Grunge

Originating in the Pacific Northwest of the United States during the mid-1980s, grunge merges the ethos of punk rock with the distorted textures and slower tempos of heavy metal. The genre's sonic signature is built upon a heavy, sludgy guitar sound achieved through extensive use of distortion and fuzz effects, coupled with angsty, introspective vocals. This aesthetic was a direct rejection of the perceived glamour and artifice of 1980s mainstream rock. After achieving unexpected and massive commercial success in the early 1990s, grunge shaped the trajectory of alternative rock and came to define a significant cultural moment for Generation X before its mainstream momentum receded by the end of the decade.