“If you sing it with enough conviction, people won’t question it. I just love that escapism, that fantasy aspect of it. And fantasy doesn’t necessarily equate to dragons and wizards. It can be seedy hotel rooms and sketchy hitchhikers.” That’s Clutch’s lead singer Neil Fallon from the band’s bio, and it almost perfectly sums up the hard rock outfit. Nobody will ever question that Fallon is true to his principles on vocals. Now that Lemmy is gone, he might be the nastiest, truest singer circling around metal.
As for the fantastical elements, Clutch has been veering more towards the world of science fiction with their last two albums, Earth Rocker (2013) and Psychic Warfare (2015) and specifically more in line with the ideals of Phillip K. Dick on songs like “Crucial Velocity” and “X-Ray Visions,” the latter of which features the chorus “Telekinetic, dynamite / Psychic warfare is real / You better believe me brother / X-Ray vision.”
The hardcore punk foursome formed in 1991 in Maryland and still has its original lineup: singer Fallon, guitarist Tim Sult, bassist Dan Maines and drummer Jean-Paul Gaster. Time has only made Clutch both meaner and more thoughtful, as they will prove when they perform in Las Vegas, Oct. 15, bringing their Psychic World Tour to Brooklyn Bowl.
Brooklyn Bowl at The Linq, 7 p.m. Oct. 15, starting at $29 plus fee, 18+. 702.862.2695
