10 Best Third Albums In Rock And Metal History
2. In Utero - Nirvana
Released just seven months before Kurt Cobain took his own life, In Utero proved to be the last studio album from a band that defined grunge, the '90s, and rock music as a whole.
Coming off the monster hit that was Nevermind, Nirvana wanted a different sound for their project. They brought in producer Steve Albini to help them create this vision, and the result was a fantastically varied album containing some of the bands most well-known songs.
"Heart Shaped Box", "Dumb", and "All Apologies" call this album home alongside a string of other brilliant tracks like "Pennyroyal Tea", which would have been a single had it not been for Cobain's death.
Whilst critics were somewhat mixed when the album first came out, it is now considered a classic, with many calling it ahead of its time.
In Utero is a glimpse into an alternate timeline where the band didn't break up. It builds on the success of its predecessor whilst expertly weaving in new ideas and setting the stage for what surely would have been a terrific fourth album.
Unfortunately, that album will only ever exist inside the minds of fans.