Since its formation in 1991, the band line-up has included Neil Fallon (vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards), Tim Sult (lead guitar, backing vocals), Dan Maines (bass, backing vocals) and Jean-Paul Gaster (drums and percussion). To date, Clutch has released thirteen studio albums, and several rarities and live albums. Since 2008 the band have been signed to their own record label, Weathermaker.
Clutch (originally called “Glut Trip” and stemmed from “Moral Minority”) was formed in 1991 by Dan Maines (bass), Jean-Paul Gaster (drums), Tim Sult (guitar), and Roger Smalls (vocals) in Germantown, Maryland. Smalls soon departed and was replaced by Neil Fallon, a longtime schoolmate of the other members at Seneca Valley High School. The band quickly gained notice through constant touring. The 12" single “Passive Restraints” on the Earache label was Clutch’s first commercial release, garnering attention from other labels. Their debut LP, Transnational Speedway League, was released in 1993. It was followed by a self-titled album two years later that gained Clutch mainstream exposure. The band moved to the larger Columbia label for the 1998 album The Elephant Riders. They followed it in 1999 with a self-released groove-based album Jam Room.
On April 28, 2009 Clutch released Slow Hole to China, a collection of unreleased tracks.
On June 10, 2012, the band released a new single, “Pigtown Blues”, on iTunes, backed with an acoustic version of “Motherless Child” from Strange Cousins from the West.
On March 16, 2013 Clutch released their tenth album Earth Rocker which entered the Billboard Top 200 chart at #15 giving Clutch their highest chart position to date. It would remain on the chart for a total of 5 weeks. The album also reached #4 on iTunes’ overall Top 100 album charts and was #1 in their rock chart. Earthrocker won “Album of the Year” 2013 from British publication Metalhammer, and was rated highly on many rock/metal magazines’ and websites’ end-of-the-year “Top Tens”.
In an interview on January 7, 2015 with music and entertainment company 88 Miles West, Fallon stated that the band was heading to Dripping Springs, Texas, to record their upcoming eleventh album. Fallon states the venture to Texas was due to the relocation of record producer Machine, with whom they worked on Blast Tyrant and Earth Rocker, and who recently opened a new studio there. He stated in the interview that “Septemberish, give or take a couple of months” is when they hope to release the new album.
Their eleventh studio album is titled Psychic Warfare, and was released October 2, 2015. Fallon said the concept is influenced by science fiction author Philip K. Dick. “His general philosophy and questions have always crept into my lyrics, because I share an interest in it,” he adds. “On Earth Rocker, ‘Crucial Velocity’ was definitely a Philip Dick song for me. On this record, ‘X-Ray Visions’ certainly is.”. Gaster described the new material as more diverse than ever.
In April 2018, Neil Fallon announced through the radio station The Eagle Rocks that the band's twelfth studio album would be titled Book of Bad Decisions. The album will be released on September 7, 2018. The album was recorded at Sputnik Sound Studio in Nashville, Tennessee with producer and engineer Vance Powell.
On November 13, 2020 Released The Weathermaker Studios Vol. 1. A collection of re-recorded hits and 4 unreleased covers and songs.
On September 16,2022 Clutch released their 13th Studio album: Sunrise on Slaughter Beach.
Between 2004-2018 Clutch created seven straight top 10 releases on Billboard’s Independent Album Chart.
Neil Fallon – vocals, rhythm guitar, harmonica, keyboards, percussion
Tim Sult – lead guitar
Dan Maines – bass guitar
Jean-Paul Gaster – drums, percussion
The Regulator
Clutch Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And though I feel like crying, I swear tonight, I'll cry no more
And how many times have I prayed
That I would get lost along the way?
Dream with the feathers of angels stuffed beneath your head
The regulator's swinging pendulum
The regulator's swinging pendulum
Come with me and walk the longest mile
Come with me and walk the longest mile
Is his wallet leather? Is his wallet fat?
For not a year later it's got you lying on your back
You should have closed your windows and got another dog
You should have chained up all the doors and switched up all the locks
And how many times have I prayed
The angels would speed me away
Dream with the feathers of angels stuffed beneath your head
The regulator's swinging pendulum
Dream with the feathers of angels stuffed beneath your head
The regulator's swinging pendulum
Come with me and walk the longest mile
Come with me and walk the longest mile
Come with me and walk the longest mile
Come with me and walk the longest mile
The lyrics in Clutch's song The Regulator are quite cryptic and open to interpretation. However, the themes of loss, regret and longing are evident throughout the song. The opening lines paint a picture of a person returning to their home where a lantern is burning low. Despite feeling like crying, there is a sense of determination in the lyrics that the person will cry no more. This suggests that the person has come to terms with something they were struggling with, although it's not clear what that might be.
The next few lines about getting lost along the way and praying for the angels to speed them away seem to suggest that the person has been on a journey of some kind. This could be a physical journey or a journey of self-discovery. The use of the word "prayed" suggests a spiritual element to the lyrics, which is reinforced by the reference to angels later in the song.
The chorus of the song is very interesting, referring to the regulator's swinging pendulum and feathers of angels stuffed beneath the head. These are both powerful visual images, suggesting the unstoppable march of time and mortality. The feathers of angels could represent a desire for ascension beyond the physical world, while the regulator's swinging pendulum could represent the inevitable march of time that we can't escape. The repetition of the chorus seems to emphasize these themes and create a sense of urgency and inevitability.
Overall, the lyrics in The Regulator suggest a sense of loss and reflection. There is a sense of coming to terms with something and a desire for spiritual transcendence beyond the physical world.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, I see that lantern trimmed low burning in our home
I notice the dim light in our house and feel sad.
And though I feel like crying, I swear tonight, I'll cry no more
Even though I'm emotional, I won't cry anymore tonight.
And how many times have I prayed That I would get lost along the way?
I've prayed countless times to escape my troubles and wander off.
Dream with the feathers of angels stuffed beneath your head The regulator's swinging pendulum Dream with the feathers of angels stuffed beneath your head The regulator's swinging pendulum
Imagine peaceful things in your mind while time marches on.
Come with me and walk the longest mile
Join me in a difficult journey.
Is his wallet leather? Is his wallet fat? For not a year later it's got you lying on your back You should have closed your windows and got another dog You should have chained up all the doors and switched up all the locks
Did you choose your partner for money instead of love? Now you're paying the price for your mistake.
And how many times have I prayed The angels would speed me away
I've prayed for divine intervention to help me escape my hardships.
Come with me and walk the longest mile Come with me and walk the longest mile Come with me and walk the longest mile Come with me and walk the longest mile
Join me in facing and overcoming obstacles that seem insurmountable.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Richard Timothy Sult, Neil Fallon, Dan Maines, Jean-Paul Gaster
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind