He took elements of heavy metal, hardcore punk and hard rock and combined them to create the powerful, sludge, distorted sound of grunge.
While great bands like Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains and Soundgarden all had loud vocals and heavy guitars, no one was as aggressive or badass as Nirvana, especially with the lead singer, Kurt Cobain in and out of enemies.
All grunge bands have had their fair share of heavy stuff but for now I’m going to focus on the brutal sound of Nirvana by listing what I think are their top 10 heaviest songs.
Honorable Mention: Mrs. Butterworth – With the Lights Out
I’m just going to limit my praise to one here.
This is definitely one of their most entertaining performances for sure, but I’m not including it on the list because it has about 90 or so seconds of shite-talking in it. between him.
I get that it’s a popular statement in punk but it took me away from the song itself.
It’s still a class but unfortunately not going to be a main name!
Smells Like Teen Spirit – No wonder
Do not believe all the music snobs are mocking their true brioche bun in smug dirty that I will choose the main song for such a list, now it is popular to hate the song because it is too play and do not disturb the good band. …
Although it was released on the radio, it is easily one of their most accessible and heaviest songs.
Every rock or metal bar I’ve been to goes crazy (in a good sense) when it comes.
It’s loud, hard and upset ridden; just like the band.
9. School – Bleach
One of my favorite songs from their amazing catalog.
School is one of the best songs from their debut album, Bleach.
I could almost include the entire album as its own title because as an entire album, they haven’t released anything as visceral since.
The song is only 3 short phrases repeated over and over again, but it is with one of their most interesting.
This is one of the slower songs on the list but that doesn’t stop it from being heavy.
It’s amazing Kurt is still able to talk after recording albums… 7.
The second part of the song is slower in form but even heavier than the above.
With an improvisation like a bad ride, it kicks in a raw, howling scream that pierces your ears like a heavenly knife.
Dale Crover, drummer of the Melvins and a close friend of Cobain, lent his drumming skills to this song, which he felt was missing from the Melvins demo with Kurt singing in place of Buzz Osborne.
Diving headfirst back into the fast pace of Bleach with another roar.
In hindsight I wish I could have made a list of Kurt Cobain’s best screams…
but they fit sorta hand in hand with the weight of the tunes so it all comes full circle.
Always love the fade to this song, sounds like you’re walking down the hallway to the classroom where it’s playing and it just gets louder and louder.
For me this is one of their more punk songs, from the vocal style to the half broken guitar, it just screams (very literally) hardcore punk.
It was used very well in the opening credits for the best Kurt Cobain documentary, Cobain: Montage of Heck, it is a studio recording that slowly fades to the music so you can hear it. The anger in his voice, which throughout the song, crackles like a teenager. young people who have just been added to the site.
4. Floyd The Barber – Bleach
It’s not often you have songs about the cast of a 60s sitcom like The Andy Griffith Show, raping and killing a young man strapped into a barbers chair, so the good youth decided to do it. Make it available to your ears with this lovingly crafted piece. of vile brilliance.
Lyrically it is probably their closest step in the direction of heavy metal.3.
If you’ve ever wanted to experience a train driving fast into your ear drums, this is your chance.
One of their tightest songs on their tightest album, Breed opens like a shotgun blasting through your speakers with Dave Grohl’s masterful, light drumming.
Anorexorcist – With The Lights Out
Now for the song that inspired me to write this list.
It was only released as a live performance and it is rough in its quality, but the sound of the guitar and the heft of the riff is without question one of the heaviest that Nirvana has ever done.
The sound is a dead giveaway with Kurt’s signature conflict.
Tourette’s – In Utero
Finally we reach the end of the earthquake of heavy grunge music.
I’m finishing up with a song that probably won’t exist.
2 if this song is in Anorexorcist.
Teasing the beginning of the excellent track, You Know You Well, Tourette’s is 95 seconds of musical and lyrical violence of the highest order.
littered with Kurt’s curdling blood often screamed as if he was stuck in a brazen cow and what was like a storm of screaming guitars, heavy bass and the fiercest drums.
On top of providing the world with some of the best in bone-crunchingly heavy music, they’ve also got a lot of mellow music and moderate rock, all of it amazing.
They are a unique sound in grunge and it is for good reason that they are considered one of the best of the genre.