A Grunge Supergroup just dropped an album. Does it Grunge though?

12 April 2022 | 1:37 pm | Tim Price
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I mean, a band containing members of Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden SHOULD conjure up all sorts of awesome heaviness or angsty, hair-in-eyes, hole-y sweater-wearing goodness, right? Yes, there's 30+ years in between now and then, but... why does grunge supergroup so often mean Alt Country?

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Grunge Music was such a revolutionary movement in the early 90s and the aforementioned bands, along with Alice in Chains and Mudhoney would surely be the Big 5 of the genre. It was so exciting, heavy and transformative and transitionary away from hair metal and brightly polished pop music! 

3rd Secret have just dropped their debut album out of nowhere. The band features Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic, drummer Matt Cameron from Pearl Jam & Soundgarden and Kim Thayil, Soundgarden's guitarist, Bubba Dupree guitarist in the ’80s hardcore band Void and singers Jillian Raye and Jennifer Johnson. AND it's produced by Jack Endino, who worked on Nirvana’s Bleach album. So, it definitely has incredible, quality pedigree. But to me, it doesn't feel fresh, revolutionary or transformative. 

Of course, the mathematical equation: Grunge + Grunge + Grunge + hardcore + Alt Rock =/= fresh new grunge or heavy sounds. But why does it so often = Alt Country/Folk? Is it age/maturity that ends with this result? Does the fire, angst and anger die down with age and is replaced with melancholy and regret? Or is it that the ol' knees and fingers can't hack it?

There is obviously so much more nuance to this discussion as there are countless examples of bands going heavier with age or even supergroups teaming up to create super heavy stuff, like Them Crooked Vultures, The Damned Things, Mike Patton's Tomahawk and Dead Cross - so many more.

However, it definitely feels like a well-worn path - almost like the starter pokemen "GRUNGE" evolved into "ALT COUNTRY". Check it out for yourself below and let us know your thoughts. 

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