SCRATCH ACID-OWNER'S LAMENTGrunge music is generally characterized by "dirty" guitar, strong riffs, and heavy drumming. The "dirty" sound resulted primarily from the common use of heavy guitar distortion, fuzz and feedback. It also resulted from a stylistic change in the standard method of playing punk rock. Grunge fuses elements of hardcore punk and heavy metal into a single sound, although sometimes it is performed with more emphasis on one or the other. Grunge bands were noted for their punk mentality and attitudes, and the music shares with punk its raw sound, fast tempos, and often vocal delivery. However, grunge also involves slower tempos, dissonant harmonies, and more complex instrumentation reminiscent of heavy metal.The lyrics concern similar themes such as social alienation, apathy, entrapment and a desire for freedom. They are typically angst-filled — anger, frustration, ennui, fear, depression and drug addiction are often explored in grunge songs. The lyricism bears similarities to those of punk and the perceptions of Generation X. A number of factors may have influenced these lyrics. Many grunge musicians and fans displayed a general disenchantment with the state of society and discomfort with social prejudices. They were often identified as 'slackers' and drug use was common. Also, many grunge musicians began their careers as teenagers or young adults, when feelings of angst are common. Nonetheless, not all grunge songs dealt with such themes: Nirvana's satirical "In Bloom" is a notable example of more humorous writing. In fact, several grunge songs are filled with either a dark or fun sense of humor as well (for example, Mudhoney's "Touch Me I'm Sick" or Tad's "Stumblin' Man"), though this often went unnoticed by the general public. Humor in grunge often satirized glam metal (for example, Soundgarden's "Big Dumb Sex") and other forms of rock music that were popular during the 1980s.[2]Grunge concerts were known for being straightforward, high-energy performances. Grunge bands avoided the complex, high budget presentations that bands from other musical genres such as heavy metal were known for; complex light arrays, pyrotechnics, and other visual effects unrelated to playing the music were not part of the concerts. Stage acting was also generally avoided. Instead, the bands presented themselves no differently from any local band, using only their instruments and their own presence as visual "effects" (neither being budgeted higher than what was needed). However the concerts did have some level of interactivity. Fans and musicians alike would participate in stage diving, crowd surfing, headbanging, and pogoing, though the audiences at grunge concerts were best known for their extremely enthusiastic moshing. The mosh pits would be located close to the stage, allowing such interaction between the audience and the band...
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