The Bands That Killed Hair Metal: Part 1
Written by Rich Hobson
Sunday, 16 October 2011 05:00
Hair Metal was pretty much an all dominating musical force throughout much the mid to late 80’s, it was everywhere you went, and the bands’ party all night vibes certainly reflected the zeitgeist of the time with yuppies, Reganism and decadence running high. However as the decade faded out even the better acts of the Hair Metal scene had begun to fade into “Fat Elvis” mode, becoming bloated jokes of the bands they once were (though in truth some were already a parody of themselves, even when the genre was in its heyday). Something new was needed – and that something new was Grunge.
Fresh from the Pacific Northwest, Grunge stood as a stark contrast to the “Rock ‘n’ Roll icon” image cast by many of the Hair acts, the bands donning simple t-shirts and jeans and very often taking a Punk Rock DIY attitude setting them far apart from the major label courting of Hair Metal and the excessive fashion associated with the scene. Instead Grunge’s emerging superstars seemed to shun the idea of celebrity, instead focusing on making themselves as accessible as possible so that they never seemed too far from their audience.
Here in 2011 the Grunge era is enjoying something of a renaissance, with the old daddies getting back together (Soundgarden), documentaries and books aplenty reflecting on the movement and even the acts who have long since lost much of their Grunge roots are casting watery eyes back on their heydays (Pearl Jam re-releasing much of their back catalogue and the PJ20 film immediately spring to mind here) as the genre celebrates 20 years since it’s big debut and the mainstream success which saw labels clamouring over anything that possibly resembled the fabled “Seattle Sound” – even if the acts they were signing didn’t actually hail from Seattle, and were from LA or even art grads from London.
Before I get fully underway with this feature though I should probably point out that a few of the acts that follow aren’t Grunge per se, however their contributions to the Grunge movement, fulfilment of the Grunge ideology and influences on the genre make them impossible to ignore if comprehensively looking back at the era in question. Some fit into this list simply because they marked the death of Hair Metal by becoming popular with their own specialised stamp of originality, standing apart from the interchange-ability of many of those ozone destroying chart bothering Hair bands and helping to usher in the new age of Seattle led Rock ‘n’ Roll bands.
The Pre-“Boom” Bands (formed and disbanded throughout the 80’s, up to 1990):
Before Grunge became a golden goose for record labels, and everybody and their mother had a copy of ‘Nevermind’, there were multiple notable acts slogging away playing shows in their hometown and trying to get attention so they could both release full albums and tour. Most notable of these acts were;
- Mother Love Bone (featuring Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard, later of Pearl Jam)
- Fecal Matter (featuring Kurt Cobain and assorted members of The Melvins)
- Green River (featuring Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard, and Mark Arm – later of Mudhoney)
These bands don’t really warrant a full space on the list in their own right, especially seeing as some had only one full release (and in the case of Fecal Matter, not even that), but their careers were stepping stones for many band members before they found fame with much more successful (and often more experimental) bands.
The Obvious Release: Mother Love Bone – ‘Apple’ (1990)
Mother Love Bone is no doubt the most obvious of these, both for the band’s not inconsiderable fame, both in and out of Seattle, but also for the subsequent death of its frontman – the now legendary Andrew Wood, who has been immortalised in the supergroup Temple Of The Dog (featuring members of Pearl Jam, with Chris Cornell on vocals and even guesting Eddie Vedder on one track, creating something of a Grunge all-stars sense). This album is fairly easy to get hold of still and with its subsequent immortalisation of the frontman it is often the first album people will hype on about when talking about the pre-fame Grunge bands.
The album itself showcases some of the more neglected elements of Grunge’s DNA fabric; as strong psychedelic elements make up the bulk of the band’s influences, and interestingly frontman Andrew Wood seemed to lend his persona largely from David Bowie, taking on the persona of “Landrew the Love Child”. Wood traded in the usual grunge status quo look of “everyman” in lieu of a larger than life character that both added credibility to the bands songs (it’s difficult for me to take songs like ‘Stardog Champion’ seriously at face value but if associating it with Wood’s character breathes new life to the song and gives it an edge) and also engaged with the listener giving them a unique experience when absorbing Mother Love Bone’s sound.
‘Apple’ isn’t quite a fully-fledged Grunge album, and has the taste of a band still trying to establish a singular formula within the evolving genre – though this isn’t surprising, as even the bands that found success within the genre’s parameters were always pushing boundaries, and messing with the formula of what actually made “Grunge”. However this brief taste is certainly reflective of the whole genre, suggesting great things to come from the members of the band (and not surprising considering that Mother Love Bone went on to become Pearl Jam, one of the only acts that would consistently produce platinum selling music long after Grunge had ceased to be popular).
Dig A Little Deeper With: Green River – ‘Come On Down’ (1985)
As with many other music “scenes” the Pre-Fame bands were always somewhat incestuous, and as such it’s not surprising to see that the same players pop up multiple times in different bands, in this case Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament once again appear. ‘Come On Down’ opens with one of the many staples of the genre – heavy feedback, before kicking into a riff which resembles something a little more Metal than Alt Rock or Punk, and it’s only really in the everyman vocal of Mark Arm that the band differentiates itself from the Heavy Metal underground of the 80’s.
The release itself is only 6 tracks long, however it offers up the melting pot style that became synonymous with Grunge, with influences varying from Heavy Metal to Indie to Punk, showcased no better than in the tracks ‘Come On Down’ (which has since found its way onto multiple Grunge compilations) and ‘Ride Of Your Life’, which ups the speed and incorporates a more Punk level of noise, and in just 6 tracks ‘Come On Down’ is able to lay much of the base foundations for the genre (which is unsurprising, especially when considering that the band’s frontman is often looked at as the first person to coin the phrase “Grunge” when talking about Seattle bands).
Where Are They Now?
Green River reformed for several live shows in 2008, though no rumours of new material have surfaced, especially with the members enjoying the respective successes of Mudhoney and Pearl Jam. As for Mother Love Bone, as previously mentioned the members would join Chris Cornell and Eddie Vedder to produce a tribute album for Andrew Wood, under the moniker Temple Of The Dog.
Meat Puppets (formed 1980):
The Meat Puppets (as with many others) can be traced back to Grunge through their association with both Kurt Cobain (a reverent fan) and Nirvana, for their contributions to what is often considered Grunge’s finest live record – Nirvana’s ‘MTV Unplugged’. The Meat Puppets were always considered something of an oddity; whilst most of their contemporaries in the 80’s were drawing influences from Punk, the Puppets always seemed closer to acts like Johnny Cash or Neil Young (the latter of whom would actually go on to tour, and release material collaborating with Pearl Jam), and this Folk/Country flirtation seems to be another overlooked element of the Grunge scene, especially when considering the path that acts like Pearl Jam have taken as their career has progressed.
Obvious Release: ‘Meat Puppets II’ (1984)
Especially in terms of Grunge, ‘II’ is the Meat Puppet’s masterpiece and is an album which would eventually see the Kirkwood Brothers perform 3 of it’s songs with Nirvana at MTV Unplugged, namely ‘Lake Of Fire’, ‘Oh Me’ and ‘Plateau’. The record itself was a massive departure from their original sound, which had much more of a standard Noise/Hardcore sound, instead offering up a melding of different harmonious styles including Country, Hard Rock and Acoustic, to really differentiate themselves from the Indie scene of the time. Tracks like ‘Aurora Borealis’ show off the band’s musical talents, and the choice to scrap the noise elements of the band proved extremely lucrative, and was something often emulated by later bands of the Grunge era like Alice In Chains (who followed up their first 2 studio albums with acoustic EP’s, namely ‘Sap’ and ‘Jar of Flies’).
Dig A Little Deeper With: ‘Too High To Die’ (1994)
1994’s ‘Too High To Die’ to this day is one of the Meat Puppet’s finest and most successful albums, and it’s easy to see why – singles like ‘We Don’t Exist’ show off the band’s more Rock ‘n’ Roll elements, whereas songs like ‘Why’ offer a much more mellow and acoustic element giving the whole album a sort of “rounded” feel and giving it widespread appeal to all kinds of fans of the band. Even included is the “Secret Hidden Track”, namely a re-recording of ‘Lake Of Fire’, from the album ‘II’.
Where Are They Now?
The Meat Puppets released their 13th studio album, ‘Lollipop’ in 2011, and despite differences over the years the songwriting stronghold of the Kirkwood Brothers remains (although Cris Kirkwood was missing from the band circa 1999, through to the reunion in 2006). The band is still a regular touring act.
Sonic Youth (formed 1981):
Sonic Youth are seldom a band associated with the Grunge scene, however when considering that their contribution to Indie music, and in particular their “tough” dealing with record labels to maintain artistic integrity even after they had signed to major labels (their contract is legendary, and is said to have been used by Nirvana with their own signing to the same major label) makes them integral when considering bands that helped to both usher in the Grunge era and kill off the Hair Metal dinosaurs.
Sonic Youth truly cemented their place within Grunge folklore however by both supporting the upcoming careers of many of the grunge upstarts as they attained critical and commercial success (something which was not uncommon in Grunge – often Cobain acted as a living Wikipedia for little known acts who he would actively try to draw attention to either by homage, as with The Vaselines or by inviting them to join Nirvana in performance, as with the Meat Puppets) and by appearing in the Grunge die-hard’s must see documentary ‘1991: The Year Punk Broke’.
Obvious Release: ‘Dirty’ (1992)
1992’s ‘Dirty’, despite being released by the band quite late in their career, and after the “boom” of ‘Nevermind’ is on paper the perfect proto-Grunge album, boasting a combination of a niche sound, a wide variety of influences and a certain level of inaccessibility to all but the fans of the band’s music, whilst also offering a certain softness, which sums up one of Grunge’s many overall aesthetics – a combination of noise and dirt with melody and harmony to really capture the listeners imagination. The combination of influences, and the most prevailing influence of Punk on the record certainly seems to work perfectly for a band for who were integral as an influence to Kurt Cobain and Nirvana, and the record almost seems tailor-made to cement the association between the two.
Dig A Little Deeper With : Sister (1987)
‘Sister’ is an album that takes some getting used to, not least of all for it’s association as a “concept record” (a nigh on untrodden path for the Grunge scene) but also for the simple fact that it is one of Sonic Youth’s more experimental records. Exploring their pop influences much more than in previous releases. This pop flirtation is what makes it stand out in terms of the Grunge era, with many of the band’s careers often spanning a “heavier” underground phase which would eventually lead on to a softening of the bands sound as their careers progressed (this is never truer than in the careers of many of the Rriot Grrl subgenre bands, who would begin with strong overt Punk influences, which would steadily become more Alt. Rock as the bands attained fame – though some notable exceptions like L7 obviously stand out), as well as the previously mentioned marriage between a heavy sound with harmony, to create something which would be instantly recognisable and unique.
Where Are They Now?
Sonic Youth released their last album, ‘The Eternal’, in 2009, and continue to be a strong presence on the Alternative/Indie scenes.
Butthole Surfers (formed 1981):
The Butthole Surfers also come under the banner of 1980’s “Indie” Punk acts whose careers would figure heavily in the Grunge iconography. If Sonic Youth provided the Noise Pop flirtations that would be developed by Nirvana et al then the Buttholes offered up the Psychedelia and Hardcore Punk in droves, to create a musical marriage which to this day retains its originality, and would serve as inspiration to those looking to diversify when making truly “Heavy” music.
Obvious Release: ‘Electriclarryland’ (1996)
‘Electriclarryland’ saw the Butthole Surfers reach major critical success, and also offers up possibly their most accessible album, albeit an album, which is still delivered with inimitable style and power. Something that makes the band a truly original force. The marriage of Psychedelia and Hardcore Punk was already beginning to lose its originality by the early to mid-1990s, however it should be pointed out that the Buttholes had been fusing the two genres together seamlessly since their very inception, as early as ‘Brown Reason To Live’ (or ‘Pee Pee The Sailor’ as it is sometimes known, one of Kurt Cobain’s self-professed “favourite records of all time”), their debut record. ‘Electriclarryland’ offers up breakneck speed with tracks like ‘Ulcer Breakout’ and ‘Birds’ alongside out and out pop tuning with songs like ‘TV Star’ and let’s not forget the neo-60’s vibe of songs like ‘Pepper’ to really cement this as the Surfer’s most commercially successful album, and this level of experimentation was not uncommon amongst Grunge and its influencing forefathers.
Dig A Little Deeper With: ‘Butthole Surfers/Brown Reason To Live/Pee Pee The Sailor’ (1983)
The Surfer’s debut record saw them burst onto the scene with a sound so fresh that many audiences were (and still are, to some extent) completely mystified as to how to classify the band. Having only 7 tracks, the band showed a little of all of the numerous styles that they would play throughout their career, spanning from Hardcore Noise Punk (‘The Shah Sleeps In Lee Harvey’s Grave’) to psychedelia (‘Bar-B-Q Pope’) to Alt. Pop (‘Something’).
One other thing offered up by the band, which is something that is often overlooked when looking at their influence on Grunge, is their distinct somewhat crude (and a tiny bit childish) humour – something that would often be mirrored by Grunge bands later on in the decade.
Grunge is always seen as something of a moody genre, and perhaps rightly so with many of its biggest stars dying early, and with much of the lyrical content being about the darker sides of life and the human psyche. However Grunge also always had an undertone of dry humour which was in keeping with bands like the Butthole Surfers – and to name just 3 examples – Kurt Cobain’s first band were named Fecal Matter, the Melvins first record features the song ‘Heaviness Of The Load’ and even Alice In Chains, quite possibly the most miserable of all the Grunge acts weren’t above writing songs like ‘Queen Of The Rodeo’ (even if it was bumped down to being a B-side).
Where Are They Now?
Rumours have persisted throughout the past decade or so that the Butthole Surfers were once again recording or preparing new material, though nothing substantial has surfaced. They last played the UK in 2008, though this was their first international tour in quite a while, as the band often now just stick to their home ground of Texas.
Melvins (formed 1983):
If Grunge can be defined as dirty, sludgy and noisy music then The Melvins are the Godfathers of Grunge, offering up a sound, which was sludgier than Courtney Love’s veins circa the early 1990’s. Cited as an influence on many bands both within the Grunge genre (especially in the case of a young Cobain, who even auditioned to be a part of the band, and supported them even after his explosion of fame going as far as to produce their 1993 record ‘Houdini’) and outside of it (they are also cited as an influence on bands like Tool and the band Boris even named themselves after a song on their 1991 record ‘Bullhead’).
Obvious Release: Houdini (1993)
In the Grunge scene it was never uncommon for band members to take a hand at mixing or producing a record – Skin Yard’s Jack Endino being a notable example. So it is somewhat unsurprising that the Melvin’s ‘Houdini’ features the producing credit of one Kurt Cobain. Whereas the band’s first two albums featured a deep, heavy Sludge Metal like sound, ‘Houdini’ begins to show much more of the band’s diversity, throwing in Punk influences on tracks like ‘Pearl Bomb’ and even Alt. Rock on tracks such as ‘Lizzie’.
This mix is completely synonymous with Grunge now, however when considering longevity and career fidelity (to some extent, though the band did experiment with both Drone when collaborating with the band Lustmord and Hardcore/Alternative Punk when collaborating with legendary Jello Biafra) it stands to reason that the Melvins can be considered as both the truest, and quite possibly purest Grunge band to have existed within the Seattle scene.
Dig A Little Deeper With: ‘(A) Senile Animal’ (2006)
When picking a second album to recommend with the Melvins it’s a case of personal preference coming in to play here…quite heavily, as the band have experimented almost continually with their sound since their inception, each album offering up a different “base”. For instance; if Sludge Metal is your thing then ‘Gluey Porch Treatments’ will serve you well, if Drone/Doom Metal is more your taste then ‘Bullhead’ or ‘Pigs Of The Roman Empire’ will serve you better, or if you are a strong Punk fan then the album ‘Never Breathe What You Can’t See’ should be more to your liking.
With this in mind, I have picked ‘(A) Senile Animal’ because after much experimentation with their sound it was this record that saw them go back to their base roots and produce an album with no frills and maximum thrills. The mix of longer and shorter tracks appealing to different kinds of fans of the band, and each track packs a strong enough punch that it will keep you listening for a long time after the first initial spin.
Where Are They Now?
The Melvins last studio record was ‘The Bride Screamed Murder’, released in 2010. The band is also currently due to tour the UK this October through to November, promising a distinctive show with one of the Grand Daddies of Grunge.
Soundgarden (formed 1984):
Soundgarden have the distinctive edge over the other three bands within the Big 4 of Grunge (alongside Pearl Jam, Nirvana and Alice In Chains) in that it has been suggested that thanks to their longevity and mass popularity (even before ‘Nevermind’ broke big) they may well have ended up just as successful even if Nirvana had never drawn the world’s attention to the Pacific Northwest. If Nirvana were the Punk band of the Grunge scene then Soundgarden were undoubtedly the Heavy Metal act, delivering riffs, which were the darkest and “heaviest”, this side of Black Sabbath.
Obvious Release: ‘Badmotorfinger’ (1991)
‘Badmotorfinger’ stands as the band’s biggest commercial and critical success, boasting huge Grunge singles in the likes of ‘Outshined’ and ‘Rusty Cage’ as well as ‘Jesus Christ Pose’, whilst also offering up lesser known classics like ‘Somewhere’ and ‘Room A Thousand Years Wide’ which show off the band’s neo-Psychedelia leanings perfectly. The opening one two of ‘Rusty Cage’ and ‘Outshined’ stands as one of the best kick offs to ANY album, with ‘Rusty Cage’ giving the listener a frantic energy boost which then moves to a much more subdued groove of the latter…Simply Essential stuff.
Dig A Little Deeper With: ‘Down on the Upside’ (1996)
‘Down On The Upside’ was Soundgarden’s last release before they eventually broke up in the late 90’s, and was critically panned after the heavy success of their two previous records – ‘Superunknown’ and ‘Badmotorfinger’. However, that panning in my humble opinion is somewhat unfair and it stands that ‘Down On The Upside’ is Soundgarden’s most experimental release, with the band looking to a variety of different sources to create a diverse mix of music for the album.
Whereas each of their previous releases often had a common “sound” and level of noise to it ‘Down On The Upside’ switched from Hardcore Punk speed with the track ‘Ty Cobb’ to the semi-acoustic mellow vibes of tracks like ‘Blow Up The Outside World’ and ‘Dusty’. It is this mix of paces and influences styles that makes the album a great listen, and the variety in each track makes it an interesting listen throughout, giving each track a strong cohesive feel as opposed to leaving you feeling that a few tracks may be a little more filler than killer (something which, despite its huge success ‘Badmotorfinger’ was unable to avoid).
Where Are They Now?
Since the announcement of their reformation on New Year’s Day 2010 the band have toured extensively, though they are yet to play in Europe. The band have also released two albums since their reformation – ‘Telephantasm’, a retrospective with unreleased tracks and remasters and their first live record, ‘Live on I-5’. The band are currently in the process of recording their new studio album, which they promise is to be their heaviest yet, and similar in style to ‘Down On The Upside’, promising to “pick up where we left off”.
L7 (formed 1985):
Grunge is one of the few rock genres that consistently offered up bands fronted by members of both gender, with the ladies offering up the powerhouse sub genre of Rriot Grrl, and perhaps no band summed up the Rriot Grrl power better than L7, the 90’s answer to female Punk legends like Patti Smith and Poly Styrene. Combining Punk musicality with Metal heaviness and political activism (something which was also somewhat recurrent in the Grunge scene, with many band members often lending their performances to causes) L7 helped to equalise the playing field for female-fronted rock bands, of which there weren’t that very many throughout the 1980’s, (though bands like Girlschool obviously stand as exceptions) and in their own way they all helped to destroy Hair Metal.
Obvious Release: ‘Bricks Are Heavy’ (1992)
Having two albums under their belts before its release it was ‘Bricks Are Heavy’ that fully catapulted L7 into the public consciousness and it’s not difficult to see why. Opening with the powerful ‘Wargasm’ the band pulled no punches and were unabashed in their fusion of Hardcore Punk and Metal. This remains true for multiple tracks throughout the album such as ‘Shitlist’, ‘Mr. Integrity’ and ‘Monster’ all offering up the Punk/Metal combination that illustrated that these ladies were here to kick your ass. In spite of all this rocking the biggest single on the album was ‘Pretend That We’re Dead’, a much more Alt. Rock radio friendly track which is not uncommon for the Rriot Grrl bands to feature at least one such track on an album.
Dig A Little Deeper With: ‘L7’ (1988)
L7’s self-titled debut record served as a perfect introduction to the band, with them coming out of the blocks screaming in true Punk Rock fashion. Opening with ‘Bite The Wax Tadpole’ L7 offers up much of the bands great songwriting skills with them not shying away from subjects like violence, or substance abuse (common lyrical subjects within the Grunge genre) on loud and abrasive tracks like ‘I Drink’, ‘Cat O Nine Tails’ and ‘Running From The Law’. In the 90’s Spice Girls may have popularised Girl Power, but it was bands like L7 and Babes In Toyland that gave the movement some bite and proved that women could be every bit as hardcore as their male counterparts.
Where Are They Now?
L7 have been on “indefinite hiatus” since 2001, and although no rumours of reformations have surfaced the faithful can remain hopeful for the near future.
Screaming Trees (formed 1985):
Screaming Trees have often been overlooked as one of the “Godfathers of Grunge”, in lieu of perhaps some might say lesser bands like Malfunkshun, Soundgarden or the Melvins however when it comes down to longevity, musical style and contribution to the scene Screaming Trees remain as powerful a contributor to the genre as any of the aforementioned.
Obvious Release: ‘Sweet Oblivion’ (1992)
‘Sweet Oblivion’ was Screaming Trees sixth album, and it’s difficult to believe that a Seattle Grunge band could have released so many albums and yet still have somewhat lukewarm responses (in contrast, at least) in sales. The album itself was Screaming Trees best selling record, mostly on the strength of its leading single ‘Nearly Lost You’ which offered up some Alt Rock radio friendliness that was fast becoming a cliché after the boom of ‘Nevermind’. The other tracks on the album remain somewhat stronger, however in contrast to the leading single those that followed all had a certain “drop off” in quality, and it is for that that it kind of makes sense that the band never made it fully in the big-time – ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ was a strong single also, but it had the strength of ‘Come As You Are’, ‘In Bloom’ and even ‘Territorial Pissings’ to carry that album into “great” status.
Dig A Little Deeper With: ‘Clairvoyance’ (1986)
In stark contrast to ‘Sweet Oblivion’, ‘Clairvoyance’ instead offers up great songs throughout (though admittedly it also lacks any great singles that would endear the band to a listener immediately) though songs like ‘Orange Airplane’, ‘Standing On The Edge’ and ‘Clairvoyance’ all have their moments, which really hook you in. Screaming Trees were never the punkiest, nor heaviest of the Grunge bands, however what they did offer was the strongest sense of neo-Psychedelia, something which figured heavily in both imagery for Grunge bands (think Nirvana’s music videos a la ‘Heart Shaped Box’ or Soundgarden’s ‘Black Hole Sun’) and in style for bands like Soundgarden.
Where Are They Now?
Though the band hasn’t reformed they did release a previously unheard album in 2011, ‘Last Words: The Final Recordings’. In spite of this, the band shows no signs of reforming.
The Pixies (formed 1986):
The Pixies are another band that though they are always associated with the Indie/Alternative scene also had more than a helping hand in forming the sound of Grunge. In particular, their main contribution was the now common song structure for Alt. Rock – quiet verse, loud chorus, quiet verse. The band would also go on to be paid homage to (or lifted from, depending on who you speak to) by some of the “big” Grunge acts, with the riff to ‘U Mass’ being used as the base for songs like ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ or Bush’s ‘Little Things’.
Obvious Release: ‘Surfer Rosa’ (1988)
When thinking of Grunge the obvious Pixies album to look at is ‘Surfer Rosa’, not least because of its popularity but also because it was often used by Cobain as a reference tool both when recording and promoting ‘Nevermind’, with him admitting the album had a huge impact on the style of music Nirvana were producing at the time. Tracks like ‘Where Is My Mind’ show off Steve Albini’s strong producing skills, and the album itself serves as the perfect introduction to the band for anybody who is not already familiar with them, even serving as something of a best of (much like Nirvana’s ‘Nevermind’ or Pearl Jam’s ‘Ten’).
Dig A Little Deeper With: ‘Doolittle’ (1989)
When looking at the band’s career if considering their best albums the top two come easily to almost anybody who asks. The best album by The Pixies is ‘Surfer Rosa’, and ‘Doolittle’ comes a close second. Released a year after ‘Surfer Rosa’, ‘Doolittle’ shows off more of the band’s pop leanings, and these Pop/Indie leanings have been heavily emulated by many Grunge bands before and since the band released this double whammy of great albums.
Where Are They Now?
Since reforming in 2004 the band has toured extensively, often playing anniversary shows which would feature ‘Doolittle’ in its entirety. Despite these tours, the band has not released anything new since 1991, and still show no signs of any new recordings.
Stone Temple Pilots (formed 1986):
L.A. seems like the last place you would expect to find a band even slightly associated with Grunge, especially seeing as it was the main hub and spawning ground for much of Hair Metal’s crème of the crop, and even in spirit the Sunset Strip is about as far away from the rainy, working class background of Seattle as you could get. And yet…no one really bargained on Stone Temple Pilots breaking that mold.
Obvious Release: ‘Core’ (1992)
Perhaps the biggest indication that Hair Metal was truly dead was when Stone Temple Pilots released their debut album, ‘Core’. Heavily akin to the Seattle sound, and often looked at as little more than a Pearl Jam rip-off, Stone Temple Pilots adapted the Grunge sound to focus more heavily on Hard Rock, something which suited frontman Scott Weiland who had more than a touch of Rock Star ego about him, which in turn perfectly suited the 70’s Rock stylings of the band.
Featuring songs like ‘Dead And Bloated’, ‘Sex Type Thing’ and ‘Wicked Garden’ the album was full of “killer” tracks, though that didn’t spare it from the occasional “filler” (‘No Memory’ and ‘Sin’ still can’t hold a candle to the aforementioned tracks, nor ‘Plush’). With LA now producing a Grunge band of its very own, Hair Metal was truly dead, and the Alt. Rock domination of Rock radio could begin in earnest, totally uncontested.
Dig A Little Deeper With: ‘Purple’ (1994)
‘Purple’ pretty much picked up right where ‘Core’ had left off, offering up the 70’s Rock vibes that had made ‘Core’ so popular, however this was infused with the use of acoustic ballads like ‘Interstate Love Song’ and just the faintest hint of Powerpop to really cement the album’s popularity worldwide.
Where Are They Now?
Reforming from the ashes of Velvet Revolver, the band has toured extensively and last year released an eponymous album that got mixed reviews.
Alice in Chains (formed 1987):
Alice In Chains are immediately recognisable as one of the “big 4” of Grunge and have the pedigree which could be associated with almost any act of the era – autobiographical lyrics about drug abuse and/or emotional problems and a sound that was dirtier than Courtney Love’s underwear (when she could be bothered to wear any). Alice In Chains always seemed to be one of the more easily definable acts that could be given the “Grunge” tag, even if they sometimes shunned it in favour of being associated with blues, or more recently Heavy Metal.
Obvious Release: ‘Dirt’ (1992)
‘Dirt’ was Alice In Chains breakthrough record and it’s not difficult to see why, from the opening scream of vocalist Layne Staley and the heavier than concrete riff of opener ‘Them Bones’ to the gut churning bass of closing track ‘Would’ (dedicated to the memory of Mother Love Bone vocalist Andrew Wood) the album was a perfect distillation of the heavier elements of the Grunge genre, and even incorporated the melodic elements that gave the genre a unique feel (most notably realised on ‘Dirt’ with ‘Down In A Hole’) and made it difficult to simply file the bands away as being just another Punk/Metal/Indie act.
‘Dirt’ is a loud leviathan of larger-than-life riffs and unique vocals provided by the mixing of vocalist Layne Staley’s pipes with guitarist Jerry Cantrell’s deeper baritone to create powerful harmonies which nary a vocalist can reproduce (and many have tried – just looking through YouTube offers up notable vocalists like Corey Taylor attempting, and failing, to reproduce the powerful vocal of Layne when performing with the band live).
Going A Little Deeper With: ‘Jar of Flies’ (1994)
With Alice In Chains being one of the louder, more Metal leaning of the Grunge acts it seems bizarre that they would follow up their studio albums (which were often large ‘n’ loud) with balladic EP’s in the form of ‘Sap’ and ‘Jar Of Flies’, showcasing the band’s more melodic and softer sides. ‘Jar of Flies’ followed ‘Dirt’, and still to this say stands to be possibly one of the band’s finest releases.
The release itself is a strong showcase of the band’s Blues influences, and certainly fits in with the band’s early claims that they were “Just a loud Blues band”. Opening track ‘Rotten Apple’ is a stark contrast to ‘Them Bones’ fist-to-the-face, instead unfolding strong blues elements that set the tone for the rest of the release. ‘Nutshell’ is a showcase of the band’s melancholy side, and Staley’s emotional input in both the lyrics and his vocal makes his turmoil almost palpable. ‘I Stay Away’, ‘No Excuses’ and ‘Don’t Follow’ have much more of a sunny Southern feel however, and the inclusion of harmonicas in the latter track certainly cements the bluesy feel of the release. Overall the EP is as strong as any of the band’s full releases, and certainly warrants itself a place as one of the band’s best releases.
Where Are They Now?
Alice In Chains recruited a new vocalist in William Duvall, and released ‘Black Gives Way To Blue’ in 2008. Since then the band have toured extensively, however are now due to begin work on their 5th release for a 2012 release, something which was confirmed by Heart vocalist Ann Wilson, who visited their studio in July 2011.
So with that rather timely full circle link back into the Arena/Hair Rock fraternity I will bid you farewell for now, but stay tuned to Uber Rock as Part 2 of this extensive review of The Bands That Killed Hair Metal will back to fuck a hell of a lot of you off very soon.