10 Grunge Songs That Are Insanely Heavy

Though grunge definitely had its own aesthetic back in the day, Pearl Jam was the kind of classic rock that most of us could relate to. The songs definitely had the same sort of angst that every other band was mining at the time, but the riffs were just the right kind of middle ground to win over the jocks as well as the misfit kids. That wasn't the only trick to Pearl Jam though. When they wanted to, they could really melt your face off.

For most of Vs., Eddie Vedder sounds a lot more angry, with every song getting closer to punk territory like on Animal and Go. Though things get back on track on songs like Dissident, it's almost a false sense of security with Blood up next, with Stone Gossard's wall of guitars kicking you in the face from the moment the song starts. Once Eddie does come in, this is the kind of scream that feels like they belong on a Fugazi record than one of the biggest bands in the world, almost sounding like he's about to go insane at any second.

Aside from the metallic direction, the rhythm behind the riffs is incredibly funky, harkening back to the early days of Mother Love Bone. At the time, Pearl Jam were starting to get desensitized to the idea of fame, and this whole song practically feels cathartic on their part.