As zphage also said, Floyd did get "hairy" jams going in their pre-concept album days (at least through Meddle/Live at Pompeii.)
The "midtempo/rhythmically intert" thing is a bit unfair -- I think one of their greatest strengths was RESTRAINT. I used to think Mason was a crap drummer -- surely no Bonham or Moon (and don't call me SHirley!) -- but now dig that he is really more of a krautrocker than a "british classic rock" drummer. Immaculate tasteful timekeeping.
When Floyd does "rock out" it's all the more dramatic for the epic build that precedes it.
ANIMALS maaaan . . . . and check out the Pompeii movie if you've never seen it! It's no masterpiece, but the best sequences are as iconic and amazing as any "rock film" I've ever seen.