MMM: #640 Decapitation Blues – Clutch

Milo here.

Enough of that pussy motown crap, eh? Let’s ROCK THE F*CKIN’ HOUSE, EH???

Today, we’re looking at album cut Decapitation Blues from Clutch’s latest (and best) album, Psychic Warfare. Check the audio below:

Indeed, while many true fans cite their eponymous sophomore or 2004’s excellent Blast Tyrant as Clutch’s finest work, I remain that it’s their 2015 release, Psychic Warfare, that tops their discography. With frontman Neil Fallon exploring the full extent of his spectacular vocal range and drummer Jean-Paul Gaster basically showing off with ghost notes galore and plenty of other percussional goodies, the album is also chocka-block with awe-inspiring singles (X-Ray Visions obviously coming to mind) and some brilliant deeper cuts on the album, of which Decapitation Blues belongs.

Showcasing Fallon’s confuddling but always entertaining lyricism, the track includes lyrical gems like “Here you’ve been kicked in the neck by a three legg’d mule“; what a treasure. His trademark performance is also on clear show, with him powering through the verses and chorus with a soulful scream, re-assuring me that he is one of the modern music’s most accomplished vocalists. Guitarist Tim Sult’s country-blues-flavoured riff, while not the album’s most bombastic, is still extremely solid.
Usually slipping through the cracks on many listens, I’ve also acquired a great appreciation for the bass work on this song, courtesy of Dan Maines, keeping a really sweet, almost urgent rhythm on the verses, even if it’s criminally low in the mix. Finally, the drums, as I said, are full of ghost notes and technically perfect fills, really showing off Gaster’s almost unbeatable prowess behind the kit and making sure the song remains as instrumentally dense as you’d expect from such a band.

Check out: Reub’s Psychic Warfare Review

Lots of hugs, kisses and lacerations

Milo.