12 Best Hard Rock Deep Cuts
6. Negative Creep - Nirvana
The sound of Nirvana has been greatly exaggerated as being more pop-oriented rock played through the filter of punk and alternative. From an average fan's perspective, Nevermind was what seemed to be the band's debut record. For the more savvy listeners, Nirvana's start on Sub Pop records showed the real heaviness behind this band.
Bleach is Nirvana at their most caustic and hungriest, as their riffs get downright nasty while being laced with more pop-centric tunes like "About a Girl." The real standout example of how metallic this band can be comes halfway through the record on "Negative Creep." The sliding riff propels the groove while striking the perfect balance of punk rock attitude and sludge metal chaos.
Kurt Cobain's vocals across this track are incredibly primal as he sings about his struggles with his feelings of being worthless. Even if Dave Grohl hadn't entered the fold yet, the drums from Chad Channing are still incredibly forceful as they increase the intensity brought on by the guitars. For as poppy as Nirvana would sound later, songs like these fit right in with the then-contemporary grunge aesthetic. The actual composition may seem a bit basic for some, but the nasty attitude behind this song is something that cannot be denied.