here's a good review of it:
To understand the latest release from Marylands Clutch, its probably best to go over the bands fifteen year history, because in the end, Robot Hive/Exodus is the summary of their evolution.
Their initial release 1993s Transnational Speedway League: Anthems, Anecdotes & Undeniable Truths was an aggressive, hardcore tinged affair. What tempered the albums aggression and gave it a distinct voice over all the other angry bands of the time was Neil Fallon quirky approach to lyrics in both substance and delivery.
The self-titled follow-up was anything but. At first listen, it seemed more like Clutch was determined to discard their fan base, as the distortion and feel of A Shogun Named Marcus and Rats was replaced with the psychedelic space rock of Big News and crowd favorite Spacegrass. They took the heaviness of their debut and incorporated expansive jams, giving the playing of Tim Sult (guitar), Dan Maines (bass) and Jean-Paul Gaster (drums) equal footing with Fallons vocal dexterity. In the world of stoner rock, Clutchs self-titled is revered almost as much as Kyuss, Sabbath, and early Monster Magnet.
While none of the subsequent releases received the same adulation as that album, they each showcased an ever-expanding sound. The Elephant Riders was a more focused version and Jam Room was Clutch at their arguably most relaxed. 2002s Pure Rock Fury brought some of the distortion and force of Transnational back into the fold, although the album as a whole wasnt as cohesive as previous releases. Slow Hole to China showed that even the rare and unreleased tracks had promise, but it was even more disjointed than Pure Rock Fury. Last years Blast Tyrant took aspects of all their releases and brought them together into one solid sound. It had the stoner grooves of the self-titled, the focused song-writing of Elephant Riders, the free-flowing aspects of Jam Room, and the heavier feel of Transnational and Pure Rock Fury.
For Robot Hive/Exodus, the band is in a bit of a holding pattern, but not in the negative sense. After years of touring, their songwriting has been honed down to the quintessential Clutch sound, and that in the end makes Robot Hive/Exodus a continuation of Blast Tyrant. Its still mid-tempo, bouncy rhythms with impressive drumming and lyrics that are half Dr Seuss and half Zen philosophy. And the piano and Hammond organ that popped up on that 2004 release is more prevalent, thanks to new full time member Mick Schauer. Combined with Tim Sults more southern/bluesy playing, it makes the album more relaxed, as if the band was letting go of trying to make a good record and just doing so.
It shows. The Incomparable Mr. Flannery, Mice and Gods, 10,000 Witnesses, and Gravel Road rank among the Clutch classics from past releases. Along with those are other greats like 10001110101 (only Neil Fallon could pull off a song in binary code) and the low key Land of Pleasant Living, which rides a wave of warm Hammond organ. They close the album with an excellent cover of Howlin Wolfs Whos Been Talking? Hard to believe this is coming from the same band that once shouted, Cmon motherfucker, lets throw down!
With 14 tracks total, its a given that the album is going to falter at times. But overall Robot Hive/Exodus rocks with an incredible amount of energy. It has all the marks of a perfect album solid songwriting, excellent production, and genuine passion. It may not be a huge leap forward, but its done me no wrong.
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