Visions of yetis, wing-sprouting blacksnakes and elephants driven by Civil War soldiers may all seem like by-products of an intense hallucinogen, but for the members of Clutch, these surreal images converge with pummeling hard rock on a warped journey into American folklore on their aptly titled third album, The Elephant Riders.

"The Elephant Riders is, for lack of a better phrase, historical fiction," says Neil Fallon, the groups prime lyricist and vocalist. "Initially, I wanted to create a whole alternate nineteenth century where war is waged with airships and elephants. I quickly realized that this scenario was way too large." The imaginative 26-year-old's outlandish narratives have become as much of a Clutch staple as their lofty, sinuous brand of rock'n'roll.

Dubbed "the Charles Dickens of hardcore" by his fellow bandmates, Fallon created pastoral Southern communes on "The Soapmakers," envisioned holiday wishes gone awry on "Wishbone" and waited for his "Ship of Gold" to come in. These references to the past are largely influenced by the group's collective move to a rural home near Harper's Ferry, WV. "I had never considered myself a history buff, but living in that house forced history upon me," says Fallon of the former plantation. "All of a sudden I was living in a home that had been witness to all but a few years of American history."

Clutch, which is rounded out by drummer Jean Paul Gaster, guitarist Tim SuIt and bassist Dan Maines, have stayed true to their small-town roots since forming in Germantown MD shortly after graduating from high school in 1991. One year later, they unleashed the critically acclaimed three-song EP, Passive Restraints (for indie label Earache), an explosive summary of their early--and raw--abrasive sound. Shortly after, they moved to EastWest/Elektra Records and followed up with a proper debut, Transnational Speedway League, all the while gaining a reputation as a ferocious live band on tours with everyone from Pantera to Marilyn Manson.

Still, it wasn't until releasing their 1995 self-titled album that Clutch shed their hardcore skin and ascended into a whole other musical realm. Christened "stoner rock" by some, their sound married creeping, down-tuned guitar chords with whirling rhythms and Fallon's ominous verses. The song "Spacegrass," about cruising the in a ‘73 Dodge Swinger, was deemed an anthem to light up to. Despite the allusion to marijuana, the band hesitates to advocate their green muse. "I would never tell someone to do this [pot]," says Gaster. "Everybody's got to figure out all those things for themselves. I've always believed that drugs should be legalized. I've thought that a long time." Supporting the cause. Clutch performed last year's MASS CANN Freedom Rally in Boston.

In the three-year break between records, Clutch toured constantly, were dropped by their record label (but quickly found a new home at Columbia) and recruited legendary producer Jack Douglas (Patti Smith, Cheap Trick) for The Elephant Riders. So how do they feel about their latest creation? "On the last album, we didn't concentrate so much on songs as we did really just try to set different tones," Gaster explains. "I think we really got good at doing that. Now we've taken those tones and made them into songs. The whole thing swings a lot more than it ever has."

"It's the opposite of minimalist," adds Maines. "We're taking the maximalist approach."

Clutch's sentiments towards re-envisioning the past seem to ripple beyond both their lyrical inspirations and live performances into a completely separate dimension where neither the listener nor the band is in control. "The performance," Fallon declares, "turns from us playing the music to the music playing us."