Beyond Nirvana: 10 essential under-the-radar grunge records from the Seattle era

Blood Circus
Primal Rock Therapy
(Sub Pop, 1988)

Listen / Buy

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Seattle’s changed. Pre-Microsoft, pre-Amazon, the North West meant workers with actual sweat patches. Blood Circus weren’t living off student loans, parental indulgence or barista work like a lot of bands at that time — these guys had manual skills, got their hands dirty all day, then got up on stage to make some righteous noise at nights. Blood Circus were the first post-Soundgarden bet Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman made on Seattle music having a future — pioneers of the breakthrough sound that would come soon after to bands who kicked off by opening for Blood Circus.

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