You know when Clutch went full on jam band? We’re not talking Phish or Grateful Dead but more just embracing the Rawk, experimenting and doing whatever it takes sonically to make it happen which, in their case, meant completely shedding that metallic crunch of their first two records (The self-titled sophomore album, while stylistically different, definitely “sounds” like TSL at least) in favor of a more organic sonic flow that became more or less fully realized around the time of Blast Tyrant and Robot Hive/Exodus. That’s Worshipper’s latest.
Worshipper is a special kind of Boston outfit. They’re that happy medium between the Heavy and the Hard and with One Way Trip, their 3rd overall, the band seems to have really come into their own adding some Alice In Chains-like Grunge (Think their self-titled 3rd outing especially in terms of heft) and boasting that big ole Bean Town bravado found in peers like Gozu and Blood Lightning (BL for obvious reasons) into their Psych-Rawk palette. And as a whole OWT is like listening through updated renditions of the ’70’s-soaked soundtrack for The Devil’s Rejects but, y’know, without the murderous intent.
Anyway! “Heroic Dose” trudges along with some truly terrific swagger compliments of the Worshipper rhythm section chefs Bob Maloney and Dave Jarvis who provide all that backing Boogie Woogie on the respective bass and drums while John Brookhouse’s soulful croon and shreds alongside Alejandro Necochea’s riffage for the most fitting welcome.
“Keep This” is a timeless one that could be mistaken for a new/lost Stillwater jam (Sorry, Almost Famous may have been watched for the umpteenth time recently) with “Windowpane” bringing to mind the mid-’90’s Grunge albums with Necochea and Brookhouse flexing their riffs as Maloney and Jarvis bring the house down by steadily slamming with staccato-driven strums and stick work.
Jarvis’ drums come down like thunder on “Only Alive” then slips into a more subtle rumble with Brookhouse’s vocal delivery caressing those eardums with his delivery before sick solos and some spacey synths stuff enter the fray. “Acid Burns” is an anthem and a half and the perfect entry point for anyone looking for an example of “The Worshipper Sound”, “James Motel” is all the things Rawk with bluesy, feverish riffs to match Brookhouse’s vocals, and “The Spell” is a little Dio and Iron Maiden-esque with the way the guitars from Necochea and Brookhouse swirl around to start as Jarvis and Maloney pounce with their percussive low end. “Onward” is a big, bold, layered epic finale with tender pluckings, deliberate stomping, and Brookhouse in the eye of the storm with a broad vocal array at his disposal to echo and accent the instrumental maelstrom that’s all encompassing. But before that final bow is taken, and speaking of instrumental, “Flashback” chimes in with one last blast of thematic sonic ecstacy.
One Way Trip arrives through Magnetic Eye Records on July 19th and you can head here (Or to the stream below) now to secure yours in advance of that date. For more from Worshipper, including upcoming live dates like the rekkid release partay scheduled for August 16th at Middle East Upstairs with Mother Iron Horse and Dropbear, follow the band across the information superhighway by clicking here, here, or here.