Here we go with another album from the one and only Clutch. 'From Beale Street To Oblivion' finds the band once again slightly changing their musical approach, bringing in more of a blues rock sound. They have managed to contiuously change from album to album, going from semi-death metal influenced aggro roots to this extremely southern sound they have going on now.

'You Can't Stop Progress' kicks things off with a serious southern vibe, with a leaning toward Skynyrd, and basically sets the tone for the rest of the album. There's a total 70's rock vibe on 'From Beale Street To Oblivion', and the best part of it all is that Clutch have managed to pull it off extremely well. 'Power Player' is another great song that has a rather snaky but extremely catchy riff, with an catchy chorus to compliment it. One of those songs that you can't help but sing along to after a couple of listens. It's also one of those songs that manages to get stuck in your head long after you've heard it, which only makes you want to hear it again.

'The Devil and Me' has a weird feel to it. Brings to mind big moustaches, bellbottom pants, and cheap 70's porn. Maybe it's the riff?
'White's Ferry' starts off rather slow, with an almost depressing funereal feel to it, before a more upbeat chorus kicks in. This is what Life Of Agony proably would have sounded like if they'd come about in the 70's era of fuzz rock.

The rest of 'From Beale Street To Oblivion' is much of the same. Lots of snaky bluesy southern fried riffs, catchy choruses, 70's fuzz, and a ton of harmonica to boot. It could easily fall into the "stoner rock" category, but for what it's worth, it's just plain good solid rock.

'From Beale Street To Oblivion' is one seriously amazing album. Only Clutch could put out a record in 2007 that sounds like it came right out of the late 60's/early 70's, and still manage to make it sound more than relevant. With half the bands out  there screaming about what angers them, and the other half singing sissified songs about their girlfriend making them cry, 'From Beale Street To Oblivion' is a welcome breath of fresh air.

If you're not a fan of Clutch , or you require extremely distorted guitar crunch, thrash riffing and screamed vocals, this album is obviously not for you. You're not going to like this album in any way, shape, or form. However, if you are in fact a fan of the band or you're just open to more than full on hate filled aggro metal, and you don't have this record yet, the only question one can ask is "What the HELL are you WAITING FOR??" 'From Beale Street To Oblivion' is an extremely enjoyable listen, from southern fried start to fuzzed out finish.