Clamfight: III

I reviewed Clamfight's second album, I Versus the Glacier, back in 2012. I liked the band's blend of stoner, sludge, and doom, not to mention their overall sense of humor. I'm writing this paragraph while listening to "The Green Gods of Yag," my favorite track from that album. It still holds up. So does the rest of the album. Switching over to III, I have to begin by acknowledging that the band sounds like they've grown up a little. Don't get me wrong, this is still a Clamfight album, but if you've listened to the earlier stuff often enough, you'll certainly notice the difference. There's more ambition here; not only are the songs longer, they're also trying out different things. I'm also hearing influences I didn't hear before. These guys love Mastodon, not to mention Neurosis, Sleep, and Eyehategod. But even more importantly, the band sounds great. I especially liked "Whale Road" and "History of the Earls of Orkney." I liked "Whale Road" so much I didn't listen to the rest of the album for the first few days after starting it. The drums just build things up so beautifully that I had to hear them over and over. There are multiple moments, little surprises that make this album a gem. I always knew Clamfight were good, but this album ups their game.

In addition to the regular band members, this album also features several guest musicians, including Jean Saiz and Janette Valentine on "Echoes in Stone" and extra guitar playing by CWolf and Erik Caplan on a couple different tracks. They add some nice variety, including on "Whale Road" and "Echoes in Stone." Overall, this is a major victory from a talented band that likes all things heavy, riffy, and goofy.

Track Listing:
1. Whale Road
2. Selkie
3. Echoes in Stone
4. Eynhallow
5. History of the Earls of Orkney

Added: February 3rd 2018
Reviewer: Carl Sederholm
Score:
Related Link: Band Facebook Page
Hits: 1292
Language: english

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