Unlucky for Some: The 13 most underrated albums in alternative rock
Since it emerged from the underground in the 1980s, alternative rock has been one of the most consistent genres. From the early days of Hüsker Dü and Sonic Youth to more contemporary outfits such as Drug Church and Nothing, it’s a genre that has delivered an extensive list of highlights. With the current interest in all things Generation X so prominent, this has breathed new life into the genre, with outfits ranging from Teenage Wrist to Narrow Head and even Beabadoobee reaping the rewards.
Famed for crunchy guitars, quiet-loud-quiet dynamics, and big riffs, alternative rock is much more than these easy-to-spot signifiers. Aside from dance and electronic, it is the genre with the most variety on display. If it wasn’t already evident from the brief acknowledgement of the aforementioned groups, it’s a landscape that encompasses all terrains. From the punishing to the airy, a host of very different acts come under its umbrella whilst also being defined by other tags. Such is the beauty of the genre; it’s so multifaceted that there’s something for everyone.
Due to the sheer volume on offer and the cultural significance of its most influential acts, alternative rock has seen many incredible artists overlooked. Whilst most of these are revered, they do not get the plaudits they deserve in the mainstream. This is true from ’90s bands to more contemporary ones.
Duly, we’ve taken it upon ourselves to list the 13 most underrated albums in alternative rock. Whether they be groundbreaking cuts that influenced many or offerings from lesser-known cult bands, there’s a wealth of talent here. This is not a definitive list. Instead, it’s written to highlight a collection of classics that are too good to be forgotten and exhibit the variety inherent to alt-rock.
The 13 most underrated albums in alternative rock:
Swervedriver – Raise (1991)
There is nowhere better to start than with Oxford heroes Swerverdriver. Arguably the finest guitar band of their generation, the relentless dovetailing by frontman/guitarist Adam Franklin and Jimmy Hartridge has never disappointed across their six records. However, whilst Swervedriver are undoubtedly highly respected, their exploits are nowhere near as popular as they should be.
Their sophomore album, 1993’s Mezcal Head, is often talked about as their masterpiece, but perhaps Raise is even stronger. Although Mezcal Head is a stellar album on all fronts, nothing beats the raw power of their debut. Opening with the thunderous ‘Sci-Flyer’, the consistency is remarkable. Comprised of blistering cuts such as ‘Son of Mustang Ford’ – a guitar-playing masterclass – as well as other more expansive pieces such as ‘Sunset’ and ‘Rave Down’, this album can and has been played hundreds of times and never gets old. For those yet to explore the world of Swervedriver, be prepared for your life to change.
Ned’s Atomic Dustbin – God Fodder (1991)
1991 was the year of alternative rock. Due to the eye-watering successes of the grunge scene, with Nirvana’s Nevermind leading the charge and the likes of Soundgarden’s Badmotorfinger and Pearl Jam’s Ten right behind it, a host of other hit albums from the time now get overlooked. This state is partially due to the extensive mythos of grunge.
One of these records was God Fodder, the debut album from Stourbridge heroes Ned’s Atomic Dustbin. A fusion of grebo, shoegaze, noise and dance, this was the first time many had heard the dynamic groove of the quartet’s dual bassists, Alex Griffin and Matt Cheslin. Comprised of catchy yet fierce pieces such as ‘Kill Your Television’, ‘Grey Cell Green’, ‘Until You Find Out’, and many others, to this day, no one sounds like the Ned’s.
This is their most substantial offering. Frontman Jonn Penney’s sharp West Midlands humour courses through it, as do the earworms of guitarist Gareth ‘Rat’ Pring, who keeps the listener emotionally invested. A kaleidoscopic record, it’s so much fun.
Catherine Wheel – Chrome (1993)
Norfolk’s Catherine Wheel enjoyed much success in their decade of life between 1990 and 2000. Ostensibly an alternative rock group, they blended shoegaze textures with a hard rock and metal sensibility. Their 1992 debut Ferment, is deemed by many to be their finest, mainly due to its heavily shoegaze-leaning sound. However, the following year’s successor, Chrome, is their masterwork and yet another confusingly overlooked record.
Watertight and faultlessly produced, Chrome sees the band toe the line between their heavier influences and the heady form of guitar music they perfected on Ferment. Whether it be the pulsating groove of ‘Kill Rhythm’, the dream-like textures of ‘Fripp’ and ‘The Nude’ or the enticing atmosphere of ‘Crank’, Chrome never gets old.
The God Machine – Scenes from the Second Storey (1993)
The God Machine make a solid claim to being the most underrated outfit of the 1990s. Their career held immense promise before being shattered by the sudden and tragic death of bassist Jimmy Fernandez in 1994. Despite this traumatic end, though, their small discography remains outstanding. Their combination of grunge, alternative metal and industrial is utterly refreshing.
Whilst the band’s second and final album, 1994’s One Last Laugh in a Place of Dying, is often spoken about as their most accomplished, their debut album, 1993’s, Scenes from the Second Storey, has to take the top spot. Remarkably heavy at points, the San Diego trio’s debut did things way ahead of its time. Although the unrelenting masses of air, ‘Home’, ‘She Said’, and ‘Ego’ are the most championed, the penultimate track, ‘Purity’, is the crowning glory.
The piece opens with a lengthy and emotive orchestral score that strikes right at the heart before the band eventually fade in with the affecting climax. Largely courtesy of frontman Robin Proper-Sheppard, the songwriting here is second to none. It served as an early signifier of the refinement he was to produce in his post-God Machine outfit, Sophia.
Failure – Magnified (1994)
Failure are one of the most coveted bands from the 1990s and alt-rock in general. A true cult act, still going strong today, the trio is vocalists/ guitarists Ken Andrews and Greg Edwards and drummer Kellii Scott. One of the most consistent outfits of their era, they have six albums to date. Their third effort, 1996’s Fantastic Planet, is widely deemed their best, thanks to cuts such as ‘Stuck on You’ and the influential ‘Heliotropic’.
However, this means their sophomore album, Magnified, is often overlooked. Grittier than its successor and no way near as extensive, the highlights of the album rank among Failure’s most glittering. Whether it be the creeping ‘Frogs’, the heady earworm ‘Undone’, or the space-metal of ‘Wet Gravity’, the album made good on the dark side of the ubiquitous grunge sound by instilling it with genuine innovation. No other outfit played with composition and dynamics like Failure; for that reason, it is a must-listen.
Archers of Loaf – White Trash Heroes (1998)
Archers of Loaf are another group that is largely unexplored outside of their realm. This is strange, as there’s much to dig into, with their creative arc admirable. Many of their fans would certainly choose their second album, 1995’s Vee Vee, as their ultimate offering, but looking at it objectively, it is their fourth album, 1998’s White Trash Heroes, that is the most accomplished.
Ostensibly an indie rock album, there are still many noticeable hallmarks of the alternative that made the group so revered. The album was a marvellous way for the group to bow out before their 13-year hiatus, with frontman and creative director Eric Bachmann taking the quality of his operations up a few levels. Intense and cerebral at points, the layered title track might be the finest point in their career. Elsewhere, the likes of ‘Dead Red Eyes’ and ‘Fashion Bleeds’ are highlights. Check out the bassline on the former; it slaps.
My Vitriol – Finelines (2001)
There was no way that My Vitriol’s debut wouldn’t make it onto the list. It’s a prime example of an album being revered by a select few but unjustly overlooked in wider culture. A majorly influential record, it drew on the works of 1990s heavyweights such as The Smashing Pumpkins, My Bloody Valentine and Placebo while also doing something completely different, helping to expand the genre without alienating.
Brimming with equal measures of atmosphere and attitude, there’s a natural substance about Finelines that makes it listenable in any mood, from the angry to the glum. Stand-out cuts include ‘Always: Your Way’, ‘The Gentle Art of Choking’ and ‘Losing Touch’, and ensure that the album remains fresh. It continues to inspire many.
Sonic Youth – Sonic Nurse (2004)
It might be a surprise to find Sonic Youth on here because of their importance to the proliferation of alternative rock. However, due to their oeuvre being so extensive and the highlights being so revered, they have a handful of greatly overlooked albums, including 1998’s A Thousand Leaves and 2006’s Rather Ripped.
The best of these forgotten gems has to be 2004’s Sonic Nurse. An alternative rock masterpiece, it is greatly confusing that this offering is so underrated. Receiving acclaim when released almost 20 years ago, it is brimming with highlights. ‘Unmade Bed’ and ‘Kim Gordon and the Arthur Doyle Hand Cream’ are noteworthy, with the latter harking back to the heavy lo-fi of their early years. However, the best cut at the midway point, ‘Stones’. A slow-burner with a palpable atmosphere, it also features one of Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo’s best guitar performances. The main riff is just exquisite.
Wavves – Afraid of Heights (2013)
Another somewhat surprising entry, no doubt. Whilst Wavves are another group still going strong, with Nathan Williams’ songwriting formula potent, Afraid of Heights takes the title as his best record, even though it was released nearly ten years ago. Drawing on grunge, pop-punk and other forms of guitar music, with flecks of Williams’ electronic side-project thrown in for good measure, Wavves’ fourth outing is a modern masterpiece.
Supporting this point, Afraid of Heights is comprised of only classics. Aptly opening with ‘Sail to the Sun’, other highlights include ‘Lunge Forward’, ‘Gimme a Knife’, ‘That’s On Me’, and the timeless single ‘Demon to Lean On’. The latter is heavily indebted to grunge, with the loud-quiet-loud dynamic utilised with verve. Play it loud.
Violent Soho – Waco (2016)
Although they are now on hiatus, Brisbane, Australia’s Violent Soho racked up an impressive CV in their time, with five acclaimed albums to their name and a host of stellar supporting slots, including one for Arctic Monkeys in early 2012. A wholly revered alternative rock act, who have a sound that is alternative rock and grunge at its most unadulterated, the amount of anthems the group created is astonishing.
Their 2016 offering, Waco, is undoubtedly their masterpiece. Although the album was acclaimed when released, and the band had a large following in their native Australia, Waco and the band are criminally overlooked in the mainstream. Utilising quiet-loud-quiet dynamics in the best way possible, blending them with frontman Luke Boerdam’s catchy vocal melodies and an overall penchant for a killer guitar riff, whilst simple, the band’s formula is emphatic. Waco is the pinnacle of their efforts.
Drug Church – Cheer (2018)
Although Albany, New York posse, Drug Church are widely regarded as solely a post-hardcore band, they are not. Their oeuvre encompasses many fields, from post-punk to grunge and even straight-up hardcore. A coveted act by those in the know, with them a side project for frontman Patrick Kindlon of the equally respected Self Defense Family, the group has four albums to date.
Although 2022’s Hygiene is a moment of note, it is their third offering, 2018’s Cheer, which is most deserving of a spot on the list. It’s a record which is indispensable to those who already own it or have it saved in their libraries. There is much to love about it, making it criminal that it is so overlooked within the broader alt scene and guitar world. Although it is successful by any measure, with ‘Weed Pin’ having over 4.5 million hits on Spotify, it had the potential to be much bigger.
The album is catchy, punchy, and teeming with riffs that shake the core, with the chorus riff from ‘Weed Pin’ being an excellent reflection of its power. Additionally, Kindlon’s vocals and lyrics are fantastic across the record. The opening line of ‘Unlicensed Hall Monitor’: “Here’s a guy with a search history darker than a sea trench / Telling you how to live,” is genius.
Teenage Wrist – Chrome Neon Jesus (2018)
Los Angeles outfit Teenage Wrist are one of the groups at the forefront of the latest set of stellar alternative rock acts. Presently a duo comprised of frontman and guitarist Marshall Gallagher and drummer Anthony Salazar, the band used to include Kamtin Mohager of The Chain Gang of 1974 fame and Chase Barham. Whilst their second album, and the first of the post-Mohager period, Earth Is a Black Hole, saw the duo enjoy more acclaim than ever before, it is their 2018 debut that deserves the most plaudits.
Another modern alt-rock masterpiece, it is brimming with earworms that draw heavily on Nirvana et al. and the shoegaze-leaning outfits of the 1990s, such as Catherine Wheel and Drop Nineteens. Whether it be the opening title track, heady single ‘Stoned, Alone’, or the album’s highlight, closing track ‘Waitress’, Chrome Neon Jesus entrances you instantly.
Hum – Inlet (2020)
Inlet is a perfect place to end the list. Admittedly, it was a toss-up between Hum’s 1998 album Downward Is Heavenward and their most recent offering, but it had to be the latter. I recently spoke to a friend who is also a lifelong fan of the Champaign, Illinois, heroes. He admitted that he had yet to delve into Inlet, as he was scared it would tarnish Hum’s standing, as so many comeback albums do. After all, there had been 22 years between their Downward Is Heavenward and the latest offering.
I eagerly suggested that he give it a go because, in my mind, it is the album that Hum had always been heading towards. Their most refined offering by a country mile, not only are the guitars more vibrant than ever, but the band finally assembled the mystical aural universe they had always teased. Nothing in existence sounds like Inlet, with it the most impressive intersection of alt-rock and shoegaze.
Between the bending opener ‘Waves’ and the heartbreaking final cut ‘Shapeshifter’, Hum shine. There’s also something incredibly bittersweet about Inlet being the final record the band made with drummer Bryan St. Pere before his sudden and unexpected passing in June 2021.
It’s safe to say my friend had Inlet on repeat all week after our chat. It’s as close to perfect as alternative rock is likely to get. It’s a best-kept secret.
