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Raging with angst, nihilism and Kurt Cobain's pained growl, the Seattle grunge icons were the sound of a disenchanted generation fuelled on rejection and recession, distorting punk aesthetics into a howling drain of outsider rock. Inspired by The Pixies, the fevered distortion of heavy metal and the scowling DIY anarchy of punk, Kurt and Krist were united by a mutual love of The Melvins and had several drummers and name changes before Dave Grohl became a fixture in 1990. Debut album Bleach (1989) was an underground hit and, after signing to DGC Records, they developed a slightly more pop sound climaxed by Smells Like Teen Spirit - which became an anthem for a generation - while Nevermind (1991) knocked Michael Jackson's Dangerous off the top of the US album charts. B-Sides album Incesticide (1992) and chart-topping follow-up In Utero (1993) sought to re-establish their alternative credentials but they were now one of the world's biggest bands. Fighting depression and heroin addiction Kurt Cobain shot himself dead on April 8, 1994.
Artist biography compiled by BDS/West 10. All rights reserved
