10 Best Follow Up Albums In Hard Rock

At the start of the 90's, grunge arrived in the pop consciousness and turned the entire rock world on its head. Out of all the great bands from Pearl Jam to Soundgarden, Nirvana was the one group who was seen as the most important breakout stars ouf the scene.

Their major label debut with Nevermind gave them not only a brand new audience, but quickly became an emblem for the entire alternative scene as a whole. Once they returned to the studio, the big wigs were chomping at the bit to see what they would release next. Instead of making Nevermind Pt. 2, the band met with indie producer Steve Albini and brought out one of the most savage records a mainstream band had ever attempted. Whereas Nevermind had a sonic sheen to its production, the blemished sounds of In Utero work just right in bringing Kurt Cobain's pained compositions to life.

The album is slightly schizophrenic in places, going from energy bursts on "Scentless Apprentice" to quiet moments on tracks like "Dumb," but even that gives the record its own unique character. Though this was another major success for the band, their future came screeching to a halt when Kurt Cobain took his own life less than a year after its release. This may not have been the band's career-defining moment, but it stands as the most emotionally transparent release that Kurt Cobain had ever mustered.