Clutch

Earth Messiah – Ouroboros Review

Earth Messiah – Ouroboros Review

“Gothenburg three-piece Earth Messiah are also going old school with their full-length debut Ouroboros. The Swedes’ downtuned, heavy stoner-rock sound is ripped straight out of the late 1990s and follows on from a solid two-track demo, Nocturnal Thoughtgrinder, which they put out in January 2018. A full cycle of the seasons (and a record deal with Argonauta Records) later, are Earth Messiah reborn or stuck living in the past?” Stones and time.

Pale Divine – Pale Divine Review

Pale Divine – Pale Divine Review

“I’m a fan of most things slow and heavy, but gritty, bluesy biker doom is especially my jam. Perhaps that’s the byproduct of a misspent youth hanging out with an older brother who was an outlaw biker and frequently on the wrong side of law. Maybe it comes from too much time in sketchy bars where you were as likely to get punched as catch a good buzz. Wherever the affection comes from, it’s part of my DNA. Pennsylvania’s three-piece doom crew Pale Divine share my appreciation for this roughneck sub-genre, crafting burly doom rock in the image of peak Corrosion of Conformity, The Obsessed and Wino-era Saint Vitus.” Bad hombres.

Spacetrucker – Smooth Orbit Review

Spacetrucker – Smooth Orbit Review

“In recent times, we’ve had several naked space ladies adorning stoner covers, one of them cuddling an astronaut that reappeared on a third, more psychedelic interpretation. Spacetrucker pay homage to Deep Purple with their name, their favorite weed-smoking mood with album title Smooth Orbit, and a curious combination of Scooby Doo and the far reaches of the cosmos with their album art. Let’s find out whether their music is as dank as their kush.” Cruising the stars in a mystery van.

Mr. Plow – Maintain Radio Silence Review

Mr. Plow – Maintain Radio Silence Review

“There could be a multitude of reasons why it happen, but very rarely is it a good sign when an artistic piece gets delayed. Whether it’s a movie you’ve been wanting to see for ages or a game that you’ve had reserved for nearly three years, when you anticipate something and it gets pushed back time and again, you go from being anxious about it to worrying. But sometimes the exact opposite happens. Case in point: Maintain Radio Silence, the first album in 12 years from Houston rockers Mr. Plow.” Mr. Plow, that’s their name.

Jollymon – Void Walker Review

Jollymon – Void Walker Review

The 90’s are not generally the most beloved of musical eras. The golden age of metal waned into an age of alt rock and grunge, with its faux-tough sensibilities and often minimalistic songcraft compared to the high-speed technical intricacies of classic heavy and thrash metal. All empires must fall, however, and alt rock and grunge found their wings clipped just the same, as the old millennium sighed into the new. Back in those days, an outfit calling themselves Jolly Mon were trying to turn ripples into waves around the Pacific northwest. They must have sensed the time was not right for them, because much like Pennywise the Clown, Jolly Mon went into hibernation for over a decade and a half.” Void if opened before 2018.

Boss Keloid – Melted on the Inch Review

Boss Keloid – Melted on the Inch Review

“At AMG Headquarters last week, as a number of us were gathered around the bench press station during our allocated one hour of yard time, discussions turned from who could bench the most, to personal tastes when it comes to genres to review. When I was finally allowed to talk, I said I like my dad metal, sure, but I also enjoy deeply of prog, doom, some stoner — and I like it all to be just a little off-kilter. Well, members of Boss Keloid must have been standing nearby, because Melted on the Inch, their third album, ticks all my non-dad-metal boxes.” Boss dad prison metal.

Septic Tank – Rotting Civilisation Review

Septic Tank – Rotting Civilisation Review

“In the mid-90’s, Cathedral was turning into a household name in the realms of British doom. The steaming, sleazy groove of the quartet was best described as the midway point of Black Sabbath, Clutch and Mötorhead, and has seen its fair share of progeny (like The Necromancers, for instance.) Unbeknownst to many, the band had a side project simmering away in the form of Septic Tank, which was often mentioned between the members but was kicked down the road as much as that novel you intend to write sometime. Five years after Cathedral’s dissolution, the side project has sprung back to life with three of its original four members, including bassist Scott Carlson, guitar player Gaz Jennings and vocalist Lee Dorrian.” We’re getting the cesspool back together!