 January 1 - In most of Europe, copyright expired on a number of classic pop and rock-and-roll songs recorded in 1954 and earlier, including... Pitchfork & Lost Needles is an album of Clutch, released in 2005. ... See also: 2007 in country music 2007 in British music 2007 in hip hop 2007 in metal Albums released in 2007 Musical groups established in 2007 // January George Shearing is knighted for services to music in the Queens New Year Honours List. ... From Beale Street to Oblivion is the eighth full-length studio album by rock band Clutch. ...

Notes

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 208th day of the year (209th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 208th day of the year (209th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Pro-rock.com, Official website
• Interview with Neil Fallon
• Interview with Jean-Paul Gaster
• Photos of Clutch playing Sydney 2007