CLAMM
Serious Acts
Meat Machine Records [2025]
“CLAMM tighten the screws and turn up the heat—Serious Acts is their most deliberate strike yet.”
Album Overview: CLAMM stormed onto the underground punk scene from Naarm/Melbourne with 2020’s Beseech Me, quickly earning a reputation for blistering live shows and raw, unfiltered lyricism. The trio—Jack Summers, Miles Harding, and now Stella Rennex—have sharpened their sound over time, building momentum through constant touring and high-profile support slots with Amyl & the Sniffers and King Gizzard. Their Headphone Approved sophomore album Care, followed by the 2024 EP Disembodiment, expanded their reach and hinted at new sonic possibilities.
Now comes Serious Acts, their third full-length and their most ferocious statement yet. Released on EU label Meat Machine, the album opens with “And I Try”, signaling a new era—still aggressive but more refined. Lyrically, it leans inward, reflecting on personal battles while still taking aim at outside forces. It’s the most tightly controlled CLAMM has ever sounded, and when it explodes, it cuts deeper than ever.
Musical Style: CLAMM still thrives on punk’s relentless drive, but Serious Acts introduces sharper textures and new wrinkles. Loop-heavy patterns, sharp brass jabs, and unexpected open space add tension without slowing the pace. The guitars remain front and center, but there’s more breathing room—giving their fury some dynamic contrast.
Evolution of Sound: Where Care was all-out attack and Disembodiment delivered punchy chaos, Serious Acts leans into layered arrangements and bigger dynamics. There’s a sense of structure here—horns, synths, and a bit more patience in the builds—that hints at CLAMM broadening their scope. It doesn’t abandon the past but reshapes it, making room for something more complex without losing their edge.
Artists with Similar Fire: If you’re into the snarling intensity of IDLES, the grit of Iceage, or the tension-and-release of Crack Cloud, CLAMM is worth diving into. There are also echoes of Protomartyr’s existential dread and Total Control’s cooler, moodier side. They fit comfortably among bands who aim to challenge just as much as they energize.
Pivotal Tracks: “And I Try” kicks things off with machine-tight loops and a searing vocal that sounds like a desperate search for meaning in a world that won’t stop spinning. “No Idea” channels frustration with a wiry riff and Summers’ punchy phrasing, turning confusion into catharsis. “Blinded” goes long and deep, taking on media overload and cultural numbness with layered urgency. “Bag I’m In” and “More Serious Acts” stretch the band further—longer runtimes, heavier riffs, and a sense that CLAMM is wrestling with something bigger than just noise. Each track brings the sting, but there’s intent behind the chaos.
Lyrical Strength: Summers writes like he’s balancing on a wire—navigating identity, pressure, and internal conflict. The lyrics are dagger-like: sharp, direct, and often wrapped in tension. They don’t shout answers but raise real questions about how we survive in a world that’s constantly demanding, judging, and shifting.
Final Groove: Serious Acts is CLAMM’s most dialed-in and deliberate album so far—less raw than their debut but far more focused in its fury. The band tightens the screws, sharpens the edges, and comes out swinging with tracks that cut both emotionally and sonically. While it might lack the reckless abandon that defined their earlier work, it gains power in its control. If this is CLAMM testing the limits of punk’s framework, it’s a welcome evolution. Where they go from here could be even louder, weirder, and more essential.
CLAMM REVIEW HISTORY
Care (2022)
CLAMM LINKS
Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram | Meat Machine Records
- CLAMM: Serious Acts [Album Review] - June 5, 2025
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