Special Features/Formats:
- Green vinyl (Limited Edition)
- CD
Tracklisting:
- Barracuda
- Liar
- Must Destroy
- Get Ready
- Fake & Blind
- Nacho Vidal
- In My Mind
- Dirty Little Girl
- Enjoy the Ride
- One More Time
- Barracuda Outro
Release Date: February 3, 2017
Label: Heavy Psych Sounds Records
Origin: Italy
So whenever I see a band whose name is one or two letters off an older, far more well known band I get, I think understandably, a little leery eyed. It's common for bands to try and mooch off their predecessors successes which is, in all honesty, kind of disgusting. That being said - The Clamps certainly don't seem to be doing that. Instead their groovy brand of heavy rock and roll fusing everything from stoner rock to punk reminiscent of yes, The Cramps, makes their latest offering Blend, Shake, Swallow a tasty addition to the Heavy Psych Sounds roster.
What gets me about Blend, Shake, Swallow is not just that the riffs are fucking solid and the grooves delicious. Moreover there is something wonderfully produced about this record. The mix is on point to be sure, but beyond that the songwriting and arrangements is on point. There is a sort of pulsing magic behind songs like One More Time that makes The Clamps sound impressively massive despite being a mere three piece. The way that they revel in the rock and roll gore of their sound is impressive and will keep you on your toes for the duration of the record, encouraging you to keep coming back to enjoy all that The Clamps have to offer.
With records where the songwriting is this much of a focus it's hard to not want to dedicate a lot of time to the music. While it certainly can be a drawback at times, reducing the 'punkness' of the mus music, Blend, Shake, Swallow is an addictive listen that will keep you curious and picking apart the waves of sonic magic that they have conjured up here. Sure they aren't reinventing the wheel by any stretch of the imagination, but with a band like this tht's hardly the point. Rather you just have to embrace the sheer aural destruction and triumph that this record showcases at its best.
- Matt Bacon
http://www.twoguysmetalreviews.com