The influence of Metal on the genre is what gave those “grunge” bands those chops and musicianship that typical punk rock didn’t have. Funny enough, the most “punkish” of the big four grunge bands, was Nirvana. And they were noted for not being the best of musicians, and playing a more simplistic “shoegazy” style of music. While the more metal leaning grunge band like Alice N Chains, we’re known for their chops and musicianship and sugary harmonies between lead singer Layne Staley and lead guitarist Jerry Cantrell. Cantrell had the complex and stylistic metal licks. Same with Soundgarden lead guitarist Kim Thayill. That “soul” in Grunge came from the metal/hard rock influence over the genre. While the “attitude” aesthetic and the DIY “scene” it rose from was very punk influenced. Green River, The Melvins, Mother Love Bone, many of the “Big 4” grunge bands had previous membership in some of those aforementioned bands in that very small very close knit “punkish” Seattle scene. And then you had national bands that influenced that scene or grew around that same time period, bands like the pixies, dinosaur jr, etc. The scene was very punkish, but a lot of these guys musicianship and soul came from Metal. It varied from band to band. The harmonies and soul in this track defers greatly from anything remotely “punkish”:
