(2020) Clutch - The Weathermaker Vault Series, Vol. 1
Review:
In 2019, Maryland hard rock stalwarts Clutch kicked off a digital singles series, rolling out deep cuts, covers, and rarities, which they dubbed the Weathermaker Vault Series. The following year, with enough tracks to cobble together a decent compilation, they issued Weathermaker Vault Series, Vol. 1. In typical Clutch fashion, the songs blend hard-charging riffs, funky blues-influenced grooves, and the bombastic vocals of frontman Neil Fallon. From the smoky “Run, John Barleycorn, Run” (found on a 2014 split single with Lionize) to beefed-up versions of old songs (Beale Street’s “Electric Worry,” Clutch’s “Spacegrass,” Slow Hole to China’s “Willie Nelson,” and Pure Rock Fury’s “Smoke Banshee”), the band bridge the past and present in their expansive catalog, offering longtime fans almost a dozen gems to tide them over between official album releases. They even link up with Lamb of God’s Randy Blythe for a blistering take on 1992’s “Passive Restraints.” Of the covers, Clutch inject their trademark rollicking energy into songs by Willie Dixon (“Evil”), Creedence Clearwater Revival (“Fortunate Son”), Pappo’s Blues (“Algo ha cambiado”), and ZZ Top (“Precious and Grace”). Altogether, Weathermaker, Vol. 1 is a reliable blast for diehards and the Clutch faithful.
Tracklist:
01 - Passive Restraints (The Weathermaker Vault Series) (feat. Randy Blythe)
02 - Electric Worry (The Weathermaker Vault Series)
03 - Run, John Barleycorn, Run (The Weathermaker Vault Series)
04 - Evil (The Weathermaker Vault Series)
05 - Fortunate Son (The Weathermaker Vault Series)
06 - Algo Ha Cambiado (The Weathermaker Vault Series)
07 - Spacegrass (The Weathermaker Vault Series)
08 - Precious and Grace (The Weathermaker Vault Series)
09 - Smoke Banshee (The Weathermaker Vault Series)
10 - Willie Nelson (The Weathermaker Vault Series)
Media Report:
Genre: rock
Format: FLAC
Format/Info: Free Lossless Audio Codec, 16-bit PCM
Bit rate mode: Variable
Channel(s): 2 channels
Sampling rate: 44.1 KHz
Bit depth: 16 bits