Search - Clutch :: Full Fathom Five

Live Book of the Dead

doomsdayer520 | Pennsylvania | 11/14/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"For Clutch fans old and new, this live album is a perfect summary of the band's savagery on stage. While the old in-concert set *Live at the Googolplex* from 2003 shows a younger and more metallic Clutch, this new release shows the band effectively mixing their current interests in swingin' blues licks with their historic penchant for stoner-ish metal and lowdown funky grooves. The fellas are getting a little more laidback and serious as the rockin' years fly by, but onstage they're still as brutal as ever.



As one would expect, this set is based largely on songs from the most recent studio album *From Beale Street to Oblivion* but with a focus on that album's less blatantly bluesy and more riff-oriented tracks, building an important bridge to the band's heavy past. The key tracks here are "Child of the City" and "Mr. Shiny Cadillackness" which are performed with ominous menace. For those fans who don't have all of the older studio albums, this set is also a fine introduction to many of Clutch's more interesting catalog tracks, with highlights being especially savage takes on "Dragonfly" and "Texan Book of the Dead." The only minor glitch here comes with some of the tracks from the extra-heavy *Blast Tyrant* album, with the live takes lacking some of that album's huge sounds (especially with backing vocals). Regardless, the now older and wiser Clutch remains a punishing live act, and even if you've listened to all these songs a gazillion times, you'll appreciate the power of this live set. [~doomsdayer520~]"