Emerging in the late 1980s in the Seattle area of the USA, grunge blended the aggression of punk, the sonic density of metal, and the distortion, experimentation, and melancholy of alternative rock. Heavy, distorted guitars, smooth verses and noisy choruses, introspective lyrics, and intense vocals are the main characteristics of this genre that brought rock to the forefront in the 1990s.
Besides Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Alice in Chains, Alice in Chains, Temple of the Dog, Mother Love Bone, Melvins, Screaming Trees, Mudhoney, L7, Hole, and Stone Temple Pilots were other relevant artists within the movement.
