Determining when Grunge died depends on your perspective. The way I see it, grunge practically died when Kurt Cobain passed away. A lot of the alternative rock afterwards fights amongst itself. The devastating, coded songwriting from acts like Soundgarden or Alice in Chains might combat the work of Stone Temple Pilots, who still receive mixed signals today. Consequently, depicting what ‘post-grunge’ is becomes a bit difficult.
Sasha Geffen writes for Consequence of Sound, roughly articulating what the genre sounded like. It sounded heavy but not in spirit, mostly in its chunky mix. Moreover, it spawns somewhere in the timeline after Cobain and really takes form in the late 90s and early 2000s. Additionally, the indicator comes in a textual sense. Proper grunge worked in storytelling terms and coded language alike.
Meanwhile, the writer says, “Post-grunge plunged directly into the ‘I.’ There is no mystery in the lyrical narratives of Fuel, and Staind, and Lifehouse. There’s only longing in its plainest terms. Most of the hits call after a prospective or past companion in the first person.” To try and cobble up a rough timeline for this transition out of grunge formal, here are three songs that define the era.
Three Songs That Marked The Transition From Grunge to Post-Grunge
Live- “Lighting Crashes”
This is hardly the fatty excess that circuits the late 90s and 2000s. We’re still a long way from Y2K, the end of a millennium thrill ride. Instead, Live’s “Lightning Crashes” is more reflective of grunge proper, but not enough to really make a Pearl Jam fan happy. It’s mostly stripped down, Ed Kowalczyk whispering at a low frequency about the tragedy of death and the miracle of life alike. Initially, the band risks losing a listener in its very methodical buildup. Eventually, the build climaxes and releases all the tension Ed sings with, an extremely tactful choice on the band’s part. It may not follow the thread of Nirvana at all but the DNA of post-grunge is evident here.
Creed – “Torn”
Before Creed became a devoutly religious band panfried in 2000s excess, they were brooding rockers from the bones of grunge. Records like “Higher,” “My Sacrifice,” “With Arms Wide Open,” and “One Last Breath” probably more accurately reflect the values of post-grunge. Meanwhile, “Torn” might as well lift the dirty, tortured demeanor of an Alice in Chains Dirt era record.
However, it does hold some of the aforementioned directness in its songwriting. Scott Stapp is angry and haunted on “Torn,” writing directly out of his rough childhood and mental unrest. He sings from the first person almost explicitly, done to really sell his personal agony. This acts as a bridge between the two grunge eras, holding values of both that make them great.
Nickelback – “How You Remind Me”
Nowadays, people will associate Nickelback with “butt rock,” which isn’t entirely incorrect. But truthfully, this is the fullest depiction of post-grunge, viscerally direct in its songwriting and caked in George W. Bush’s 2000s culture.
The important thing to note here is that it still holds the meaning of what rock music is. The further Chad Kroeger and the band got into their careers, the more fatty, synthetic, and belabored their music sounded. “Photograph” doesn’t hold any resemblance to what grunge was in its infancy and it doesn’t reflect their post-grunge counterparts either. Instead, it sounds like a lot of Joey Moi’s fingerprints, something country music eventually got extremely used to after a while.
But “How You Remind Me” really sticks the landing despite the occasionally justified Nickelback backlash. Bulletproof hook and great riffs to build to it, with Kroegers voice not yet meme’d to infamy.
The post 3 Songs That Marked the Shift From Grunge to Post-Grunge appeared first on VICE.
