Grunge emerged from the Pacific Northwest as a loud, distorted marriage of punk rock and heavy metal. It reflected the socio-economic realities of life in that corner of the country - joblessness, broken homes, gray weather - offering noisy catharsis for a generation of post-baby-boomers who felt trapped in their lives. Grunge dominated rock during much of the Nineties, thanks to the overwhelming success of such Seattle-bred bands as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains and Soundgarden. The origins of the Seattle scene date back to the appearance of Subterranean Pop and the Seattle Rocket - music papers that covered ...