10 Perfect Grunge Albums With No Bad Songs
9. Superunknown - Soundgarden (1994)
After the success of Nevermind in 1991, grunge acts were all the rage. Many found mainstream attention coming to them without the need to compromise their sound. Superunkown exemplifies this. Sure, the band showed signs of maturing on this album - there are more melodic numbers, like My Wave and Black Hole Sun - but the raw and unwavering energy of their early days was still apparent.
Chris Cornell was the late '80s and early '90s answer to Robert Plant. The emotion he was able to impart into his vocals was unrivalled. Whereas, many bands relied on their angst to carry their lyrics across - Cornell was something of an oddity - he had an innate technical ability.
Kim Thayil approach to guitar came from the darker realms of the '70s, drawing comparisons to Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi. Combined with Cornells vocals, this created a gloomy brand of alternative rock that rivalled anything going on in the hair metal scene.
Superunkown was the band's fourth album, and if you only have the option to experience one Soundgarden record, let it be this. This was a band, who had proven themselves on the underground and making bold steps into the mainstream.