Many will know these artists as being the icons of 90s grunge. When grunge broke into the mainstream in 1991, the genre dominated the alternative music world for the next five years. During this time, some members of leading grunge acts created side projects. These three side projects may have been forgotten after 30 years.

The Jury

Before Nirvana broke into the mainstream, Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic created a forgotten side project with Mark Lanegan and Mark Pickerel of the Screaming Trees. Both Nirvana and Screaming Trees were part of the Pacific Northwest grunge scene in the late 80s and early 90s. Cobain and Lanegan shared a love for Lead Belly, an American folk and blues musician from the early 20th century. They created the acoustic-driven project The Jury, in contrast to the heavy sounds of their respective bands. Originally, Cobain wanted to name the band Lithium, a name he later used for a track on Nevermind in 1991.

The Jury recorded four songs in August 1989 with producer and engineer Jack Endino. They recorded four covers of Lead Belly songs, including “Where Did You Sleep Last Night?” This version later appeared on Mark Lanegan’s 1990 solo album The Winding Sheet. Nirvana recorded their own live version on MTV Unplugged in 1993.

M.A.C.C.

One of the most notorious side projects of 90s grunge is Temple Of The Dog. In 1990, members of Soundgarden and future members of Pearl Jam released a tribute album for their friend and grunge pioneer Andrew Wood. These same members, excluding Eddie Vedder and Stone Gossard, came together for another side project. In 1993, Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready and bassist Jeff Ament teamed up with Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell and drummer Matt Cameron. Together, they recorded a cover of “Hey Baby (Land Of The New Rising Sun)” for the tribute album Stone Free: A Tribute To Jimi Hendrix. It was the only song recorded and released by this group.

Brad

In 1992, Pearl Jam rhythm guitarist Stone Gossard formed a side project with Regan Hagar. Hagar was a member of the band Satchel. He had previously played drums in Malfunkshun, a pioneering grunge band that featured Andrew Wood, whose death inspired the creation of Temple Of The Dog. Gossard, Hagar, and vocalist Shawn Smith of Satchel released two albums in the 90s and four in the 21st century. The core of the group has been Gossard and Hagar, though vocalist Shawn Smith performed with the group until his death in 2019.

Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage

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A new police probe into the death of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain may uphold doubts on his suicide ruling.

The NY Post reports that sources connected to the investigation indicated that Seattle’s Office of Police Accountability has gotten involved. The department is looking into the claims against former Chief Shon Barnes.

According to the allegations, Barnes “acknowledged evidence collected” at the scene of Cobain’s death was “contradictory” to details of the original police report. In 2025, Barnes had a sit-down with private investigators. He allegedly told them that no blood was found on the hand that Cobain supposedly shot himself with. This was considered a crucial piece of information in police’s suicide determination.

Police ruled Kurt Cobain’s death a suicide shortly after he died in April 1994

Kurt Cobain died on April 5, 1994. Police investigators ultimately ruled his death a suicide. Over the years, theories have purported that Cobain did not kill himself and that there was, in fact, evidence to the contrary.

In early 2026, a group of independent researchers announced that they’d found enough evidence to support the notion that Cobain’s death was a homicide. This “unofficial private sector team of forensic scientists” included independent researcher Michelle Wilkins and investigative specialist Brian Burnett.

“This is a homicide,” Burnett told journalists at the time. “We’ve got to do something about this.” Watkins went on to explain some of the evidence they found. “There are things in the autopsy that go, well, wait, this person didn’t die very quickly of a gunshot blast,” she stated. “The necrosis of the brain and liver happens in an overdose. It doesn’t happen in a shotgun death.”

Until now, Seattle city officials have remained steadfast in upholding Kurt Cobain’s suicide ruling

In response to the original report, the Medical Examiner’s Office spokesperson offered a statement. “King County Medical Examiner’s Office worked with the local law enforcement agency, conducted a full autopsy, and followed all of its procedures in coming to the determination of the manner of death as a suicide,” they stated.

“Our office is always open to revisiting its conclusions if new evidence comes to light,” they continued. “But we’ve seen nothing to date that would warrant re-opening of this case and our previous determination of death.”

A Seattle Police Department spokesperson also issued a statement. “Our detective concluded that he died by suicide,” they stated. “And this continues to be the position held by this department.”

Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic, Inc

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Grunge of the 90s swung wildly between straightforward songs and abstract surrealism. Meaning, there was a healthy mix of songs that said what they meant and songs that seemingly meant nothing. The latter are some of the most fun to dig through, honestly. Here are three grunge tracks that are difficult to explain no matter how many times we listen.

“Bugs” by Pearl Jam

Pearl Jam released their third album, Vitalogy, in 1994, which included the absurd and, quite frankly, ahead of its time, track “Bugs”. This song is unlike anything Pearl Jam had done before. It features Eddie Vedder playing a discordant accordion accompaniment to his monotone vocals and stream-of-consciousness lyrics about bugs.

It’s certainly Tom Waits-ian in its lyrical abstractness. But there’s also something purely contemporary about “Bugs” attributed to its purposeful ugliness. It sounds exactly like something a 24-year-old experimental alt-rocker from Brooklyn would record in their bedroom and post on Bandcamp. It’s a masterpiece of Gen Z absurdity made by Pearl Jam in 1994. Essentially, “Bugs” defies logic and bridges generations.

“Love Song” by Alice in Chains

In a similar vein to Pearl Jam’s deviation from grunge, Alice in Chains added the hidden track “Love Song” to their 1992 EP Sap. This was more than just a deviation from the norm, however. Alice in Chains took grunge and fully exploded it into an orgy of Captain Beefheart-like noise. The lyrics are completely nonsensical, including 80s actress Rae Dawn Chong’s name as a repeated line.

To further mix things up, the members of Alice in Chains all traded instruments while recording. Vocalist became drummer, bassist and guitarist switched, and drummer banged away on piano. Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell still split the vocals, but drummer Sean Kinney also took a turn on the megaphone. The result is a perfect storm of menacing chaos and inspired experimentation that makes absolutely no sense.

“Wood Goblins” by TAD

Seattle band TAD was an early grunge pioneer in the late 80s, when heavy influences still reigned. Their 1990 album Salt Lick included the track “Wood Goblins”, which spawned their first music video and subsequently their first MTV ban. Additionally, TAD was known for their short, nasty-sounding song titles like “Cyanide Bath” and “Glue Machine”, now a widespread naming convention for hardcore bands.

“Wood Goblins” is best experienced alongside its music video. Lyrically, there’s the possibility of an allusion to vices or addiction. But it’s not fully formed, so the abstract imagery takes center stage. For example, “Breathes hard and fast like some weird disease” is an amazingly absurd image that sticks in the mind. But beyond “Wood Goblins”, TAD is an essential early grunge band that deserves way more appreciation.

Photo by Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage

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