In Utero

Love In Utero. Heart Shaped Box, Rape Me, Dumb, Pennyroyal Tea, and All Apologies are all classics. Such a great collection of somber slow songs and fast noisy jams. Frances Farmer is such a gem of a song. Sad af lyrics. Really showed the headspace Cobain was in as he killed himself 6 months later. I think I'm dumb but Dumb might be my favorite Nirvana song. Some get a little too noisy for my taste (mostly Tourette's) but still love em. Something that I love about Nirvana is that they make some of the most accessible noise rock.

A classic, very much vibes.

Not an easy listen for the most part. Heart Shaped Box (that's about my...Courtney Love is rumored to have said) and All Apologies are familiar, but the rest feels like a noisy rebuke of Nevermind and the accompanying fame that tortured Kurt Cobain. Rape Me, with its Smells Like Teen Spirit Hooks, underlines the point.

The place governments need to stay the hell out of.

A lot of grunge and punk is nearly impossible to listen to for me. Nirvana manages to create a listening experience that is grating but somehow still enjoyable to listen to.

Top 10 albums of all time for me

Two songs in and you know that the band had no intention to just making another Nevermind with mass appeal. Ultimately, you still get a few radio friendly songs and hits in their own right but you can tell that this is the band not compromising and putting out what they wanted. There is no telling where the band would have went from here but listening to this classic further highlight the tragedy of Kurt’s loss.

not millennial enough to truly enjoy this imo

Man, absolutely could not stand this, even worse than nevermind. I genuinely really wish I appreciated this band more but this has taught me that I do not and cannot.

Ever heard of this little unknown gem?

High energy on each track, but sometimes the screaming and screeching got very obnoxious quickly. I can appreciate the lyricism for its time, but personally, I don’t think their meanings have necessarily aged well over time.

Pretty damn good! Så mycket råare än Nevermind, båda är bra på sitt sätt. Känner ändå inte så hemskt starkt för den, kanske man måste lyssna på max volym på högtalare med vinyl? :p

7/10

7.8

Not many bands have an album as good as 1991s Nevermind. Even fewer bands write an even better follow up album. Despite Kurt doing his best to “ruin” some tracks with his vocal delivery (Tourette’s, scentless apprentice, radio friendly unit shifter) or deliberate anti-guitar solos (Milk It) this is an essential album that’s less polished than Nevermind by design. An attempt to recreate the raw sound of Bleach. As powerful now as when it was released 32 years ago. Heart shaped box might be the best grunge tune of them all.

Mr. Cobain is an angry man who uses some not very nice words.

I remember being super pumped for this to be released and then being a bit disappointed that it was not Nevermind 2. Not much has changed 30 years later.

In Utero There are a couple of songs on here, Scentless Apprentice, Very Ape, Milk It, Tourette’s that feel a touch too much like some of the worst aspects of early 90s Grunge, US alt rock, and if they were by Alice in Chains or some other uninspiring band I probably wouldn’t be as open towards them as I am. Whether it’s due to knowing they’re Nirvana songs or because Kurt is such a mesmeric writer and singer and the band are so great they don’t detract from the enjoyment of the album, they are good songs and in fact they actually kind of support the truly superb songs on the rest of the album, highlighting their desire to pull back from the polished sound of Nevermind, and in retrospect, indicating Kurt’s worsening state of mind at the time. Serve the Servants has a brilliant abrasive Glam metal guitar sound, kind of wiry and chunky simultaneously. Heart Shaped Box and Rape Me are obviously superb, perhaps the closest to the style of Nevermind, but with an additional heavy, caustic sharpness. The Cello on Dumb and All Apologies is really interesting, perhaps a nod to The Beatles, but it really provides a different shade of weight to the album that more cranked up guitars, drums and bass wouldn't be able to. Along with the superb Pennyroyal Tea these are probably my favourites from the Unplugged album, showing what excellent songs they are. I suppose it's hard to divorce this from what happened to Kurt 6 or 7 months after it was released, and there’s plenty of darkness and difficulty to it without that knowledge, but it’s the balance of heavy and lightness, with their brilliance as a band and Kurt as songwriter that makes this a super album, and in Heart Shaped Box, Rape Me, Dumb and All Apologies it has some of the best songs they ever recorded. Straightforward 5. 🚼🚼🚼🚼🚼 Playlist submission: All Apologies

The impossible follow up to Nevermind. From the opening track you know Nirvana aren't striving for studio perfection; in fact they want to go the other way. This isn't trying to be Nevermind II (but I love the nod to it in the opening line "teenage angst has paid off well"). The album, whilst not being exactly radio-friendly, is hook-laden. You therefore get the hardcore 'Scentless Apprentice', the vicious 'Milk It', and the primal scream of 'Tourette's', against the sublime melodies of 'Dumb' and 'All Apologies'. The superb triplet of 'Dumb', 'Pennyroyal Tea' (great bass) and 'All Apologies' are genuinely affecting without being sentimental. A tantalising glimpse of where he was taking the next album with Stipe, which surely is one of the music world's great losses.

It was good but I prefer Nevermind

Nirvana’s In Utero, released in 1993 as the follow-up to Nevermind, is a deliberately abrasive and harrowing record that strips away the polish of its predecessor in favor of Steve Albini’s raw, unvarnished production, leaving guitars snarling, drums booming, and Kurt Cobain’s voice teetering between scream and sob. The album is uglier in every way—musically, lyrically, and emotionally—yet within the noise lie flashes of uneasy beauty: “Heart-Shaped Box” with its familiar soft-loud dynamics, the understated melancholy of “Dumb,” and the weary resignation of “Pennyroyal Tea” and “All Apologies.” Elsewhere, songs like “Rape Me,” “Very Ape,” and “Radio Friendly Unit Shifter” bristle with irony and defiance, even when their rawness threatens to drown out Cobain’s songwriting. More than just a collection of songs, In Utero plays as the sound of a man unraveling under the crushing weight of fame and illness, a jagged and fascinating prelude to tragedy that remains as uncomfortable as it is essential.

I always knew I'd grown out of grunge when I was about 15. Hearing the so-called 'cerebral' Nirvana album, I am now totally sure of this.

wonderful, always

Rabbits are coprophagic. It means that the first time their food passes through their gut, since it’s primarily plant cellulose, the majority of digestion takes place in the caecum, after the point at which they can absorb any resulting nutrients. They then eat their own turds so that they can then get the maximum out of one meal. 

 Nirvana are also coprophagic. In Utero is Nevermind shat out and re-ingested. If you’ve never heard Nevermind before then it’s superb. But if you have then it’s the same old chords and same old song structures dumped, repackaged and sold on.

I have a lot of thoughts on this album. Everyone said that Nevermind was their "sellout" album after the masterpiece that was Bleach. To me, this seems like the sellout record after the masterpiece of Nevermind. None of the songs are remotely as good. I think Kurt Cobain and gang did this just to make the record company happy. You can tell it by the disgust in the lyrics for many of the songs. Heart Shaped Box was an obvious play for radio and MTV airplay, and All Apologies was Kurt's suicide note and is the best song on this album, hands down. I would have loved if they could have done one more album without the pressure of the record companies. On their own terms... but alas. RIP Kurt. 3.38 / 5 stars

Better than Nevermind

I have never liked Nirvana. And now, I know it's because of the screaming. The song I liked best was Heart Shaped Box. But overall, I hated it

I feel like Nirvana made music that they loved and tried really hard to make it sound good. What made their music listenable was their energy and authenticity. 2.2 outta 5

Nunca me gustó mucho Nirvana, pero tampoco me había tomado el tiempo para escuchar un álbum completo de ellos, solo temas sueltos. Algunos de los temas de este álbum me gustaron (varios ya los conocía). Mis problemas con este álbum pasan por varios aspectos: Por un lado la calidad de la grabación / mezcla del álbum. Entiendo que la filosofía del grunge de Nirvana tiene una raíz en el trash, en lo underground, y por ello el sonido que logran en el álbum para su estilo tiene sentido, pero no me gusta. Hay muchos desniveles entre los instrumentos que fluctúan a lo largo del álbum. La voz en general está muy baja de volumen y hay guitarras que por momentos se exceden. Por otro lado, algunos temas se sienten excesivamente largos para lo que ofrecen. En varias ocasiones repiten la estructura de estrofa / estribillo varias veces sin ofrecer nada nuevo al tema, por lo que tener temas de casi 5 minutos con esta lógica casi llega al borde de aburrir. Como aspectos positivos considero que me gusta que generan distintas atmósferas, no solo son temas agresivos, lo cual le da dinámica a la escucha. La voz de Kurt Cobain era muy buena para el estilo, aunque a mi no me guste mucho en particular, y los beats de batería de Dave Grohl son funcionales, pero llamativos y grooveros.

Шумний ґрандж, дуже подобаються тут пісні. Альбіні накрутив звук. Трохи в тіні попереднього, але й там більш хітовий матеріал

Ще зі школи це мій улюблений альбом у нірвани. Все про нього вже сказано-пересказано, Альбіні ітд ітп

Good album, pretty grungy sound but think that was to be expected, enjoyed it all the way through, had only ever heard heartshaped box off of this album before but enjoyed pretty much all of the songs.

Top tier album; almost as good as Bleach.

A few songs I liked but not a fan of the album iself

Everyone is gay.

Oof…

Jeg liker Nirvana, men dette er ikke deres beste album, og ikke noe noen må høre på før de dør.

This, to me, is what started Grunge. But their self-titled album is better, imo

Kurt Cobain POV Best Track: Heart-Shaped Box

Their third album. Grunge / Rock. Nevermind is the most polished of the Nirvana albums and their masterpiece. In Utero is the more raw sounding and abrasive brother. There isn't really a bad track on the album. Rape Me is probably my favourite track. At the time, after Nevermind, this album absolutely cemented Nirvana as the best of the genre and maybe the world.

Büro, Heidenheim, Deutschland. Sehr feines Album.

Interesting to listen to a Nirvana album I basically don’t know.

There is just way too much of this that I don't like at all to rate it higher even though there are part I like. 2 stars or D+.

End of an era.

It's Nirvana. Lots of familiar songs.

Sick album but not their best

This album perfectly captures the sound and attitude of Nirvana as a band, but also is an incredible dive into Kurt Cobain's mental health. The raw, noisy production and screamed choruses capture their punky spirit better than either of their previous albums, which also pairs really well with Kurt's lyrics. From the relationship with his dad on the intro to his relationship issues on Heart-Shaped Box and the feeling of depression on Frances Farmer, the album just paints such a vivid picture which hits even harder in the context of his suicide. The themes of this album are tied up perfectly on the last song of the album, which might be the band's best. In so many ways this is the perfect sendoff album and probably the best "final album" of all time and will always have a special place in my heart.

What a good album. I did not expect to enjoy it as much as I did. Only the end of the first song startled me with all the screaming to go away. I was inspired to use it with Radek though, I am sure it will come in handy. Anywho, I had heard at least three songs on the radio before (thanks dad) and I enjoyed them. Radek might be right to say the last song is the best one in the album. This album made me see more of the cute geeky Radek so I am forever grateful <3

A couple good ones, but it’s not as good as that other album they have with the baby

I really love Nevermind, but this album is just screamy and loud and feels to me like the band was just attempting to sound really pissed off all of the time. I was so thankful for "All Apologies" by the time it rolled around because it was a balm to my bleeding ears.

Heerlijk herkenbaar Nirvanan album. Paar grote hits en lekkere grungy sound.

Their sophomore slump, but oh what a slump it is (and, yes, I know this isn’t their second). Doesn’t resonate with me, though surprisingly friendly to typical rock fans’ ears. I want to rate it lower but I feel I should be objective so….

i like his ideas

PERFECTO.

such a formative album for me

Suberb album. Slightly below never-ending but a solid 5 star album.

How do you follow ‘Nevermind’? Well, with ‘In Utero’ of course! A brilliant album that has big riffs, great vocals and deep lyrics. Kurt flying the flag for the INFPs here.

I dig the rougher sound on this one. Lots of great songs - Heart-Shaped Box and All Apologies are my favorite. Fun listen.

Grungy music from a tortured artist. Makes you feel.

good

Wild listen in a high stress state.

Although I'm a moderate fan of Nirvana, I never listened to this album in full. After listening, I found it pretty great. Not "Nevermind" level, but still pretty incredible.

Very strong follow up after Nevermind by Nirvana. I like the rawness and the beauty at the same time. Favourite songs are Dumb, Pennyroyal Tea, All Apologies.

Wow this one's dark, and a bit hard to listen to. I'm sure it rates high but I didn't much like it.

I drove to the CrossCreek Mall in my 1988 Oldsmobile Cutlass Sierra and went into MusicLand and bought this and Weezer’s blue album on the same day with 30-something dollars that I earned working as a bag boy at Winn Dixie earning $5.25 per hour. Gods I was strong then. So, having listened to this for the last thirty years on and off (mostly off since 1997 or so) this isn’t bad. You know what would’ve vastly improved it? Less loud distorted guitars and yelling. Like, instead of quiet LOUD quiet LOUD, why not try quiet quiet quiet quiet. That would make for some good music. I think the problem with fast and loud music after a certain age is that fast and loud music is for getting pumped up. But I’m not looking to get pumped up for anything. I’m done with being excited about things. I’ve gotten my education, married, almost finished raising my children, am in the last job I’m ever going to have, and I don’t drink or smoke or take drugs or gamble or chase women. I can travel, but it’s all just long flights or drives and slightly different looking tourist traps. I suppose I’ll see my children get married (great, I’ll have to get dressed up and stay out too late and it will cost me $20k) and meet my grandchildren (great, somebody else to have to take care of, will probably also cost me money). Basically, all that I have before me is twenty more years of work, ten years of sitting around watching TV and going to doctor’s appointments, and then death. I don’t need pump up music. My pumping days are over. So stop all the yelling and just leave me alone and let me listen to Billy Joel and Steely Dan until I die.

3/5, overall a good grunge album but I hate the 4th song so much. The lyrics make so uncomfortable and that took me out of it to be honest. Love the final song though, All Apologies will forever be a classic!

In Utero feels like Nirvana trying to blow up their own success while still making some of their best music. It is raw, jagged, and full of uncomfortable edges, a deliberate contrast to the polished sound of Nevermind. Songs like “Heart-Shaped Box” and “All Apologies” show Kurt Cobain at his most vulnerable, while “Scentless Apprentice” and “Milk It” are noisy, abrasive blasts that push against the idea of Nirvana as radio-friendly. The production by Steve Albini gives the album a harsh, live feel, with the drums booming and the guitars scouring rather than shimmering. It captures both the power and the chaos of the band, making it feel less like a product and more like a purge. In Utero might not have the same immediate accessibility as its predecessor, but it has a raw honesty that makes it just as important, and in some ways even more compelling.

Gave this a few listens because I did not rate it as highly as Nevermind back in the day. I was wrong. It is every bit as good

This album is super nostalgic for me to listen to. But now, more than 30 years on, it's so clear that Kurt had very strong instincts for writing great pop songs. I think he hated it and tried to disguise it all with noise and weirdness, but the pop still shines through. So many great tracks, all adding up to an uncomfortable slice of his life

Great

Ah, one of my high school comfort albums. Even years after my adolescent obsession, In Utero still holds up. The lyrics here are sad, twisted, and, in classic Cobain fashion, full of sarcasm. The band really lets lose on this album, especially compared to Nevermind's more polished and pallatable approach. The grunge sound that the band helped pioneer is present in full force. This album is cathartic. It swallows you in its sound, engrossing you within its messy walls. It hits hard, but also breaks down, often in the same song. It's a masterclass in honest emotional expression in music, and is a lasting testament to the fact that music doesn't always need to sound pretty to be stellar. Sometimes the music calls for ugly, and this is a perfect response to that call.

Nirvana can almost do no wrong. great? no. good? yes.

Wrong era for music for me. I was up to my eye balls with kids, home, trying making ends meet. A lot of the 90s passed me by.

Really love this one. A big part of my youth, a bunch of 12 and 13 year olds running around pretending that they knew what Cobain was talking about...somehow, Nevermind gets more play when I'm in the mood to listen to Nirvana. Unplugged gets a lot of playing time, too. That said, I think this is the best album they made. I should listen to it more often. Much has been made and said about Albini's production and how Nirvana went from the polished sound of Nevermind to this..."raw" and "gritty" sound...which it is. No one talks about how this is album is almost proto-metal. Everyone talks about how this was a punk band...and maybe it was in attitude, but there's a lot of Black Sabbath here. Big, crunchy, heavy riffs. And it works, because Black Sabbath was an influence on Cobain. No one would dare call this a metal album because, of course, Nirvana single handedly came along and ended the metal bands of the 80s. That's partially true, but those bands were already teetering on the edge of being played out and overdone, they just needed someone or something to come along and give them a little push. So no one calls In Utero metal as a result because that'd be too confusing for everyone...but it's not the type of metal that Cobain helped kill. You couldn't hear this album and confuse it with Poison and Motley Crue. But anyone who wants to be honest about how heavy this album is can hear it. Scentless Apprentice is metal drums and riffs, Very Ape is metal, so is Radio Friendly Unit Shift and Milk It. It's not the glistening, shimmering hair metal of the 80s, but it's still metal. 5/5.

A truly great album. It took my a few listens to warm up to it when if first came out but then I was sold!

I've listened to this before, I listened to it twice in a row while going through this backlog. I love the sound of it it's an album I'll chuck on occasionally but? I had nothing to say about it? One more spin lets see if i can have a thought this time. I've said I'm not a big grunge guy in the past but that was maybe based on nothing but britpop bias. I actually love the muddiness going on here and like to me thats The defining grunge sound. Unless it's just Nirvana being top of the pile and anyone else's mud would be shit idk. Need to go listen to more grunge ig. Easy to say the songs sound the same but there's actually a really good undulating energy to it that you don't need to know every song to feel. Started typing up which songs flow best together and ended up typing the tracklist. The end of All Apologies? what and album closer. Honestly and speaking as not a grunge guy it feels like a perfect version of what it is and like just what I want to hear when i want to hear some noisy sad guitar music. A 5 feels maybe generous but I can't see why not tbh. The 4 I gave to oasis is gonna have a lasting effect when making these decisions i fear.

Still rocks all these years later, a very solid 4 stars

It's hard for me to put my fav songs on this one but I'll try. Also something bout Cobains lyrics that I just love Fav : radio friendly unit shifter, dumb, very ape, milk it

Patiko, niekada pilnai neklausiau, visai herų melodijų yra.

A pretty good record! There’s a lot of good songs, then there’s just songs that are EHHHH

Nevermind is a 5. Bleach is 4.5. Compared to most of the dreck on this list, In Utero is a 6. But how can I give it a 5 when it's really great, but not as great as Nevermind or Bleach? The answer was to read the other reviews. For reasons that I cannot comprehend, the British don't like grunge (but they LOVE prog rock, so apparently there's no accounting for taste). Had this not been Nirvana's final studio album, would we have considered it a sophomore slump or the beginning of the end?

I tried. 1

Would give it 3.5 stars if I would but ultimately I just wish Kurt Cobain were still alive :(

Liked the rough edges and punk roots.

I love the rougher stuff on here and it starts and ends strong with the best tracks bookending the record.

FIVE FIVE FIVE RAAAGE

What a voice. Very good album, I like the more mature sound.

"Teenage angst has paid off well, now I'm bored and old" a goat opening line.

Meh 2.7

Too angry and sad for me.

This one is hard to be objective about when it was such a big part of my young adulthood.

I ended up liking this one more than expected. Discovered some non-single tracks I like: Frances Farmer and Very Ape.

Hey... it's rock... and it resonated with a LOT of people... the entire grunge genre bypassed me, however... i never got Nirvana... and listening to this album, i thought i would find some new common ground that we didn't have back then... but, no... "Serve The Servants" starts out with cacophonous noise... which continues through the second cut, the unlistenable, "Scentless Apprentice"... lol... good title though... "Heart Shaped Box", which is a bit of a drone... but, a fairly cool song... "Rape Me" starts out with the same riff as "Smells Like Teen Spirit", which is not on this record... then it becomes more noise... the rest of the album is just as noisy and tuneless... how these guys get/got a lot of respect totally escapes me... when people talk about Kurt Cobain as being some kind of "messiah" and rock "god", all i can do is cringe... to me he sucks... out loud... sorry Cobain fans... and as for the drummer... hey... that's where he should've stayed too... he fronts the Foo(L) Fighters... who are almost as bad as Nirvana, lol... "Dumb" is a song on this album... and should've been the title cut... "Very Ape" makes me thinks primates were involved in the writing and production... "Milk It" is what these clowns did... until KC's untimely death... thankfully, and not soon enough, this cow patty ends with "All Apologies" the closest thing to a "tune" on the record... i would give this zero stars as totally worthless... but... i give it TWO... for how many big balls it took to put this SH*T out.

This is a great record, but Nirvana has several great records... I have fond memories of one of my male roommates singing "Rape Me" in the shower on Saturday night before heading out LOL

Nirvana are an absolutely legendary band, unfortunately their style of music just doesn't do much for me. There are certainly elements of this album I enjoyed, and the last track is great, but the rest of it I just couldn't get into.

Nous sommes en 1993. Nirvana est, qu'on le veuille ou non, le plus grand groupe du monde. "Nevermind" a tout rasé sur son passage, transformant trois types du fin fond de l'État de Washington en messies d'une génération qui ne demandait rien, surtout pas qu'on lui colle des étiquettes. L'album s'est vendu par palettes entières, les clips tournent en boucle, et Kurt Cobain est devenu, malgré lui, le porte-parole de millions de gamins en chemise de flanelle. La suite logique, celle que n'importe quel label, n'importe quel manager, n'importe quel comptable aurait exigée, c'était "Nevermind 2 : Le Retour du Grunge Qui Fait Vendre". Un truc bien propre, avec des refrains calibrés pour les stades et une production bien carrée. En retour le groupe a envoyé le plus grand, le plus sonore, le plus magnifique "allez tous vous faire foutre" de l'histoire de la musique moderne. "In Utero" n'est pas la suite de "Nevermind". C'est son antithèse, son jumeau maléfique, son autopsie à vif. C'est un disque malade, enregistré par un homme qui l'était encore plus, et qui, au lieu de capitaliser sur son succès, a décidé de le saboter avec une joie féroce et désespérée. Le premier geste radical, c'est de confier les manettes à Steve Albini, le pape du son rêche, de l'enregistrement brut, de la philosophie "un micro dans la pièce et démerdez-vous". Il a enregistré les Pixies, les Breeders, toute la clique underground qui a inspiré Nirvana. L'engager, c'était un message clair à la maison de disques Geffen : vous vouliez de l'or ? On va vous donner de la rouille. Et quelle putain de rouille. Dès les premières secondes de "Serve the Servants", on comprend. La guitare sonne comme une scie sauteuse qui s'attaque à une carcasse de voiture, la basse de Krist Novoselic gronde comme un estomac vide et la batterie de Dave Grohl, habituellement si puissante, est ici sèche, nerveuse, presque minimaliste. Et puis il y a la voix de Cobain. Éraillée, fatiguée, mais d'une lucidité terrifiante. "Teenage angst has paid off well / Now I'm bored and old" ("L'angoisse adolescente a bien payé / Maintenant je m'emmerde et je suis vieux"). Tout est dit. Le type a vu le sommet de la montagne et il n'y a trouvé que le vertige et l'ennui. On connaît l'histoire : le label a failli s'étouffer en entendant le résultat. Ils ont paniqué, supplié, et fini par faire remixer quelques titres (les singles "Heart-Shaped Box" et "All Apologies") par Scott Litt, le producteur de R.E.M., pour les rendre à peine plus digestes. Mais le mal était fait. L'album est resté ce qu'il devait être : un monument de bruit, de fureur et de douleur. Mais "In Utero" n'est pas qu'un bloc de noise informe. C'est là que réside son génie absolu, sa beauté vénéneuse. C'est un disque de contrastes violents, un combat permanent entre l'agression et la mélodie. Pour chaque explosion de rage pure comme "Scentless Apprentice" ou le final apocalyptique de "Tourette's", il y a des moments de grâce et de fragilité à te briser le cœur. Prenez "Dumb". Une chanson d'une simplicité désarmante, portée par un violoncelle mélancolique, où Cobain chante son bonheur d'être "stupide", loin de la complexité écrasante du monde. C'est sublime. Prenez "Pennyroyal Tea", complainte d'un homme qui cherche un remède à son mal de vivre dans un thé aux herbes. Ou encore "All Apologies", avec sa mélodie lancinante et ses paroles qui sonnent comme un adieu apaisé. Ces chansons, ce sont les rares éclaircies dans un ciel de plomb, la preuve que même au fond du trou, Cobain était un mélodiste hors pair, un putain de génie capable d'écrire des chansons que les Beatles n'auraient pas reniées. L'album est une plongée dans les entrailles, au sens propre comme au figuré. Les titres parlent de boîtes en forme de cœur, de cordon ombilical, de cancer, de lait caillé. C'est une obsession pour l'anatomie, pour la maladie, comme si le corps lui-même était devenu une prison. Et au milieu de tout ça, il y a "Rape Me". Le titre à scandale, le morceau qui a fait couler le plus d'encre. Un cri de défi, une provocation ultime, mais aussi et surtout, selon Cobain, une chanson anti-viol, un hymne à la survie. Une chanson qui, comme l'album tout entier, te regarde droit dans les yeux et refuse de baisser le regard. Évidemment, il est impossible aujourd'hui d'écouter "In Utero" sans penser à ce qui est arrivé sept mois après sa sortie. Chaque mot, chaque note, chaque cri est teinté de cette fin tragique. L'album est devenu, malgré lui, une lettre de suicide hurlée à la face du monde, un testament sonore d'une beauté insoutenable. C'est peut-être ce qui le rend si puissant, si essentiel. Il ne s'agit plus seulement de musique. Il s'agit d'une vie qui se consume sous nos yeux. "In Utero" est un disque difficile, exigeant, parfois laid. Mais c'est un disque vrai. C'est le son d'un artiste au sommet de son art, mais au bout de son rouleau, qui a refusé le compromis jusqu'au bout. C'est un doigt d'honneur en platine, une cicatrice magnifique qui rappelle que le rock, le vrai, n'est pas fait pour être confortable. Il est fait pour te secouer, te déranger, et parfois, te faire sentir un peu moins seul dans ce putain de bordel. Un 5/5, c'est presque une insulte. Ce disque est hors catégorie. C'est un des rares albums que tu dois, en effet, écouter avant de mourir. Ne serait-ce que pour comprendre ce que signifie être dangereusement, magnifiquement, et tragiquement vivant.

Classic. Grunge's high water mark.

Getting to old for this…

Heart-shaped box reigns supreme. TBH I don't really need the rest of this album, like it's fine but nothing super wowing. Dumb is kind of cool but nothing I'm super obsessed with. 2.5/5 stars.

I think I would probably have been blown away by Nirvana in my 20s or 30s when grunge began; however, as a 65-year-old, this album did not do much for me.

GOAT. Automatically 10/10 for me. A huge part of my youth, not to mention an incredible album without the nostalgia factor. Can’t say enough about it.

Three stars

Synthesis of grunge. Takes the best of Bleach and Nevermind with a distorted rough poppy large sound. In my opinion, their best.

A couple of great songs with a lot of other noise.

Banger album.

Prior to this album I'd only heard Nirvana's Nevermind, it's an album I go back to often, though I wouldn't call it one of my favorites. To me it just feels like a standard for what rock should be. It's imperfect, catchy, talented in all directions. It also holds a grudge and has nasty shit to say because it's blunt and honest. In Utero is that same feeling, amplified. I feel so blind having known about a few of these songs, but not listening to this project. 4.5/5

Favourite songs: Heart-Shaped Box, Dumb, All Apologies

Favourite tracks - Heart-Shaped Box, Dumb, All Apologies

Nirvana just doesn't do it for me. I find them really dull.

Jotkut biisit, tai ainakin jotkut kohdat joistakin biiseistä, oli jopa todella hyviä, mutta sitten toiset olivat aivan kauheita. Hyvä albumi jos haluaa kuuroutua. Jos siis niin ehtii käydä ennen kuin vapaaehtoisesti revit korvasi irti. Suosittelen kyseiseen aktiviteettiin erityisesti kappaletta "Tourette's", joka tulee kummittelemaan ainakin minun korvissani koko elämäni. Joo o, ei oo mikään mun lempigenre. Vika biisi oli sentään aivan nautinnollista kuunneltavaa.

album no. 2, hopefully the next album I get is one I haven't heard before. great album for what it is, but what it is is just the start to a genre that became obsolete after a decade.

Remember when Dave grohl was cool?

Best Nirvana album. Cheers.

HEY, WAIT

Perfect final album. Better than Nevermind

Yeah liked this one should really listen to Nevermind. Also sounded like a cat throwing up but kinda worked

pretvrdo za mene za sad :)

Strange

I am instantly transported to my Sophomore year of college, playing Streetfighter on Sega in dorm rooms while drinking bad light beer. Aside from the nostalgia, it's a great album, full of rage and disillusionment. ONe of my top 10 rock albums of all time.

5/5 - The essence of the Grunge period concentrated into one final record. - (Nevermind) The Production: Sounds like it was recorded in a gas-station bathroom. Could've been recorded in a womb. The sounds of being born. - Catchy riffs, dirtier fuzz, less polish, looser feel, tighter - They couldn't make another and even if they could have maybe they wouldn't have recaptured the vision. This is lightning in a bottle.

Fantastic album and a great anti-mainstream left turn from Nevermind

A few piercing screams but overall some incredible grunge

Hell yea

As an intro to grunge - I think this showed off the extreme and the commercial. Definitely would've moped to this when I was a teen.

had already listened to it, but its a great album, as any other nirvana release. As a matter of fact, its their best! :) really great overall.

Excellent! Not my fave from them, but still a great listen.

I guess all the songs are on Nevermind.

Mumble Rock/10

I think this is awesome but at times can be too over the top. I also think the band has better releases.

A lot more abrasive than their previous album "Nevermind", but tracks uch as "Heart-Shaped Box" and "Rape Me" hark back to their previous album.

Outstanding grunge album. Ranging from loud and aggressive to softer and melodic to straight up noise at times. A staple of the era.

Listened in the truck via YouTube music. Bought this CD in Europe while in high school. Then found the Steve Albini mix on vinyl years later. Just ordered a 7” from Steve Albinis closet too.

As years go bye this album has become Nirvana's masterpiece to me. I know for Nirvana fan's that is probably blasphemy as it should clearly be Nevermind but I never dust off that album and give it a listen but I do listen to In Utero front to back at least once or twice a year.

Heart Shaped Box is probably the best song Nirvana ever recorded. Most of the rest of this sounds like they’re trying to reinvent themselves and it’s not working.

I was a big Nevermind and Bleach kid growing up. I need more time with this one!!!

I miss Nirvana. I miss the ethos of the 90’s. But here we are. Kurt is gone, the Foo Fighters sell out stadiums and societal collapse is imminent. Pickle ball could be fun I guess.

Man when this one hits, it really hits. But when it doesn't, it really doesn't. I don't think there's been an album I've rated for this project that has higher highs and lower lows on the same album. The all-timers are no doubters and the rest of the tracks range from meh to unlistenable. Still, the good tracks are so good it elevates the whole album.

Re: Heart-Shaped Box—it's like the all the band members are trying to outdo each other, and it works so well. They're breathless, I'm breathless..

Lol-ing at some of the title tracks on this album...the 90s were a time. I just couldn't get into this. Angst is not my vibe after all.

I understand how iconic it is, and there are a couple absolute bangers, but overall too grunge for my taste.

Nevermind holds its place as their best, but I probably listened to this more. RIP Kurt, RIP Albini, this record fucking bashes bricks.

I wasn't expecting much of it, mostly because I once tried to listen to the whole thing. But, after (finally) listening to the full album, it just feels bad and bland. There were a few songs that weren't that bad or I even liked, but this album is just too much. And it's too much grunge for today too. If Nirvana was successful is because of the times in which they were making music, but they are nothing special, and, even sometimes, they are bad... Like really bad! There are other ways to try to avoid to be mainstream (if it was really what they wanted, which I'm not really sure to be true).

a bit underrated

The Nirvana album where K Cobain's songwriting sparkled!

It's a good album but not a sound or style I'm into and I don't think it is really super strong consistently.

If you like screaming, you'll like this album

One good song! The rest was painful!

Did not enjoy this one.

Music of my generation. I guess!

Finds it's groove after the first two songs, which as hard to listen to

i recognise how this was considered a great album for the arrangements and lyrics, but not my style

I like Nirvana but it’s always been a little too angry for me.

An album that’s cooler to listen to them talk about than listen to imo, still good. I prefer Nevermind though :) basic! Haha

Always found this a tough one to get into, probably not helped by following the masterful Nevermind. I know it was a deliberate attempt to get away from the previous album but I make no apologies for saying it’s still not the easiest listen at times. Not necessarily in a bad way as the songs have something about them individually. It’s just that the whole album gets a little tiring to listen to be the end, waiting for a melody or something to hook you in.

A tough gig to follow up Nevermind and to some extent they managed it. A deliberate attempt to try and return to their punkier beginnings and away from the production slickness that brought them fame at places feels, ironically, forced at times. However, this album is a corker, with no weak links. There are the hits in All apologies etc. but real gems in some of the abrasive tracks in particular Frances, Very ape, milk it - I love these tracks. It does have the feel of a band that was on the edge of destruction and if anything Kurt’s struggles enhance his songwriting and meaningful lyrics.

[And desperately tries to think of something more original to say then the 100k other reviews on here] Nevermind, this and Unplugged are like three different worlds, and all 5* albums. But this one always just leaves me feeling sad this was where it ended. Compared to all their contemporaries, their ability to evolve was marked. I would have loved to find out where the journey went next….

Not as revolutionary as Nevermind, but nearly as important. Some of this album’s legacy feels directly tied to the Unplugged performance which kind of calls into question its lone significance. But either way, this is the sound of my disaffected youth.

Seems like two goals were attempted separately - 1. money train keeps rolling with the radio ready hits (A+ great songs) 2. "I'm not a sell-out even though I sold A LOT" musician ego fed with the f-you feedback screaming rage songs (visceral, I feel it, we are pissed about some shit). Nirvana was a monolith at this point (clearly not the artists' choice) They could have recorded anything and the critics would have said it was the best ever recorded.

Great album. Not much else needs to be said.

4/10

This is a solid classic and a part of my music rotations. The pain in Kurt's lyrics cuts through deep. Great story teller and musician.

Not as good as Nevermind. Still decent.

I really like Nirvana but, also, I'm not sure I really like Nirvana. At least, I don't think I like them as much as I'm supposed to. The two singles on this album are great and are probably about as Nirvana as I go. The rest are a little too much for me. I'll always be grateful to Nirvana for unleashing Dave Grohl on the world.

Nirvana is beeeesssstttt

So much better than Nevermind. Fav: Frances Farmer will have her revenge on Seattle

gritty and cool, i like it

Such a great record. Listening back now I realise how much more commercialised and produced it was. Nonetheless still a great record

I’ve never really been a Nirvana fan. It’s a bit too ‘herm yarl’ as they used to say on the Time Crisis podcast (that 90s kind of growly/nasally vocal sound that acts like Pearl Jam and Nickelback have). I don’t mind the hits (basically just Heart Shaped Box on this album) like I can admit some of it goes pretty hard but also I just find a lot of it quite grating.

This is bad music disguised as good music. It has all the interesting themes, rockin instruments and intense vocals that should mix together to form a good album. And yet I'm bored as hell.

Love love love Nirvana.

solid, really not my genre at first, but the later half of the album was a vibe first solid 4 ive come across thus far

Some bangers some songs I wish I never heard

their 2nd best, which isn’t an unpopular opinion—my real hot take is that i think bleach is #1 highlights: serve the servants, heart shaped box, dumb, all apologies (jul 14 2025)

I've always appreciated bands that take risks, and In Utero, when compared to the Nevermind, is a risk. Where Nevermind is more mainstream, In Utero is more visceral and much more punk. And to me feels very much like a 'don't fence me in' breakout of routine type album. The sound almost alienates the listener with songs like "Scentless Apprentice" and "Tourette's". The album is less polished by design and feels like it is just vomiting forth rage, emotion, dissatisfaction and it delivers. But while I can understand it is an important album, I can't say that it resonated with me very much, both in '93 and now.

Genre: Grunge Noisy, abrasive, aggressive, and probably the greatest thing Nirvana ever did. Shortly thereafter, Cobain would kill himself, ending Nirvana in a tragic and unsettling way. Their music lives on. In Utero is full of powerful emotion and some of Nirvana’s best songs, like Heart Shaped Box and All Apologies, both amazing tracks. A really great album, and one that will continue to surprise newcomers. 4/5

I used to think all those kids in high school wearing Alice In Chains shirts were tougher and cooler than me but now I know they really just had bad taste rock. Age really has a way of disarming you.

Decent.

Lots of noise in between some good music. Angst angst angst. I dunno as i get older i seem to lose interest in Nirvana

A classic for a reason. Not as transformative as Nevermind or Bleach, but still a great album

I get how it's impossible to listen to this album and not think about Cobain's death, but I think viewing it as some sort of evidence of a tortured soul is a little overblown. It's just a very heavy album, with some noise elements. The kinds of albums Steve Albini produces or The Melvin's make. Hell, even Sonic Youth has tracks as discordant and loud as In Utereo and no one is saying Thurston Moore is spiralling and in need of help. It's art, it's confrontational art in the context of pop music, but I think this is the album Nirvana wanted to make. It's not some unintentional howl of pain, it's a heavy genre of music that all the members of the band dug. Anyway, I liked it.

# 527 : In Utero "In Utero" marks a more mature and unfiltered chapter for Nirvana. The album leans into a raw, emotional intensity—sometimes a bit too screamy for my taste—but it still delivers some powerful moments. There are definitely a few standout tracks and bangers, and one song I keep coming back to is Dumb. It’s a real highlight for me—simple, haunting, and beautifully done. Overall, a solid album that pushes their sound while staying true to their grunge roots. Worth listening to: Dumb Listened: 18/07/2025

Completely overrated album

God nirvana is so good. I think this is my favorite of their albums. 4.5 rounded up

3.6

9.5

Surprisingly boring??? Only track I actually liked was All Apologies

Fantastic album

Perfect follow up to Nevermind, I'd imagine the pressure to put out a big record was huge of the back of Nevermind being such a commercial success, In Utero may not have the big hits of Nevermind but it's just as good of a listen, love the balance from start to finish on this album.

Excellent album, I remember listening to it when I was 20-22 years younger and not understanding it well. Today I value it much more and I find it much more complete.

Raw, angry, unsettling. It's obvious in hindsight that Kurt Cobain was in a bad place when this was recorded. It's hard to rate this. The best tracks (Heart Shaped Box, Dumb, All Apologies) are easy 5 stars, as good as or better than what is on Nevermind. Everything else ranges from uncomfortable to unlistenable.

In Utero is fine, but I always liked Nevermind better.

This was the one Nirvana album I hadn’t listened to yet. I’m now sad we didn’t get more Nirvana. I think this is their best album, definitely not the most accessible, but their best & I really respect they didn’t play it safe.

This one could have used some more time….in utero

God album

Some absolute gems in this album mixed in with some noisy filler.

3,5⭐️ Best song: dumb or pennyroyal tea Worst song: tourette's

Solid classic, not quite Nevermind

Again a band i didn't listen before. I have a feeling that I would really enjoy a small underground concert where this album would be played. I mean I like it. Not sure I would listen to them very often, but if in mood, it's vibin. Ou okay I know this Heart-Shaped Box song. Yea, I like them.

Не фанат Нирваны и текстов их песен, но этот альбом звучит неплохо.

Again, not a fan of Nirvana. Nevermind was a pretty good album, but I got tired of it quickly. This follow-up album was never on my playlist, and I got really sick of hearing "Heart Shaped Box" on the radio.

For the amount of time I spent listening to Nevermind in middle school, I realized I've never actually listened to In Utero. It's amazing what this band was doing and a shame they didn't have more to give. Would have loved to hear their continued evolution after this heavy wonderfully sloppy album. If you're someone struggling with suicidal thoughts, call or text 988 (in the states). There are people here for you and you deserve life.

maravilhoso

Some great songs but overall not my fav grunge album

I am not a grunge fan and I honestly never understood Nirvana hype. I understand why they are important, and I could tell good melodies and good live vocals in the songs...butthey are so boring. The overwhelming screaming, why??? Two satrd because the instrumental is not too bad, but I honestly think they are too overrated

Raw...very hard to listen to

Greta album

Not even the best Nirvana, so very over rated.

Was surprised by how many songs on this I recognised. Wouldn’t necessarily be my taste but from the very first chord this album is so unapologetic in its sound I have to respect it

OH MY GOOOD, I'm so happy to see this album here! It's time to relisten it! I was 12 when I listened to it last time and I was sooo excited about this !!grunge!! and something like that. Now I'm 19 and I'm interested does something change? Well, I didn't feel like I went back to those days but it's still good music for me. Nothing special ah

I really don't like grunge

Great album, no notes. You either know some of the songs or don't. And if you don't, listen to the whole thing. And if you only know some, listen to some others. There are a lot of gems here.

My favorite Nirvana album. Much of this album was inspired by Kurt's favorite book Perfume.

Parempaa Nirvanaa minusta. Edelleen Cobainin ääni pidemmän päälle rasittaa mutta vähemmän kuin Nevermindissa.

An absolute classic - the sound of the PNW in the 90s. Love every moment of In Utero. 5/5

It’s a nirvana album, sounds like a nirvana album, to point nowadays don’t remember which songs are on which of the last 2 albums would have sworn dumb was on nevermind - oh well that’s on me, vaguely remember at the time lot being said about how different, whatever. if you like them, if you don’t etc etc. like the music I started listening to them when got bleach when it came out, as into all the sub pop stuff and thought they were a little Husker du like, but still continue from back in the day to have a personal issue with the obsession with them like they are ground zero for rock, or like some immaculate second coming that sprung from nowhere, yes they had deserved massive crossover hits with great songs so it sounded new n fresh from what was around on mtv, which is their superpower not being the one and only as others had done similar but not successfully, just google why nirvana and not husker du, who I will die saying were a better band did it earlier and better, but nirvana in the end had the best selling album, the tabloid wedding and dayglow suicide to cement their place in rock history. End of the day it’s good raw rock with pop elements, 4 Star

4.9

Pretty good

The vibes are not for me on this one tbh. It's technically good but idk not my bag.

Very honest, very powerful and painful.

Honestly pretty hard for me to listen to.

Nirvana has always been a weird band for me. Nevermind was huge, and it released as I was turning into an angsty teen…also a teen that was turning into kind of an elitist jerk about music. So, I loved Nevermind up until Nirvana turned into “the voice of a generation” and got played non-stop on radio and MTV. Then I hated Nirvana; for one thing, you couldn’t escape hearing it and it got real old, but also because when the jock and rich kids in your Christian high school start really getting into a band, that band loses one of the big things that made it special to you in the first place. Of course, that’s really pretty dumb, but that’s where I was in high school. All that’s to say, I didn’t listen to much of this record when it came out. I heard the hits, but had moved onto “cooler” pastures by 1993. Eventually, I grew out of this elitist jerk nonsense, realizing that it wasn’t really fair to me to deprive myself of great music on the basis of other people enjoying it also. After all, there’s usually a reason why good music is popular, and why should anyone else’s enjoyment of something affect my enjoyment of the same thing? If anything, joy becomes increased when it can be shared. So, after Kurt’s death and after growing up just a little, I followed back up with Nirvana and found that I loved them again. They’re not one of my all time faves or anything, but I do have a big soft spot for Nirvana and a nostalgic connection to them, and I’m sad that I deprived myself of enjoying them for a few years just cause I was kind of a dick. Anyway, In Utero rules. And I think I prefer it to Nevermind (just barely) because of the rawness of the recording. This album feels angsty like Nevermind, but with more abrasive urgency or something. Probably doesn’t need to be said at this point, but I’ll say it anyway: I still blame Courtney for Kurt’s death. 5/5

Some really good songs on this album. I think All Apologies is my favourite by Nirvana. On some of the deeper cuts Kurt's vocals get a little screamy for my liking, but overall great record.

Cannot stress enough how much I was not a Nirvana fan back in the day. More of a hey good for those like-minded guys but holy shit, calm down everyone can’t you see this guy legit needs help? I wasn’t clued in to Bleach, but preferred Trompe le Monde of the albums that came out when Nevermind hit. The whole rollout felt very how do you do fellow kids, which I know they fought against, etc, but still it was like, if you were into alternative, then you had to be a Nirvana fan and the whole thing about being into alternative is not liking being told what to like! Especially as a 14 year-old. I got Nevermind at xmas along with a bunch of Cure and Smiths CDs, which were much more my thing, so Something in the Way fit and the rest...were great, duh, but not my exact deal at the time. Anyhow, In Utero rolled around. In the interim we all got to know too much about Kurt and co and for his health I wish he’d just retired to his house for a decade after getting help, maybe become a Bob Pollard type and just record nonstop and surface in 2003 with a batch of unreleased stuff while Grohl went out and became a Rock Star. But instead, gotta keep the show going... All I could hear when I first played In Utero was someone expressing their deep pain and that just wasn’t something I felt comfortable supporting? Took me maybe 15 years until I could hear it was still 3 guys having a ball making some very incisive rock music. Alongside the whole pain thing. The cynic in me thought Kurt was at times trying too hard to sound like Jesus Lizard and Melvins, but even the clearest attempt at that - Milk It - is still blessed with whatever it is KC had and brought to the world.

I thought that this album was okay. I'm, so far, not a big fan of Nirvana or more specifically the grunge genre. This felt like garage rock, which is really cool in it's own right, but I didn't love the grittier songs with grotesque lyrics (which I do realize are present in Heart Shape Box), and blasty vocals without substance. It's about presentation and context; this album wants to be too much and in your face, and that's just not my vibe. Favorite songs: Heart Shaped Box Dumb

This is a good album, but I think I find that I often prefer the MTV Unplugged versions of the tracks more than these versions. That makes it hard for me to justify top marks for this one. I think some of it is just that I prefer the mix where it's easier to hear the vocals. That really brings out a lot from songs like 'Pennyroyal Tea' for me as opposed to the version on here which is drowning in guitar Standouts Heart-Shaped Box Rape Me Dumb 4/5

Had big hopes knowing Heart Shaped Box, Rape Me and All Apologies Some faster tempo tracks (Very Ape) and Dumb was pretty good It's a shame I knew the three best tracks already, rest feels not as good Best new track - Dumb

BEST SONGS: - All Apologies - Radio Friendly Unit Shifter - Pennyroyal Tea - Scentless Apprentice

An all time classic.

Really big bangers. My friend look like nirvava

No notes.

After listening to serve the servants, I was pretty impressed, and looking forward to the rest of the album… and besides heart shaped box,(a song I already knew), and all apologies, I wasn’t very impressed. Nothing really wowed me, and perhaps that was unfair expectations to put on a 90s grunge album, but being as hyped as nirvana often is… it was kinda just okay in my opinion. Not a bad album by any means but nothing like amazing either.

Classic

Wow I guess I haven't got a Nirvana yet, but I guess we start from the end. I think Steve Albini's (rip btw) production style works more-or-less perfectly for Nirvana, as I think the abrasive, rough around the edges parts fit what they are as a band. I think the more acoustic songs or parts on here show how they were developing, all the more sad that this was their last album. Some of the weird guitar effects are really interesting, and I wonder how some were made. I think this album's style is being low production value, even down to the actual parts, and solos, none of which are actually that complicated, they're just quite strange (like the one in serve the servants), which I think pays off, especially compared with the album before, which is quite polished and complicated, at least production-wise. Favourite songs: all but 2nd and 3rd last maybe. Overall around 9/10

I like this more than Nevermind, the album is more raw and rocking than their previous effort. The second side is especially nice, with less hits and more grunting raw screaming noise songs like Radio Friendly Unit Shifter. Shame we never got more out of Nirvana, but this is a somewhat fitting end for the band.

4.5 All day

Classic. Best Songs are Rape Me & All Apologies

The recording preserves the rawness of the songs while also feeling immaculate. The image in my mind of this era of Nirvana is the Unplugged performance and to hear these songs again in their album form brings back that they weren’t that far removed from many of the other grunge /alt rocks acts of the time. I think without the unplugged performance Nirvana wouldn’t have reached the legend status that they have attained in the past 30 years. But, I think this is their best studio release.

A little grungy for me.

I'm still sad about Kurt Cobain's suicide. He was too pure and sensitive for this harsh world that too often doesn't appreciate artists. That said, I enjoyed the classic Nirvana songs. All Apologies is one of the all-time greats. This is my first time listening to In Utero all the way through. Aside from the classics, I didn't so much enjoy the others. I appreciate his anger, though. Some tracks were not to my taste, so I rate this four stars, while acknowledging Nirvana's immense impact and influence on rock music.

Some banging classic grunge monsters on this album aren't there! Still don't get why they are so revered but they made some decent songs in an angsty sad kind of way.

Nirvana’s best album?

If Nevermind stands as Nirvana's most iconic and refined work, then In Utero is very much a deliberate detour. That’s not to say it’s a bad album—it’s just vastly different. The rawness is intentional, sure, but at times the mix feels like it lacks punch, and a few tracks come off as half-finished ideas rather than fully realized songs. It has a certain emotional weight, which I think is part of why it ends up on so many “greatest albums” lists. But let’s be real: a lot of that reverence stems from the tragic timing of its release—this was Kurt Cobain’s final studio statement. Again, In Utero has its moments, and it’s far from a throwaway. But if I’m stacking it up next to Nevermind, it just doesn’t hold the same ground for me. There—I said it.

Great album but I like Bleach and Nevermind better.

It's not a favourite Nirvana album for me, but a few popular songs are excellent!

3.5 stars, I’ve never listened to a full Nirvana album, not totally my style but I get why they’re so notable

I haven’t listened to this album in years, and it’s pretty much as I remember it. It is sonically and lyrically better than Nevermind, although you can tell that the singles were remixed because they have a smoother, more refined sound. I enjoy this album, and I think it shows both pop and punk sensibilities. It’s an above average album, with a bit of bite about it, but overall, I think Nirvana are a bit underwhelming. Come for me!

Nirvana is a band I really enjoyed as a teen/young adult, and have spun this album up many times. It's a great album, although it sounds a bit dated today. All apologies is still a great tune. There's also a few others, heart shaped box, Rape me, pennyroyal tea.

That’s caustic (but disturbingly appealing .) There’s some screeching and feedback for sure, but it worked back then because (we never heard anything like it and) it was contemporary, different, and cool. The three mainstream hits do carry the album, but that makes sense because I’m mainstream over 60. Comes in at a Fat, Dumb, and Happy (3.49*s) the feedback was a smidge too much.

In Utero is a bit of a throwback to Nirvana's debut album, Bleach, with Albini's noisy influence on a few songs. Even though I like "Very Ape" and "Milk It", I'm glad the record label stepped in and toned it down to produce the hits such as "Dumb" and "All Apologies" which def carry the record. Nirvana sired 3 great releases and I am hoping all of them make the list. For birthing this one...3.75 stars.

To echo a previous review, I've always liked but not loved Nirvana. In Utero is a perfect glimpse of this as it has some really strong tracks but also some filler that leaves a lot to be desired. The album gets recognition for the mainstream hits and keeping Nirvana firmly in the limelight. It's a good album, but I can't really call it a great album. While Nirvana's mark on music is undeniable there are parts of their catalog that don't resonate with me. This isn't an attempt at a hipster hot take, as I'm a fan of the band, I just never held them in quite as high regard as the rest of the public. 2.97 stars

Honestly a cool album, and you can hear the early basis for Nevermind, but it’s not quite as great

Delighted I finally got a Nirvana album. I assumed at least Nevermind would appear on here at some point so it was a joy to see In Utero was on here. I’ve loved their music for years but it’s been a little while since I’ve listened to In Utero fully and in the album order. It took me straight back to the first time I listened and the range of emotions it gave me. I feel so energised and vibrant when I listen.

i can see why it's loved. But that's not my thing entirely :(

I gotta sit with this one for a little bit. This album is raw and abrasive, and a bit harrowing considering what happened with Kurt right after this. That being said, it doesn’t lose it’s sense of musicality, and the songs are still very well written. A lot of it feels like a direct retaliation to the success of Nevermind, with the band seemingly wanting this to be nowhere near as colossal of a success. It is definitely a less radio friendly album, with harsh feedback, way noisier guitars, and Kurt Cobain ruining his vocal chords throughout, but again, the song structures, hooks, and riffs are all still there. Grohl’s drumming is incredible as always. It’s not a complete rejection of what made them famous (good music), rather it’s a rejection of what made them more famous than they wanted. Good album, I’ll probably come back to it later.

Ehh there are definitely some bangers, but overall it was a little too punk for me. Soz

Handful of absolute bangers mixed in with a bit too much angst.

I forget how pop-influenced Nirvana was at this point. Not quite the album Nevermind is, but this one is still an anthem of angst and swimming upstream. Good stuff

This is a raw, bold and heavy record. They achieve an abrasive and unique grunge sound. The album feels focused and well crafted, a classic for Grunge and Rock in general. In terms or performances, Cobain is the obvious standout, his vocal quality and delivery are excellent, and his guitar playing is perfect for their sound, I love the harsh tone they achieved for the guitar. Grohl's drumming is also superb, super heavy and powerful, driving a lot of the energy of the tracks. Novoselic gets the most subdued role, but still fills a key role and does it well.I really liked the bassline on "Serve the Servants". Cobain's lyricism is noteworthy as well, his writing is playful but heavy. It's a dark record at times, even more when considering the allusions to suicide. Nevertheless, his writing feels personal, bold and works great for the sound they deliver here. In terms of favourites, it has many great tracks so it's difficult to choose. "Serve the Servants" is great, "All Apologies" is excellent and a classic by now, same with "Rape Me" and "Heart-Shaped Box". My least favourite was probably "Scentless Apprentice", it leans a bit too much on the noise side, but it's still a very good song and doesn't take away from the album.

A little too much screaming for my tastes

Over rated

Another one of my favorite albums, I remember the first time I heard All Apologies on the radio when I was a teenager. Excellent album...it's interesting to compare the original album with the 2013 mix that's in the Deluxe Edition.

Great album

I think it’s a good album just not my style of music - I just can’t get on with nirvana

Classic.

Pas si mal mais les chansons sonnent un peu toutes pareilles

Heart-Shaped Box, Rape Me, Dumb, Radio Friendly Unit Shifter and All Apologies are my highlights. Other songs are mostly fine. Steve Albini's fingerprints can be spotted easiest close to the start of the album, especially in the guitars reminiscent of Big Black. The goal was to be abrasive, and it succeeds - I found it exhausting to listen to in one go. On an objective level there's not a single song I wouldn't like or at least enjoy, but I'm not objective, and I found it samey and a bit tiresome by the time we pass the second song.

Did not stand the test of time. At all

Mää melkeinpä sanoisin, että tää on Nirvanan paras levy, parempi kuin Nevermind. Toki sen kuulemisesta on jo aikaa. Kappaleet tuntuu kuitenkin paremmin kirjoitetuilta ja järkevimmiltä. Yleisestikkin soundi on semmoinen mistä pidän. Parhaat: Heart-Shaped Box, Rape Me, All Apologies, Dumb

It's one of those records that I never listened to, because I knew most of the songs already. This was a nice surprise, as a lot of the tracks were new to me, and they are GOOD. Wild, unhinged at times, but always full of energy.

One of my favorites of all time!

Fantastic album from start to finish

classique

It’s hard for me to pick whether I like Nevermind or this more. Nevermind, while iconic, is more assessable, due to its polish. I mean, to the average person, Smells Like Teen Spirit is easier to listen to than say, Heart-Shaped Box. But In Utero is more “Nirvana”. It showcases the true sound of the band, which makes the fact of this being the last release from Nirvana just all the more tragic. Maybe the eternal mystery of what Nirvana could have been after this album adds to the appeal of it. I don’t really want to say hyperbolic terms like “Kurt Cobain was the voice of a generation” or some crap like that. I just see him as someone who somehow managed to strike a chord with the youth at the time. I’d go as far as to say that Nirvana and Kurt were really the only act to be “grunge”- moody, abrasive, and guttural. Every grunge act after has been chasing them for years. Listening to In Utero is bittersweet. It’s a worthy successor to Nevermind, but it makes you wonder if Nirvana would have had the same level of success, had history been different. But as it is, it’s a fitting end to one of rock’s shortest lifespans. Favorite track: All Apologies Other hits: Heart-Shaped Box, Rape Me, Dumb, Pennyroyal Tea, Milk It, Scentless Apprentice, Very Ape

I like the all of the three songs because it has good rythem and beat the intruments were good and had rock and it got softer an louder

Yeah this is fantastic. As raw as this album is, the melody and solid songwriting is what makes it. Classic.

The best.

Heart Shaped Box <3 Great album

It was obvious that Kurt Cobain was going through a lot of pain. I just couldn’t understand his trauma because of all the screaming. I like “Nevermind” better.

6/10 a lot of high pitch sounds that hurt my ears and some songs are just boring

Maybe one of my most controversial opinions that will appear on this list, but I just really don’t like Nirvana. I’m not the biggest grunge guy at the best of time, but I find them so incredibly boring, not even Albini at the helm could make this a good listen for me. I’m interested for their unplugged album to come up as I feel I may like that more, but I’ve really tried to get into them over the years and they just don’t do a thing for me.

Excellent record! In retrospect, one wonders what great things were still to come

Alright, probably would have helped if I wasn’t in a rush to leave the house/cleaning cat puke off my shoes. Owe it another listen

Some of the great hits from a wonderful band

Looking back now, many better grunge albums than this....

In Utero is often described as difficult. I don’t see it. While it’s raw, heavy and extremely dark, its masterpiece is in the fact that the melodies are still there, as incredible as ever, even in the hash est songs. Cobain was one of a kind, a truly brilliant songwriter and unquestionably one of great to ever life. 9.4/10

Caught between liking the general sound but it being too screechy, or is that grungy? And let's be honest, a lot of the songs do sound pretty similar.

Pretty good stuff- would have liked to have seen where they went next :( FS: Dumb?

Yikes! Loved heart shaped box HATED scentless apprentice and... Track 4.

Maybe my favorite Nirvana album? I’d have to listen to more but the songs just have that extra something on them

Too screamy

Niet helemaal mijn ding. Niet goed, niet slecht. Ik snap de hype, maar zet liever wat anders aan.

Paar oke nummer, maar geen groot nirvana fan

Some really great tracks on this album. About half of the songs are fairly forgettable however

Fucking yassss

Nirvana is the culmination of post-punk alternative rock from the early 80s until the early 90s. They feel more representative of the musical trends that took rock from punk to grunge than Pearl Jam or Soundgarden. This is better than Nevermind. I also think the album tracks are better than the hits, Herat-Shaped Box and Rape Me. Very Ape is a good album track. All Apologies is a great song, great electric, great acoustic.

Teenage me thought this was way better than 45 year old me. Some great tracks but overall just doesn’t do it for me

zu schwer

Teenage angst has paid off well Now I’m bored and old These opening lyrics slay me every time. This is such a perfect follow up to Nevermind. It’s better in every way. It’s weirder, catchier, angrier, more tortured, and the band sounds so fucking tight. I was obsessed with “Scentless Apprentice” for a minute, and it still slaps. “Heart-Shaped Box” is one of the weirdest songs to top the charts. “Rape Me”’s opening riff sounds enough like “…Teen Spirit” that they got away with playing it on Saturday Night Live (angry Lorne Michaels face). “Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge on Seattle” is on of my favorite all-time song titles, and “I miss the comfort of being sad” is a great anthem for someone on anti-depressants. “Dumb” is just perfect. The next 3 songs- we get “Very Ape”, a wild animal, with biting sarcasm and lightning fast guitar. Then “Milk It”, probably Nirvana at their weirdest musically and lyrically, but you actually hear Kurt chuckle a little before he goes into the final screaming chorus. Then there’s Pennyroyal Tea, an abortion jam. “Radio Friendly Unit Shifter” is another perfect song title for a song about god knows what, followed by “tourettes” which doesn’t really have any lyrics, except for the printed ones that were anagrams for fuck, shit and piss. Finally, we’ve got “All Apologies”. Kurt is sorry for stealing that crayon (aqua sea-foam shame) and is she choking on the ashes of her enemies or her NME? This is Nirvana’s creative peak, and yeah what if Kurt Cobain didn’t kill himself blah blah blah, but I don’t want to think about what an aging Nirvana would look like. I’m glad this is the last album, it’s perfect. All in all is all they are.

Me biased, me love Nirvana. Five star foregone conclusion.

nirbaba