Mad Season - Above
The grunge hype was beginning to fade in the mid-nineties, paralyzed by the flood of bandwagon-hoppers that could never meet the emotional intensity and musical talent of those that kickstarted it. It was then when some of its most highly regarded protagonists - Alice In Chains Layne Staley, Pearl Jams Mike McCready, Screaming Trees Barrett Martin and The Walkabouts John Baker Saunders, Jr - joined forces to create a late masterpiece of the genre. They called their band Mad Season and their sole album Above. With McCready and Saunders meeting in rehab and all members having their fair share of substance abuse issues, these jam sessions worked simultaneously as therapy sessions although unfortunately not with long term success for all of them. Each members different styles and strengths blended together greatly, culminating in an album that was in parts bleak and in others triumphant. Its a great example of how musically diverse the grunge greats actually were.
