Customer Reviews

Transnational Speedway League

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

On this debut album, Clutch play Pantera-style power-groove metal with growled vocals. Leadoff track, "A Shogun Named Marcus" is a kickass, propulsive groove, rocking harder than this band ever would again. "Binge and Purge" is also cool, with a mosh-crazy ending that seemingly pokes fun at the macho aggressiveness of this style. Elements of funk are scattered throughout this otherwise pounding mosh album. The lyrics are pretty humorous, engaging in storytelling as opposed to the angst of most other similar bands.

Finally something that truly rocks for jaded intllectuals with wierd senses of humour, and an appetite for deconstruction. The lyrics are very original, and hilarious, and music rocks at least as hard as their Rednecky Texas Bretheren, Pantera. If you actually have half a brain in your head, but still like to bang it, buy this! NOW!

How could you not love this one? A Shogun Named Marcus - totally rocks. El Jefe... Binge and Purge... Effigy... Rats!!! If I could own one album, this would have to be it.

Clutch jams, their heavy, and they have a killer front man. This was my 1st intro to Clutch. Every song on here is unlike any you've heard before; I don't think anyone sounds like Clutch. You want the kind of band that's funny as well as serious at the same time, able to deliver their songs with ultimate heaviness while still proving their musical abilities? There you have it. Get on this band now! For any fans of bands that you can party to as well as get into in a serious way. I can't name any other bands that are kind of like Cluch because I don't think anyone sounds like them. Easy 5 star rating here.

Necrosoul.

This is an album that will drive you. Simply awesome. So unlike anyone else, the vocals will cling to you and the beats and riffs will have you banging along. All you have to do is listen to Binge and Purge and you will be ready to take on the world. Buy it, it will surprise you and make you ask for more.

Tough to describe, this album will probably be remembered as a post-punk classic. Heavy and groovy all at once with powerful (singing?) that swings between abstract insanity and deep metaphores and symbolysm within a span of a four note riff. This album is certainly much rougher and faster than their last two efforts which will scare off many. But give this one a chance and let it pull you in...

Clutch as a band is excellent. However, this album is probably my least favorite of the lot. It's good in its own strange way, and if you're mad at the world, this will help you express your rage. It's a lot more metalic than the later Clutch CD's, and the lyrics are Rage as opposed to the strange and amusing lyrics that came on the later albums, but over all still a decent CD. My advice is to buy the other albums before this one unless you're really down with the whole 'rage' thing~~

This is probably one of my favorite albums from Clutch. So very glad I added it to my collection! Listen to it all the time! :)

This is actually my least favorite Clutch album, but still a good effort, and the album that paved the way for Clutch to become what they are today. Great!
There are some really good songs on the album. My personal favorite is "Milk of Human Kindness", which is just awesome. That song was actually used for their music video debut. I remember seeing it on MTV back when videos were still MTV's bread and butter (it a either on headbangers ball, 120 minutes, or both).

Anyway, a worthy addition to any Clutch collection.

Clutch's debut full length studio album `Transnational Speedway League: Anthems, Anecdotes, And Undeniable Truths,' was released in 1993 as the band began their career with the same line-up that would grace every single release of theirs to date (minus the keyboards) Dan Maines, Tim Sult, J.P Gastor and frontman Neil Fallon are all present on this record, showing flourishes of the incredible band that they would soon become.

Being the band's early nineties debut, obviously in terms of production it was less polished than any other Clutch release (although songs from this album sound great on their live albums) and in addition to the production; Neil Fallon's vocal style is almost unrecognisable to his trademark style found on the rest of their albums.

Musically; most of the material on this album was very different to that on subsequent albums as well, there is a more obvious hard-core influence and much less blues and country in the overall sound. Fans who got into the band on more recent albums may out and out dislike the direction here, or take many listens to acclimatize to it.

Stand out tracks include `A Shogun Named Marcus,' and `Rats,' both of which are often played live, as well as `Walking In The Great Shining Paths Of Monster Trucks.'

Even though a lot of the music and most of the vocals may be off-putting for newer Clutch fans; Lyrically the album fully formed Clutch stylistically and a lot of the drum fills and the solos here and there help it from sounding like completely different band.

Overall; Transnational Speedway League is definitely not the go-to album for Clutch beginners, and if you are new to the band you should really look elsewhere for a first album. While it is a fair album in its own right, it sounds so different from what the band became that you probably shouldn't start with it.

If you are an existing fan however and want to hear where the band came from and how they began; while you won't find yourself listening to it as much as their other albums, there is enough good material to warrant a purchase or curiosity listen. However, definitely try if you like Clutch's heaviest moments.