After the spirit of 90s Seattle grunge started to fade, the New Millennium gave birth to several bands that both carried on the legacy and spearheaded the transition from grunge to post-grunge. There was still a wall of heavy guitar sound, but vocals got cleaner, there was less fuzz, and the attitudes got a little more edgy. Some were born in the 90s, like Hoobastank, Incubus, and Live. But the post-grunge wave also created bands like Flyleaf, Halestorm, and The Pretty Reckless. Here are three bands that fall somewhere between the 90s grunge sound and the 2000s post-grunge style.
hinder
Hinder debuted in 2005 with their first LP Extreme Behavior. Despite critic reviews leaning negative at the time, Hinder still retains diehard fans even with a lead vocalist change. Their post-grunge sound was distinctly rooted in the 2000s in the beginning, leaning heavily on gritty vocals and a thick wall of sound. While Hinder is more Nickelback than Nirvana, they do a pretty good job representing the transition from 90s Seattle grunge to a cleaner post-grunge sound in the 2000s. Additionally, they released a new album in May 2025, proving their staying power.
Shinedown
With their debut album Leave a Whisper, Shinedown quickly established themselves as a post-grunge staple of the 2000s. Initially, the album didn’t gain much attention, but after touring throughout 2003 and into 2004, all eyes were on Shinedown. Their post-grunge style taps into more Soundgarden and Alice In Chains, especially on songs like “Fly from the Inside.” They’re heavier than some of the mid-2000s bands, leaning into their proximity to the 90s sound. But, in that way, Shinedown is more or less the litmus test for all other 2000s post-grunge bands.
Puddle Of Mudd
Puddle Of Mudd debuted in 2001 with the LP Come Clean, featuring tracks like “Control,” “Blurry,” and “She Hates Me.” Critics were initially mixed on this album, but retrospectively it’s become a genre favorite. On the scale of 2000s post-grunge, Puddle Of Mudd falls closer to Shinedown than they do Hinder, pulling from the heavier 90s sound. But, at times, there’s also something a bit cleaner about them that would eventually transition into the mid-to-late 2000s style. Not on every track, of course, but Puddle Of Mudd had moments where they smoothed the rough edges out to make way for the more straightforward sound that was developing.
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