VERSUS: Superunknown vs. Dirt

Welcome to Versus. The series where we look at two albums in metal history, compare them, and see which one was the better record.

In this edition of Versus, we'll look back at the other two big bands of the "Big 4 of Grunge". And as a pacific northwest resident myself, I prefer these bands over the other big four bands of grunge. In my opinion, these bands are WAY better than Pearl Jam and Nirvana and I will die on the hill and face the wrath of all of the music critics and fans of the scene. One band, would create an album that was not only their biggest selling album, but would become a cornerstone in the grunge and alternative sound, as well as the impressive vocal range of its lead singer. The other, taking a more darker and ominous infusion of metal into grunge. With darker subject matter, haunting vocals and heavier riffs, they were considered the black sheep or a band on the outskirts of the popularity of the Seattle sound. Grab your flannel and drink your Starbucks in a matchup I'm calling "The Metal Side of Grunge".

In this corner, we have Soundgarden, with the band's fourth album Superunknown. Though starting to become a rising name in the Seattle scene, along with the popularity of the band's previous album Badmotorfinger, this album would be the commercial breakthrough and the band's biggest selling album. Matching its dark lyrical themes and a heavier, somewhat progressive sound on the record, it would show the band at their heaviest. Let's dive into the album and see how much of a legacy this album left in not only the grunge scene, but in metal.

Album opener "Let Me Drown" opens with a wailing, bend-heavy grunge riff. Drummer Matt Cameron's snare hits hard in the mix, punching through the rising riff of Kim Thayll's lead guitar, packing a whollop beneath vocalist and guitarist Chris Cornell's somber and then anguishing screams. The bounce of the riff into the halfway mark instantly makes me picture a ton of people in the crowd bouncing along at Lollapalooza. Ben Shepherd's bass rings through the cymbal and drum fills by Cameron on the bridge leading into a Thayll guitar solo. Punchy, high octane and really good opening track. "My Wave" continues that groovy, bounce feel with the in-the-pocket drumming and guitar combo. I was instantly air drumming along with Cameron's drums throughout the song that matched the vocal cadence of Cornell throughout the entire five minute runtime. I also like the funky bass effect on Shepherd's bass around the halfway mark of the song as well.

Next was the last single released off the album with "Fell on Black Days". With a somber, very grunge/alternative sounding opening guitar, the song instantly has a melancholic feel and attitude. Cornell's vocals are sorrowful and reflective, interspersed with his high vocal shouting through the jangly guitars and pulsing drum and bass of the song. The band gels so well together and toes the line between hard rock and grunge with the song. I love the closing of the song where Cornell belts to the rafters with every line of the chorus before ending on a somber vocal delivery. On "Mailman", we get a very sludgy, Sabbath-era sounding opening riff as Cornell comes in on the verses. His high notes over the doom and gloom feel of the guitar is a great contrast, just as the riff begins to rise in tempo a bit going into the chorus. The sound of the guitars gives it that feeling of hopelessness, while also adding a groove and almost earworm-catchiness to it. The album's title track has a picked up pace, with guitars that instantly fit the "college rock" cliché in its sound. Cornell has such a powerful voice. His delivery of the song's title in the chorus and his layered vocals just have so much power behind him. Truly making him one of the most versatile and commanding voices in hard rock and heavy metal. An acoustic, almost banjo sounding guitar at certain points, opens "Head Down". A more tamed, stripped down track compared to what we've heard so far on the album. I am actually not a big fan of the track. Cornell's vocals are on the verge of being buried by the loudness of the guitars and drums. It seems like the song is just kind of one-note until the closing moments.

Up next is probably the most well-known song from the band, along with an iconic music video, for the song "Black Hole Sun". With that recognizable opening guitar section and background guitar behind, the drums hit strong as the song and dreamy guitars kick in beneath the vocals as the song gets going. The catchiness of the chorus with Cameron's snare strikes just sound so good. The bass ringing beneath the dreamy guitars and wailing vocals, almost create a feeling of unease before heading into the chorus. With the guitar solo and drums building the chaos-matching intensity of the music video, the song teases a change before returning the somber and subtle clean vocals of Cornell before his amplified vocals kick in on the bridge. Truly, one of the best songs of the 90's.

"Spoonman" opens with drum fills and an acoustic/electric guitar combo. The drums and vocals create a swaying effect in my speakers as you listen, which is a nice production and musical choice. Differing from the groove, and the addition of actual spoons being played on the track, it has elements of hard rock and metal with the edgy, gritty grunge production of the 90's. A great solo section with Thayll wailing and shredding, into Cameron's drum solo. With even a spoon solo by Artis The Spoonman, who was the inspiration for the track, adding to the solo and groove of Cameron's playing. Haunting, foreboding guitars opens "Limo Wreck". Returning back to that Sabbath-like blues sound from "Mailman", but the pacing is a bit faster. Cornell is the dominant force of the song, with the band hanging back on the verses section. Before they start to rise from the depths heading into the chorus. Definitely a headbanging like track, especially in the chorus and coming out of the guitar solo with the drums.

A slide-guitar like guitar sound and guitar strumming opens "The Day I Tried To Live". Shepherd and Cameron lead the charge with their towering rhythm section as the guitars and vocals join in. A catchy chorus with Cornell's backing vocals cranking up his intensity in the chorus. Definitely has a radio-single feel to it in the pacing, song structure and overall playing of the song. Good song and a truly underrated Soundgarden song. A very punk/alternative sounding drum and guitar opens "Kickstand". Definitely the most grunge sounding song off the album. Checking the boxes of grunge at the time. Gritty production, loud drums, rough mix guitars and aggressive vocals. Along with a short run time, with this song being the shortest song on the album. "Fresh Tendrils" has an almost call-and-response sound in the opening guitars. Then, the drums join in with Shepherd's high bass playing ringing through the drums and guitars. An instant headbobbing track as I bobbed along with Cameron's drumming, even air-drumming at certain parts. I still get goosebumps whenever Cornell hits that high vocal scream/shout he does and he does it very well on this track near the three quarters mark. "4th of July" opens with a very sludgy, doom heavy riff you would hear off a Melvins or Crowbar album. Cornell's vocals seem haunting in his style of singing, accompanied with the dark and dreary music behind him. When the band joins in, it just HITS like a freight train. It is just a heavy, brooding and hopeless sounding song. Almost matching the energy of Alice in Chains in its lyrical and musical approach. On "Half", we get some Middle-Eastern influences in the opening. With sitar-like guitar and percussion, along with vocals, the song is a unique take and out of left-field for the album, but is a nice interlude before heading into the album closer "Like Suicide". With opening drums and percussion, Shepherd's bass brings that extra depth to the track. Filling the space of the mix before the guitars join in. An atmospheric track, with haunting lyrics that seems eerie knowing what would happen to Cornell later in his life. Midtempo in it's pacing and very drum heavy, the song kicks it up a notch after the halfway mark. Coming to a dramatic and demanding close to one of the most celebrated records of the 1990's.

Their opponents are Alice in Chains with the band's second album Dirt, released in 1992. With a sound leaning more towards heavy metal than grunge, the band took their ideas from their debut album Facelift and amped up the emotional weight of the album's lyrical subjects. Also taking inspiration from sludge metal and doom metal, the album sounded heavier. With more aggressive guitar tone and the play style. The album would be the band's highest selling album and would feature a lot of the band's biggest hits. How does this dark dive into the hopelessness of the band hold up against their opponents today?

The album opens with "Them Bones". Opening with vocalist Layne Staley's ah's over a chuggy, palm muted riff by guitarist Jerry Cantrell. With his vocal harmonies with Staley matching almost in perfect harmony in the mix. The gritty and dirty sounding tone of the guitar adds heft to the weight of the track. Sean Kinney's drumming is low in the mix, but keeps the pulse of the track going throughout the ominous vocals and tempo-hopping of the guitars. The song flies by in it's pacing. Next is "Dam That River", with a bluesy opening riff and wailing lead guitar by Cantrell. Mike Starr's bass adds a nice bottom end and thump to the drumming. Staley is more aggressive in his vocal delivery, adding more gusto in the song's title during the chorus. Cantrell delivers a strong guitar solo, with a nice rhythm section beneath it, as it segues back into the chorus. "Rain When I Die" opens with the heavy gurgle of Starr's bass and an almost funeral dirge pacing in the opening. A dark, eerie and murky opening until Staley's haunting vocals join the party after the minute mark. The mood of the song is just so dark and depressing, which is Alice in Chains in a nutshell, and a sound that they perfected on this album. The song intensifies and gets an almost groove metal flurry around the four minute mark before returning to the sludgy sound of the song.

"Down in A Hole" opens with a somber mix of acoustic guitars into electric guitars and building drums. A beautiful vocal harmony amongst the guitars and drums is a great mix, and fills the space of the production. Vocals are a little further back in the mix, letting the band be more front and center. Combining a nice mix of aggressive drums, light distorted guitars and continuing the easing acoustic guitars. I like Starr's bass adding that downtrodden feel beneath the guitars. Emphasizing that feeling of dread and regret with the guitar playing. Matching the dark lyrical content, dealing with death and the feeling of hopelessness and morbid acceptance. "Sickman" opens with a nice opening drum fill by Kinney into an almost classic heavy metal riff. Staley delivers his aggressive vocals, into a high scream as the song slams on the brakes right before the minute mark. A unique track with all over the place pacing and speed up/slow down moments amidst vocal cries and percussion from Kinney.

"Rooster" opens with that legendary guitar strum and bass playing. With ominous reverb on the guitars, joined by the vocals, the song instantly creates a feeling of loss and facing personal issues dealing with post-Vietnam War influenced P.T.S.D . When the song picks up around the two and a half minute mark, the song just adds a distorted tinge of anger and hostility amongst the darkened and emotional lyrics of the song. The "oh yeah's" Staley delivers still gives me goosebumps every time I hear it. A six minute journey of sadness, anxiety, and unease creates an iconic track from the 90's and potentially the band's best song. With "Junkhead". we get a very midtempo heavy metal-esque opening guitar and drum strikes. The band channels Sabbath in its doom-heavy guitar and pacing, with Staley singing his heart out about the passion to chase the high in his lyrics. I like the almost synth/guitar solo effect around the three minute mark. A unique sound that somewhat fits the track and the up-tempo drumming of Kinney. The album's title track does seem to be, to me, the weakest song on the album so far. It does have that Alice in Chains vocal harmony and doom-heavy guitar, but it just doesn't seem to have the same power as the previous songs on the album. The opening of "God Smack" shows Staley almost doing an exaggerated version of his vocal cadence in the opening verse section. The chorus does have an interesting guitar sound leaning heavy on the wah-pedal. Drums are up-tempo, adding to the wah-heavy guitars. Mixing up the formula of a lot of the dreariness of the band's sound. "Hate To Feel" returns to the slower tempo, doom-metal influenced guitar sound in the opening section. I like the drum and guitar playing on the verses, leaning into a heavier sound on the guitars. Kinney shines with little flurries of drum fills and solos throughout the dirge-like pacing.

"Angry Chair" opens with a nice drum intro, with haunting and ominous guitars and bass. The vocals are drenched in delay, echo and reverb. Creating that ghostly effect in Staley's voice. As the guitar bends and drum strikes match the vocals, the song gets some edge during that section before returning to the doom-esque sound of the verses. The pace picks up around the minute forty mark, with more upbeat and up-tempo guitar and drums. Almost giving the listener a taste of hope, before the bending guitars and drums drag you back down to the abyss that the band delivers on Dirt. The album closes with my favorite track of all time from the band "Would?". That opening bass line by Starr, mixed with the vocals and pounding cannon-like drum strikes, just sets a heavy and ominous tone for the closing track of the album. Vocal harmonies on the track are top notch, filled with echo and reverb heading into the chorus. Staley belts his heart out in the vocals as the band matches that building intensity as Staley's vocals become louder and more high intensity. Cantrell delivers a nice, emotional guitar solo while the bass and drums keep the pacing heading back into the chorus. On the bridge, Kinney flies over the kit with the guitars matching him with Staley belting out his vocals as this dreary and dark album comes to a close.

After listening to both of these classic 90's albums, which album stands triumphant as the winner of this matchup? In my opinion, in a close battle, I would pick Alice in Chains' Dirt as the winner. With Dirt, you had heavier elements and the brooding, dark, depressing sound that did fit the pacific northwest region. Soundgarden's Superunknown was also a really strong record, and I do prefer Cornell's voice over Staley, but it came down to when the record ended, which one would I hit repeat. Dirt was just a stronger record in my opinion and had more memorable songs. Both records are true pinnacles of the band's legacies and are defining records from that timeframe in rock/metal.  

Soundgarden would continue to make music, though not reaching the same success from the popularity of Badmotorfinger and Superunknown. They would follow up Superunknown two years later with Down on The Upside in 1996. The band would break up following the touring cycle for the album. During the hiatus, Cornell would join the supergroup Audioslave, featuring members of Rage Against The Machine, and release three albums with the band. Soundgarden would reunite in 2010 and release one more album in 2012 with King Animal. This would be the final studio album for Soundgarden, as Cornell would tragically take his own life in 2017 with the band not continuing on following his death.

Alice in Chains would follow up Dirt with their self-titled third album, now joined by new bassist Mike Inez in 1995. The band would also appear and record an MTV Unplugged performance in 1996 before the band would go on hiatus. Tragically, Staley would die from a drug overdose in 2002. In 2005, Alice in Chains would reunite, with new vocalist and guitarist William DuVall, and would release their first album in fourteen years with Black Gives Way To Blue. The band would continue to make music with DuVall and are currently on hiatus while the other members of the band are pursue side projects.  

Do you agree with my decision? Who do you think should have won? Cast your vote on the poll below, leave your comments on our social media, and your suggestions who you think should step in the ring next. I’m Justin, your friendly neighborhood metalhead, for This Day in Metal and this has been Versus.

VERSUS: Superunknown vs. Dirt - Online Poll - StrawPoll

What’s your opinion? Vote now: Superunknown, Dirt…

StrawPoll