This is a classic, no doubt. Following on from the more hardcore/rawer sound of the first two albums this is the sound of a band finding their true sound. The opening four songs are probably the best I have heard on an album.
The title track that kicks off the album is a slow brooding blusey number with a great, almost chanting chorus, this is followed by Ship of Gold which keeps up the bluesy feel but with a harder edge.
Eight time over miss october changes the mood, harking back to the first two albums with a much harsher feel, but does not suffer for this, in fact it is a nice surprise and shows that although the overall sound may have changed the influences are still there.
Soapmakers comes next, and as my favourite clutch song, is an absolute stormer..
Elsewhere on the album Green Buckets keeps up the reputation for silly lyrics dealing with the issue of recycling, Muchas Veces is a tender moment with Neil Fallon showin a higher range to his vocal than seen before. Wishbone is another track which harks back to the first two albums, whilst the Dragonfly is almost prog.I kid you not.
Overall this album shows a true growth from the first two albums, but not in a way that will alienate any fans. Yes there is no Binge and Purge on here and it maybe lacks the urgency of the first two albums but if you have never heard any Clutch before you could do a lot worse than to start with this album,
