Clutch is a musical group from Germantown, Maryland in the United States. They have been playing together since the early 1990s, producing records at a rate of approximately one per year. They released their first EP, Pitchfork, in October of 1991.
Though each of Clutch's albums is marked by its own distinct and cohesive sound, the band's musical style may be said to have migrated from metallic hardcore punk to hard rock over the course of its career, with strong blues influences becoming more prominent in later years. As vocalist/guitarist Neil Fallon notes, "We've been really conscious of the blues over the last couple of years, and you have to admit that the blues really is the source of all rock and roll. I think it's important to go to the source to find that inspiration." Clutch has also been categorized as stoner rock; however, its blues influences and unusual lyrical style make the group difficult to classify.