Rock is a retired word. Bands like Audioslave are not rock, they are heavy lounge music. Bands like the White Stripes are not pioneers; they are recyclers with bursts of innovation. I'm not saying Audioslave and the White Stripes are bad, but neither band has a song that rocks like El Jefe Speaks. Or an album that opens up at 90 mils per hour with A Shogun Named Marcus. There are so many good songs on this album. There are so many good songs on all of Clutch's albums. Clutch is one of those love or hate bands, more love than hate. This is one of Clutch's earlier albums, a little less groove, and a little more rock. I'm not saying that the band doesn't lay down the smooth bassline, and let the song unfold around it, because that certainly does happen (Binge And Purge). Clutch has a healthy amount of musical variety on this album, actually. The first 3 songs, sequentially, are perfect. If those 3 songs were on an EP I would be content. The whole album is pretty groove-laden. It's just not the same groove that you will find on Robot Hives:Exodus or Blast Tyrant. That's not a bad thing though. Sure, Clutch has warped their sound a bit, but stylistically, they're a similar band today 10 years ago. That said, "Transnational Speedway League: Anthems, Anecdotes & Undeniable Truths," is a wee-bit heavier than the bands later works. So, if you're expecting keyboards, or vocals that can groove like the bass, you might not want to look here. If you're looking to rock, no-BS, I promise you this album rocks. Sure, it's a tad bit on the heavy side, but it's less punk than COC and almost as groovey as Black Sabbath.