Clutch have announced their 14th studio album, Wasted Lands, out January 22nd via Weathermaker Records. The band has also unleashed the title track as the latest single from the LP.
The song “Wasted Lands,” which follows previous single “The Drifter Returns,” sees the band sticking to their tried and true heavy rock. Frontman Neil Fallon’s bluesy vocals sit in the comfortable cross-section of Southern rock and the heavier end of blues rock while the band offers a metallic backbone to a song that wouldn’t be out of place in a bar fight.
Inspiration Behind the Title Track
Neil Fallon elaborated on the inspiration for the title track, saying, “The inspiration for the lyrics in ‘Wasted Lands’ came about when it was brought to my attention that someone had been dragging my name on FaceBook (weird, right?). Apparently, I had reneged on a free t-shirt and dinner. I think it was a prize in a pay to play contest. Not to overstate the obvious, but it was a load of horse hockey. Many people tried to explain to this person that it was not me and that they had been hustled. But they simply would not believe it. So I thought, screw it, no half-measures. You want a monster? Let’s give you one.”
The Album
Drummer Jean-Paul Gaster also elaborated on his drum part, adding, “There’s a part where Neil says, ‘Vegetable, mineral, man, or beast.’ And I put a bass drum on, ‘man or beast,’ and Machine thought that was kind of weird. He was like, ‘Man, you’re covering up the vocal!’ And I said, ‘No, that bass drum is gonna make the crowd go nuts, I guarantee it.’ And it does, because there’s nothing more exciting than having a big bass drum slam through a PA, and Neil singing a vocal on top of it. I mean, I get goosebumps from that, you know?”
The band discussed the album overall, stating, “Exploded monuments, haunted coal towns, robber barons, time cops, a chestburster, fifteen tons of antimatter and a creature called Neil Patrick Fallon. Wasted Lands came from one clear intention: write a great rock record that will make fans go nuts when they hear these songs live, while leaving enough space in the creative process to follow the unexpected turns that keep Clutch exciting to us and our fans after thirty-five years together.”
Pre-Order and Tour
Wasted Lands is currently available for pre-order with several color vinyl variants available alongside CD, cassette, and digital.
Clutch are currently set to begin a US tour next month featuring Slomosa and Blood Vulture as guests. Tickets are available here.
Watch the music video for “Wasted Lands” and see the album art and tracklist for Wasted Lands below.
The Wasted Lands tracklist includes:
01. The Drifter Returns
02. Stage Fright
03. Loaf ‘N Jug
04. High Class Action Lawsuit
05. Chestburster
06. Beware The Fever
07. Wound Collector
08. Colorado Fuel and Iron
09. Streets Are His
10. The Green Skull
11. Wasted Lands
12. The Message Is Clear
In conclusion, Clutch’s upcoming album Wasted Lands is highly anticipated, and the title track is a great representation of the band’s heavy rock sound. With a US tour on the horizon and the album available for pre-order, fans of Clutch have a lot to look forward to in the coming months.
Pixel P. Snarkbyte, widely regarded as the “Shakespeare of Sh*tposts,” is a video game expert with a unique knack for turning pixels into punchlines.
Born in the small town of Respawn, Pennsylvania, Pixel grew up mashing buttons on an ancient NES controller, firmly believing that “blowing into the cartridge” was a sacred ritual passed down through generations.
Pixel P. Snarkbyte: proving that life, much like a buggy open-world game, is better with a little lag-induced chaos.
⚖️ ENTER THE LEGALIZER
Think the government has no idea what it's doing? Put your case before the Federal Case Terminal and find out.
