Sludge-Grunge
tagStarted 1987Peak 1991-1996Last big hit 1999
Located in 1 route
Grunge dragged to its slowest, heaviest extreme: glacial tempos, viscous downtuned riffs, and a tar-thick low-end indebted to Black Sabbath and the Melvins. Feedback drones, punishing repetition and abrasive, half-buried vocals. The crossover into doom and stoner territory, where weight and dread matter more than hooks or pace.
History
Rooted in the Melvins, the Washington trio whose plodding heaviness directly inspired Kurt Cobain and the wider scene. Their major-label Houdini (1993), produced with Cobain's input, codified the sludgy crossover. Acts like Tad and the wider Northwest underground pushed the slowest, ugliest end of grunge toward doom and stoner rock.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- Wikipedia: Houdini (album)
- AllMusic: Melvins / Sludge Metal
- Treblezine sludge metal features
- Mark Yarm, 'Everybody Loves Our Town'