Clutch Transnational Speedway League: Anthems, Anecdotes And Undeniable Truths CD

Clutch: Neil Fallon (vocals); Tim Sult (guitar); Dan Maines (bass); Jean Paul Gaster (drums).
Producers: Jonathan Burnside, Steven Haigler.
Engineers: Jonathan Burnside, Steven Haigler.
Recorded at Spa Studio, New York, April 1993; and Razor's Edge Studio, San Francisco, California, January 1993.
On the surface, it may sound as if Clutch is mining the same vein as contemporary metal artists like Korn and Corrosion of Conformity, but with a solid set of grooves to keep their humorous material from becoming too hokey, they set themselves above most of their peers through dogged hard rocking and consistent songwriting prowess. Highlights on Transnational Speedway League include the entire first side, most notably "A Shogun Named Marcus" and "Binge and Purge." The latter song makes good fun of the ultra-macho posturings most modern metal bands are guilty of, while retaining the light/heavy contrast that has become a part of the genre. Although the material wanes in quality during the last half, Transnational Speedway League is still one of the brighter debuts to emerge in the '90s. ~ Jeremy Ulrey