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