Clutch
The Elephant Riders

THE REVIEW

Clutch: yet another demonstration of how the reality of things should always be taken with a grain of salt. When Clutch is on the lips of some Americans, they only speak well of them, although (naturally) not the entire stars and stripes population knows who they are. If the same name is mentioned in Italy, but more broadly across the whole of Europe, many (the vast majority) would not even know who the hell they are. This happens due to that now widespread musical phenomenon (but not only) whereby "you sell if you sell yourself" and you are little known if you present yourself honestly and without particular advertising budgets.

This is the fate shared by an infinity of small contemporary bands that do not allow them to emerge. A malicious fate, partly met also by Clutch, although at least in their home country (United States, Maryland) they have a decent following. Their creation dates back almost twenty years ago when vocalist and leader Neil Fallon decided almost as a joke to start a hard rock band. Gradually, with tenacity and good work (particularly the self-titled album of 1995), the combo managed to gain that thin sliver of notoriety that allows them to survive. A sliver that was probably even harder to earn because the sonic proposal of the four band members was not (is not) something exciting in terms of originality.

Their hard rock with blues and stoner influences has had several interpreters over the years, which is why (at least initially) our Clutch struggled to find their dimension. "The Elephant Riders," their third album (1998), is somewhat a product of this situation. Caught between different artistic souls, it ends up being incomplete, and in some parts even seems forced. This is the case with "Ship of Gold" and "Eight Times Over Miss October" characterized by Fellon's powerful voice but lacking in particular flair. This is the main problem of the album: well-constructed in its continuous alternation of riffs, verses, and southern sound, but not very "attractive" in its final form.

This third album is reflective of the very situation in which it was born: a proposal of questionable appeal at the end of the '90s when the echoes of Nirvana were still strong. Add to this the difficulty of breaking through the American recording market, and you will also understand the struggles that "The Elephant Riders" had to fight from the beginning. Despite this general climate of uncertainty and although Clutch will do much better later on, songs like "The Yeti" and "Crackerjack" serve to give a glimpse of that blend of groove, blues, and rock which will lead them to better results in the future.

For those who do not know them, I recommend giving them a listen.

1. "The Elephant Riders" (3:50)
2. "Ship Of Gold" (4:22)
3. "Eight Times Over Miss October" (4:21)
4. "The Soapmakers" (2:57)
5. "The Yeti" (4:59)
6. "Muchas Veces" (5:44)
7. "Green Buckets" (3:52)
8. "Wishbone" (3:43)
9. "Crackerjack" (5:10)
10. "The Dragonfly" (12:01)