Any truth to my feeling that MM carts are possibly better than MC on rock recordings?

MC cartridges have very diverse sounds across different brands (sometimes even within brands), so you can’t really make a blanket statement for that side, at least. Rock sounds best on my Koetsu (Coral, Blue Lace), for my tastes, I know I like it way way WAY better than Ortofon 2M Blue, Black (though I know not a fair comparison). I tend to gravitate to MC cartridges that are warmer and can rock well - Koetsu, Shelters, Benz, Ortofon Cadenza Bronze (NOT the higher end Ortofons!).

You said you have a Quintet Black, which uses their shibata on boron or sapphire. Funny, I didn’t like their Jubilee MC (shibata on boron, and predecessor to the Cadenza Black) for rock, or much of anything else force that matter - but especially on rock. Generally anytime I’ve heard an Ortofon with a more rigid boron/sapphire cantilever I’ve though it fell kind of flat with rock.

Also a tube MM stage plus SUT plus MC cartridge can have amazing warmth and punch; awesome for rock. Pair the right stuff together and you will be in rock Valhalla.

A little more punch is a good way to describe it. The magnet on the end of a MM cantilever is usually more massive than the coils on the end of a MC. They use this to generate a lot more voltage. Voltage is pressure and pressure is impact. So there you go. 

MC also have this problem of ringing that tends to exaggerate the top end making it sound tipped up. Since there is not a lot of power for punch in the top end, but we do get a sense of volume from it, this is another way of understanding what you're hearing. 

Fundamentally, MM starts out with a big advantage in higher output. This is a big advantage in that the signal is much less vulnerable to noise, and requires much less amplification. But MC has a big advantage in better tracking of fine detail due to its lower moving mass. Which one is better comes down to the quality level of each, the capabilities of your phono stage and, as you pointed out, personal preference.

I have not switched the cartridges from one TT to the other. I feel that the PS Audio Stellar phono is a good phono stage to show either cartridge at close to it's best. I guess it would be a lucky break if that's the sound I'm drawn to considering the price differences of MM to MC.  @mulveling I might need a warmer presentation considering some of the harder rock recordings being a little hot sometimes.
@noromance Ortofon Red Vs. Ortofon Quintet Black should be a fair jump in quality without having to get too in depth in comparing I would think. The black isn't worse I'm just not sure it's better.
@millercarbon I like your thoughts on the subject. I can't say that hearing the common refrain that MC blow away MM hasn't got me thinking I'm wrong somehow. I would love to experiment some more though.

Better is subjective.  So is thinking that one type of cartridge, speaker, amp, etc. is "better" for a particular genre of music.  There may be certain characteristics about a piece of gear that make it "better" for your particular listening tastes, so that is what's most important - finding the right gear to match your tastes (and your budget of course).  

I have a VPI Classic 2 with a Kiseki Blue NS MC cart on it, and it is the "best" to my ears out of all the 5 turntables I own and about a dozen cartridges.  It's dynamic, does soundstaging and imaging very well, has good channel separation, is quiet, doesn't get bright or sibilant, and is fairly neutral without any one region being over-emphasized.  

That doesn't stop me from liking other things that maybe aren't as "good". 

I've had my Clearaudio Virtuoso Wood MM cart mounted on my Technics SL 1200 MK2 recently and have been enjoying that immensely.  It's not as refined as the Kiseki, but it's "punchy" as you described and energetic and has a lot of the same qualities I like in the Kiseki Blue.  When I want to listen to something more "refined", I go to my Hana SL (MC), which sounds almost as good on the SL 1200 MK2 as the VPI/Kiseki combo.  

I'm currently using a Manley Chinook tubed phono stage with the SL1200 MK2 and a Pass Labs XP-15 solid state with the VPI.  Both are great, but also different.  The Pass is a little more refined and quiet, while the Chinook has a little more tube goodness and maybe a little more of that "punch".  I really can't decide which one I like better and they sound great with either table.

@big_greg    Absolutely part of the fun. I'm enjoying the ride and trying to let my ears decide. Sometimes i don't agree with the majority it seems. I will continue to experiment but mainly I just want to listen. Thanks for the input.