𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐑𝐘𝐏𝐓𝐒 - 𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐏𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐀𝐋𝐁𝐔𝐌 𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄𝐒 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐑𝐎𝐂𝐊 & 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐘 𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐋…
August 17, 1993 — Clutch released their debut studio album, Transnational Speedway League: Anthems, Anecdotes and Undeniable Truths (often shortened to Transnational Speedway League) via EastWest Records. (Listen)
Recorded at Razor's Edge Studio in San Francisco, California, with producer Jonathan Burnside and at Spa Studio Inc. in New York City with producer Steven Haigler, the album was promoted by a music video for opening track A Shogun Named Marcus, directed by Dan Winters.
Background:
Initial recording sessions for Transnational Speedway League began in January 1993 at Razor's Edge Studio in San Francisco, California with producer Jonathan Burnside, during which the songs Binge and Purge, Bacchanal, Earthworm, Heirloom, Walking in the Great Shining Path of Monster Trucks and Effigy were recorded and mixed.
After a short break, Clutch returned to the studio in April to complete the album, working with producer Steven Haigler at Spa Studio Inc. in New York City on the remaining songs, A Shogun Named Marcus, El Jefe Speaks, 12 Ounce Epilogue, Milk of Human Kindness and Rats.
Transnational Speedway League has been described by commentators as one of the heaviest releases of Clutch's career. Metal Hammer writer Mörat described the album as "𝚊 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚔 𝚛𝚎𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚘𝚏 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚐𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚛𝚢 𝚖𝚞𝚜𝚒𝚌 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚜𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍", noting its presence in a scene dominated by "𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙶𝚛𝚞𝚗𝚐𝚎 𝚎𝚡𝚙𝚕𝚘𝚜𝚒𝚘𝚗" which was much less heavy.
According to Mörat, opening song A Shogun Named Marcus had to be removed from the band's live set lists for several years "𝚋𝚎𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚒𝚝 𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚒𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚙𝚎𝚘𝚙𝚕𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚔𝚒𝚌𝚔 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚝 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚑 𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛". The album received a Parental Advisory sticker for the repeated use of the word "𝚖𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚏𝚞𝚌𝚔𝚎𝚛" in the song Binge and Purge.
The album was promoted by the release of a music video for the song A Shogun Named Marcus, which was directed by Dan Winters who also provided photography for the album. (Watch video)
Touring:
The band toured throughout 1994 in promotion of the album, including support dates for Brazilian Thrash/Groove Metal band Sepultura, American Industrial Metal band Fear Factory and British Sludge Metal band Fudge Tunnel.
Critical Reception:
Media response to “Transnational Speedway League” was generally positive. Jeremy Ulrey of AllMusic praised the album for its "𝚍𝚘𝚐𝚐𝚎𝚍 𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚍 𝚛𝚘𝚌𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚜𝚒𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚜𝚘𝚗𝚐𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚠𝚎𝚜𝚜", highlighting the first half of the album over the second half but overall dubbing it "𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚋𝚛𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚍𝚎𝚋𝚞𝚝𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚛𝚐𝚎 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 ‘𝟿𝟶𝚜".
In a feature published in 2016, Metal Hammer columnist Mörat ranked Binge and Purge on his list of The top 10 best Clutch songs, outlining that "𝚒𝚝 𝚍𝚘𝚎𝚜𝚗‘𝚝 𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚖𝚞𝚌𝚑 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜, 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚛𝚍 𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚔 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝙲𝚕𝚞𝚝𝚌𝚑’𝚜 𝚍𝚎𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚊𝚕𝚋𝚞𝚖", and describing the song as "𝚚𝚞𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚜𝚒𝚖𝚙𝚕𝚢, 𝚖𝚞𝚜𝚒𝚌 𝚝𝚘 𝚔𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚙𝚎𝚘𝚙𝚕𝚎 𝚝𝚘".
In an earlier feature, in which he hailed the album as being "𝚒𝚗 𝚊 𝚌𝚕𝚊𝚜𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚒𝚝𝚜 𝚘𝚠𝚗", Mörat also praised opening track A Shogun Named Marcus, which he credited as "𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚖𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚢 𝚊 𝚁𝚘𝚌𝚔 𝚏𝚊𝚗 𝚋𝚎𝚌𝚊𝚖𝚎 𝚊 𝙲𝚕𝚞𝚝𝚌𝚑 𝚍𝚎𝚟𝚘𝚝𝚎𝚎 ... 𝚝𝚑𝚎 ‘𝚠𝚘𝚠‘ 𝚖𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝".
Notice: Any reviews shared here are for historical reference. The views and opinions expressed within are not always supported (in full or in part) by Into the Wells. — E.N. Wells
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