It just so happens that this past weekend found me listening to Clutch for more or less 13 hours straight. There was a break in the middle there for maybe an hour, but other than that, it was Clutch and nothing but for just about the entire waking day. Of course, since then, I’ve had an array of Clutch songs stuck in my head, from “The Devil and Me” to “Binge and Purge.” Even “Regulator,” which I didn’t actually hear in this massive Clutch session (it was also a massive drinking session, but that’s a story for a different time), has been playing nonstop on the ol’ mental jukebox.

No complaints.

Today, the band announced their annual holiday tour, which they’ll embark on hopefully having just finished or while in the process of finishing their new album, which they’re working on now. Opening for them on the gigs will be Nick Oliveri‘s Mondo Generator, along with Saviours and Wino in support. Dig the news:

CLUTCH Announces Holiday Tour

In what has become an annual tradition, CLUTCH have announced a string of Holiday tour dates for this December.  The dates kick December 26th in Washington, DC and conclude with a special New Year’s Eve performance in Worcester, MA at The Palladium.  Tickets for fan club members will go on sale Wednesday September 19th and to the general public on Thursday September 20th and Friday September 21st.  Support on these shows will come from Mondo Generator, Saviours and Wino.  Fan Club tickets are available at http://tixx1.artistarena.com/clutch/

CLUTCH will also take to the road starting on Halloween for a quick run of dates including two stops in Flint, MI and two stops in Detroit, MI.  MonstrO will open these shows with Lionize providing direct support.  A complete list of all confirmed dates is below.

In other news CLUTCH is currently in the studio working on what is to be their next studio release.  The band is currently in pre-production and is shooting to have the album out in early 2013.

For those of you that are clamoring for new CLUTCH music the band recently released a limited edition picture disc single of the track “Pigtown Blues” via Weathermaker Music.  The single is also available digitally.  The A-Side is “Pigtown Blues” and the B-Side is an acoustic version of the track “Motherless Child”.  The disc can be found at your favorite record store as well as online at www.clutchmerch.com.

Want to be the first to know about everything CLUTCH related?  Be it tour dates, breaking news and exclusives, make sure to sign up for the CLUTCH Mobile Mailing List by texting CLUTCH to 94253

With Lionize and MonstrO
10/31: Flint, MI @ The Machine Shop – Tickets
11/1: Flint, MI @ The Machine Shop (Sold Out – Rescheduled from 5/13)
11/2: Joliet, IL @ Mojoes – Tickets
11/3: Detroit, MI @ St. Andrews Hall (Sold Out – Rescheduled from 5/12)
11/4: Detroit, MI @ St. Andrews Hall – Tickets

Holiday Tour With Mondo Generator, Saviors and Wino
12/26: Washington DC @ 9:30 Club
12/27: Asheville NC @ The Orange Peel
12/28: Lexington KY @ Buster’s Billiards & Backroom
12/29: Columbus OH @ Newport Music Hall
12/30: Sayreville NJ @ Starland Ballroom
12/31: Worcester MA @ The Palladium

Atlanta‘s extra-capital-letter-fied MonstrO (who were On the Radar’ed just over a year ago, if you’ll recall) have signed with Vagrant Records, the label responsible for such stoner rock gems as Senses Fail and Thrice. Yeah, I know Vagrant‘s grown up a bit in the last couple years (putting out the likes of Murder by Death and… Rammstein?), but it’s still kind of a surprise to see MonstrO — featuring Juan Montoya, ex-Floor/Torche, and former members of bloodsimple — get picked up by them.

Whatever. More importantly, MonstrO‘s new album is due out late in the summer and will be produced by William DuVall from Alice in Chains. Should be interesting. I guess you never know what the PR wire will bring on a given Wednesday afternoon:

MonstrO, the highly pedigreed atmospheric hard rock four-piece from Atlanta, Georgia, have signed with Vagrant Records to release their debut album. Formed in early 2009, MonstrO is bassist Kyle Sanders (bloodsimple), drummer Bevan Davies (bloodsimple, Danzig), guitarist Juan Montoya (Torche) and vocalist/guitarist Charlie Suarez.

MonstrO entered a studio in Atlanta earlier this week with producer (and Alice in Chains vocalist) William DuVall.

“We’ve been collectively writing and recording for two years now and thanks to Vagrant we’re finally recording our first proper full-length,” said Sanders. “We’ll be locked up for the next month recording and mixing with our good friend William DuVall at the helm. These songs have taken on a life of their own and we’re all extremely thrilled to lay them all down and begin the journey.”

Sure, they’re both metal bands blending pop and doom, and they’ve both got short one-word names ending in vowels, but that’s where the similarities between Atlanta‘s MonstrO and Torche are done, alright?

Well, that and guitarist Juan Montoya, who played guitar in Torche and was also in Floor with Torche mainman Steve Brooks. There’s that commonality too. All kidding aside, though, they really are different bands, if the two tracks on MonstrO‘s MySpace are anything to go by.

Both “Anchors Up!” and “April” run longer than the two or three minute lengths that made up most of Torche‘s last album, and though “Anchors Up!” has some of the same upbeat crush to it, with “April,” MonstrO shows a completely different, ambient, almost ballad-driven side. The song is nearly eight minutes long and relies heavily on a bass groove courtesy of Kyle Sanders (ex-Bloodsimple) to set a more brooding atmosphere that’s still somehow romantic. Drummer Bevan Davies (also ex-Bloodsimple, also Jerry Cantrell‘s band and Englebert Humperdinck) does a decent job hanging back in the mix, and vocalist/guitarist Charlie Suarez only adds to the accessibility of the band with his ranging melodic approach.

They have no shows listed and thus far no indications as to plans for release, but fuck it, it’s the internet age and they exist. That’s pretty much all it takes these days. Those who want to know can know. I can’t imagine given the Torche connection and pro experience of the other members that MonstrO couldn’t get picked up by this or that metal indie if they so desired, but I guess the test is whether or not they decide to go that route. For now, they’ve got two songs free to check out and are definitely worth keeping on the radar.