French doom/sludge/grunge trio Clegane premiere animated video for new single »Mutt«; »Ocean Of Black Thoughts« LP out October 2nd via Almost Famous!
Paris, France based doom/sludge/grunge trio Clegane premiere new single »Mutt« accompanied by an animated video.
»Mutt«is the second single taken from the band’s forthcoming full-length album, »Ocean Of Black Thoughts«, set to release on October 2nd, 2026 via Almost Famous.
Tracklist:
01. Abandoned Temple Fate
02. Luminose
03. Mutt
04. A Room Full Of Strangers
05. Sun Decay
06. Ocean Of Black Thoughts
Courtesy of Score A/V Group:
French doom/grunge metal power-trio Clegane has released their new single »Mutt« – along with its music video – taken from their upcoming studio album »Ocean Of Black Thoughts«, due out October 2, 2026 via the Almost Famous label.
The trio kicked things off in late May 2026 with »Sun Decay«, the first glimpse of the record. »Mutt« serves as the second single; the band directs it squarely at the toxic people who take pleasure in inflicting pain – the kind of people against whom one eventually fantasizes about exacting revenge.
Directed, illustrated, and animated by Grum999, the music video takes an approach that stands in stark contrast to the song’s message. The band explains:
“We chose to go in a completely off-the-wall direction featuring hyper-stereotyped characters, centered on a classic ‘us-versus-them’ trope. It’s something comic yet biting, with an edgy energy that matches the track. We drew on 90s art styles but with slightly more adult undertones. We wanted to break away from the seriousness and violence of the lyrics to offer something original and visually a bit lighter.”
Photo credit: Sam Pillay & Olivier Guedj
Three years after their last record, Clegane uses »Ocean Of Black Thoughts« to shatter their own stylistic taboos: a heavier dose of grunge, shorter song structures, in-depth work on effects, richer drumming, and new vocal nuances. The six tracks function as fragments and portraits that hold a mirror up to the listener, set against a thick, heavy atmosphere where the band continues to explore their anxieties, addictions, and depression.
The album was mixed by Olivier Millot – who also handled the debut EP – and mastered by Thibault Chaumont (Deviant Lab), effectively bridging the band’s past and present. Visually, Tib Gordon continues to illustrate the band’s universe with entirely hand-crafted cover art that nonetheless breaks with previous stylistic conventions.
…For the record…
Formed in 2015, Clegane have spent the past decade carving out a singular path between the disillusioned weight of ’90s grunge and the crushing gravity of modern doom. Instinctive, minimalist and deeply introspective, the French trio have built their identity around saturated, granular riffs, deep drums and raw, weathered vocals – turning the darker corners of human existence into music that feels both brutally physical and intensely personal.
That trajectory began with their self-titled debut EP in 2017, followed by »Funeral At Sea« and a split with Father Merrin in 2018, »White Of The Eye« in 2022 and a split with Fatima in 2023. Across each release, Clegane have progressively expanded their sound without abandoning its primitive core, pushing beyond doom and grunge while preserving the tension and emotional weight that have defined them from the beginning.
That evolution has unfolded just as fiercely on stage. From underground squats in Switzerland to the Purple Stage at Hellfest in 2025, Clegane have developed a reputation for visceral, immersive performances that drag audiences under before pulling them back into the darkness.
Now, »Ocean Of Black Thoughts« marks the band’s most ambitious transformation yet. Breaking down their own stylistic boundaries through richer drumming, deeper work on effects and new vocal nuances, the album moves from eruptions of rage to regret-soaked contemplation – while remaining rooted in the raw, instinctive force that has always driven Clegane.
Bojan Bidovc // music enthusiast, promoter, misanthrop and sometimes a journalist as well