Reviews (page 7 of 15)
Definitely less commercially “polished” than Nevermind. Rounding up from 3.5.
I could really appreciate the song placement that sends a listener on a roller coaster of highs and lows, as Cobain yells and mumbles with great emotion on this mostly unpolished album.
Der er nogle gode sange på og det er åbenbart lavet som et album, som skulle være det stik modsatte af Nevermind. Kurt følte sig udnyttet og misforstået og ville gerne vise grunge kunne være kunst også, så det afspejler meget selvhad, selvdestruktion, vredt og udfordrende. De nægtede at gentage succesen af nevermind igen. Derfor lavede de et meget oprørsk album, det er mere noise rock og punket end Nevermind. Der er mere rå lyd og skrål hvilket er meget fedt. Men det faldt ikke lige i min smag på dagen, selvom jeg synes mange af de numre jeg synes er gode på MTV unplugged er med i denne.
Another pleasant surprise as I was never a Nirvana fan, having heard the singles a million times on the radio. But here, those songs just sound better when populated among these rockin'-ass album tracks.
Good album, not my style, but good
Beefy and more abrasive than Nevermind. Definitely has grown on me over the years.
Great piece of work from Nirvana, with some all-time classics.
This album blew my mind
Heard it already gangy
Nirvana defined a generation, specifically the angst and rebellion against the tide of bullshit that unfortunately swung back around and has plagued us in 2025. Hopefully we can Nirvana out in 2026 and get back to some sense of humanity again. With that said, for MY tastes Nirvana is a bit too screamy and experimental to be restful or "easy" to listen to. On the other hand I "get" them. Also they are genre defining and canon. (So there is that!). Thus, regardless of my own deeper personal preferences, this band is a must hear and the message underneath is critical for today's political and social environment.
It great but Nirvana has better albums
I am very familiar with this one from my Angry Grunge Fan days. My opinion really hasn't changed in 30 years. Half the songs are awesome. Half the songs are unlistenable.
I'm definitely biased
Kurt Cobain was the man. I can see why he's regarded as the GOAT of grunge. The subject matter was just a tad bit too depressing imo but otherwise it was a great record.
Excellent grunge
Sympa ! Mais pas parfait en vrai 7.5/10
It's surprising that this is the first time I've ever fully listened through a Nirvana album. I've known their singles from listening to the radio but never have gone out my way to listen to a full album. So, I recognized 4/12 of the songs on In Utero. It's honestly everything I'd expect from a Nirvana album.
Excellent album with some amazing all-time grunge songs like Serve the Servants and Heart-Shaped Box. Some songs do feel too rough or screamy for me, the most egregious example being Scentless Apprentice which has an almost unlistenable chorus.
raw lyrics, heavy, truthful and just plain good.
My Nirvana preference.
killlerrrrr album
I bought this album a few years ago, I had been into Nirvan from when I heard them on “The Word” all those years ago, I played this album again yesterday, most of the songs I love, loved Kurtz songwriting, great 3 piece band.
Just as good as Nevermind. Love the production by Albini. It loses 1/2 a star for my because I find the transitions a bit rough, maybe because of the non-Albini reworks on a few songs. Amazing song writing. Cobain's pain can be hard to listen to, but makes moving music.
Good, I like it, I like Nirvana, introduced me to a handful of songs I havent heard before.
Ja ouvi muito bom
3.5
I used to have this on par with Nevermind. With another listen I can see I overrated it. The lesser known tracks are much less listenable than Nevermind.
this went hard whilst playing amongus
Nirvana trying to consciously get rid of all their fair weather fans made a record mostly free of catchy hooks and clean production. Steve Albini makes this record sound sludgy and angrier than Nirvana probably even intended. I definitely wasn’t sure what to make of it when it came out but years later I have a greater appreciation.
listened before but felt like i could really get into it this time, was really good background to study until Kurt started screaming like 10 mins in. should come back to this one note often
Actual Rating: 4.5/5
I like this album a lot, but I would prefer "Im Bleach" on this list. Definitely 4 stars, maybe more, but not sure, need to listen more to it, but not enough time! But I see already rated this 4.5/5.0 on RYM so there's that.
Definitely enjoyed it more than N.W.A cause that shit was boring af. This was the first rock album I've ever listened to and definitely I don't regret it. I enjoyed it.
Yes
I actually had a nirvana phase in high school. ii was so obsessed with rock music and culture. I read up on Curt and his decline in loving life and how he was less and less himself the more fame he got.
Great Songs: Serve the Servants, Heart-Shaped Box, Rape Me, Very Ape, Pennyroyal Tea, All Apologies Good Songs: Scentless Apprentice, France Farmer Will Have Revenge On Seattle, Dumb, Milk It, Radio Friendly Unit Shifter, Tourette's Mid Songs: Bad Songs:
Nirvana's third and final studio album, In Utero is raw and aggressive. It hasn't got the polish of Nevermind and for the most part hasn't quite got the tunes. The ones with actual melodies are fine with some strong lyrics throughout (Serve the Servants, Heartshaped Box, All Apologies). Whilst the likes of Rape Me and Dumb are fine enough. But a lot of the rest is deliberately trying not to be tuneful and going for noise and rage. Which is fine enough as it is, and it certainly has a lot of energy, but as a piece of work I'm not going to give this the full marks. The real question is what they would have done after this, had Cobain not done himself in.
Historically, I hold a "completely ambivalent" position on Nirvana, but this album has Heart-Shaped Box on it, and I do really love that song thanks to my parents getting MTV when I was in my early teens and it being played constantly. I loved the music video too. Of everything else, I liked Scentless Apprentice and Milk It a lot (absolutely the right type of screamy), and Pennyroyal Tea (I like how it descends into shambles at the end). I liked Radio Unfriendly Unit Shifter and Tourettes too. Plus it's nice to hear All Apologies in the proper recorded version (MTV also obsessively played the Unplugged version of that too). I actually enjoyed this album way, way more than I thought I might. I will say, now I've seen that clip of Dave Grohl telling Pharrell Williams that while in Nirvana he just ripped off disco drums, I can't unhear it, which certainly adds to the listening experience. Genuinely a surprise to me how much I liked this album (which I imagine is a bizarre statement for a lot of people my age to read). It very nearly got the top mark, but it definitely deserves a 4. 4/5
Time is such a weird thing. Have you ever thought about what albums would've been popular when your parents were your age? I do every now and then. When this album came out my dad would've been basically the same age I am right now, only a year older. Mid to late 20's is such a weird age. I don't believe he ever listened to this though, he was more into Pink Floyd and ACDC, though he says it's all demonic now. A lot of people tend to like the music of their teens, so this probably came out too late for him to enjoy. I think I've only really heard one Nirvana song before. The one that everyone knows. I know my younger brother got into their stuff when he was around 15, but no one ever really played music aloud (don't anger dad), so I never heard it. I'm interested but nervous to actually listen, since they're so iconic. This means I actually have to form an opinion on them. Listening notes: 4th song - Production is really nice, but I won't be coming back to this for pretty obvious reasons. The same reasons I tend to skip Tori Amos' "Me and a Gun", which interestingly would've came out just the year before this album, and Samia's "Breathing Song". I think this song is less intense, lyrically, than the other two, but it's just a subject that I am well aware of and don't need constant reminders of lol. It's why I put this album off for like 3 days lol. All love tho Faves: Heart-Shaped Box, Francis Farmer, Pennyroyal Tea, All Apologies. Overall, I think my opinions are a little mixed. I get why they are so revered, but it is slightly outside of my normal listening soundscape. I think I'm going to end up giving this a few more listens, except for track 4 sorry, and pick out my faves from there but I don't think I'm going to go back to the album as a whole personally. Shout out scoliosis and anemia 3.75/5
It was actually a lot heavier on the album tracks than I realized it would be based on the hits. Strong album from them.
On each of my listens I've preferred Nevermind, but I've enjoyed In Utero. Let's see how this listen compares shall we? Heart-shaped box whips such ass it's nuts. Frances Farmer is a very grunge sounding song that rips too. All Apologies is GOATED in addition! The difference between this and Nevermind is there are skipable songs, but there are no skipable songs in Nevermind. In Utero is still VERY good and quintessential, don't get me wrong. They just really killed it with Nevermind. 4/5
Incredible songwriting and performances all around. Not fully my style of music, but so good otherwise that it was a fantastic listen.
I was obsessed with Nevermind in 1991, then never listened to the follow-up. I did hear and loved the singles. On a first listen, I’m not partial to the return (apparently) to the abrasive and brash tones of their punkier roots. I like when Nirvana is warmer and more melodic, as evidenced on the singles. Apparently they had to bring in another producer and remix to be more commercial than the first go. Four of the songs, which I already knew, are so strong that they lift this from 3 territory. The others could grow on me with repeat listens but them’s the breaks of the challenge.
I used to be the biggest Nirvana fan ever but I only really listened to never mind. RIP Kurt Cobain, and I hope Pat Smear and Dave Grohl keep making good tunes in Foo fighters ❤️❤️🎸 I kinda hate the last few songs though :/
This album hit a little differently this listen. I think the album gets better the farther you go down the song list. Still my favorites: Dumb Milk It Pennyroyal Tea Always a classic: All Apologies Don’t really like anymore (but I have a story about it if anyone ever wants to know): Rape Me Honorable mention: Heart-Shaped Box & the end of Scentless Apprentice. I might just start screaming “go away”…
With the production a little less refined than Nevermind Nirvana come blazing out of this record with all their trademarks, including the now cliché of grunge, there acoustic intros and verses building to the distortion laden choruses. It’s also full of Cobain’s trademark lacerating self-disclosure. Probably the best of their three albums.
I've listened to a lot of Nirvana and can never really figure out my opinion on this album, until right now. It's about four stars, give or take.
So much messier than Nevermind, but intentional.
Not as commercial as nevermind. But a great album.
There are some songs that are really good, like Heart-Shaped Box and All Apologies, but there are some songs where he's just screaming, and not in the good way, it sounds really painful. It's just a really rage-filled album that you just kinda have to be in the mood for. 7/10
Pretty good
So different from the MTV live album, I feel like there is a lot more variation, but also just more rage and anger, a quiet spite lurking through even the quiet sections of the album.
Perfect for a rainy day
3,5/5
Heart-Shaped Box, Rape Me, Very Ape отличные песни. Остальное так себе.
Feel like I should listen to Nirvana more now
brilliant fucking album
Ótimo álbum! Mantém a identidade do Nirvana, mas é criativo em vários aspectos.
Quite enjoyable and very influential 4/5
What’s good is really good. What’s bad is really bad. Fortunately, the good outweighs the bad.
Banger. Nok min yndlings Nirvana
Nirvana’s swan song comes as an evolution of the sound of Nevermind that seems like a step backwards. In Utero manages evoke the rawness characteristic of debut works, a rawness that I think is overdone and, in a way, artificial. It’s impossible to not think of Nevermind and ponder if In Utero is a sonic evolution that is worth having. In my opinion, it falls short and is a less cohesive, robust album than Nevermind. However, the sonic signature of Nirvana makes sure it is still a quality album, with elements that simply work together. Kurt’s voice is one of the best vehicles of grief and rage and the raw emotion that comes through it makes an album remarkable by its own right.
Amazing been too long since I've heard this, biased opinion as I was in high school when this came out. What a band, amazing albumn
Fine Nirvana album.
Truthfully, I wasn't really in the mood for this, as I'd been listening to happy Christmas songs all day. I also reacted initially by thinking "Oh... more guitars."* But, Nirvana were definitely a cut above, in terms of the creativity in their song-writing, and the range of emotions being conveyed (none of which is very happy and Christmassy, as it happens). I hadn't listened to this album before, but it's really good. They just get the balance of sound right, and the music is always interesting. *I realise that sounds ridiculous in the context of this project. And I do like guitars. But 500+ albums in, perhaps there could have been a bit more variety...
In my memory, there was the Nirvana album (Nevermind), the album before the album (Bleach), and a series of rather mediocre attempts by Geffen Records to keep the band in the spotlight after Nevermind (Incesticide, In Utero, MTV Unplugged). At least as far as In Utero is concerned, however, I have to correct this impression: "Serve The Servants", "Heart-Shaped Box", "Rape Me", and "All Apologies" are really good songs, but of course they no longer had the same innovative power as the similarly good but even better-produced tracks two years earlier. To me, “Rape Me” even sounds a bit like a parody of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” today and, in retrospect, seems like Kurt Cobain's declaration of surrender to the expectations of the public, but also to life, the universe, and everything. For me, “In Utero” thus marks the public beginning of the tragic self-destruction of this talented band.
Uhum, but not my favorite rock album/band
Pretty darn good album, I like heart shaped box 👍. Long live gimp music
Starts off pretty scream-y before going into some stone cold classics. Heart shaped box, all apologies, dumb, rape me are all-time favorites.
3.5
The punk roots showing through to great effect. A profound follow-up to Nevermind's breakthrough. I think it holds up really well.
A fitting swansong!
I haven’t listened to this album since I was fifteen. It’s a classic, but I think I’m a little too old now in order to enjoy it the way I did when I was a teen. Fav songs: Rape Me, Dumb
Actually really good! Nirvana is not my cup of tea, and neither is grunge, but I really felt like it was a solid, genre-defining record. Dying to compare it to Nevermind and other records from the same time and genre, and made me want to explore more.
A few things: CANT believe I used to have a take where this album sucks. It does not. But. I have a gripe with Kurt cobain and I’m gonna spill: he doesn’t enunciate for shit. I had to look at the lyrics to understand even a single line. And they’re impressively fantastic lyrics! If only I could understand them without a translator. Second half also not as strong as first. But all apologies is an incredible closer
This album carries a lot of baggage. Maybe more than any other. Listening to it now I felt so nostalgic for this little band. As much as these are Cobain’s songs, so much of the sound comes from Novoselic. His bass playing is so melodic. I wonder what it was like for him to be band mates with Cobain. Anyway, great rock record if you can separate the listening experience from the collective trauma.
Love the desperate energy, the harsher sound, and the sadness beneath it all, esp in Radio Friendly Unit Shifter.
Not much to say here, its abrasive, slow, intense, its Nirvana and I like it. Even if half of the songs are easily forgettable, it remains a good album that I'll keep playing.
8/10 Favorites: Serve The Servants Heart-Shaped Box Dumb All Apologies
A fantastic mix of fuzz and songwriting. There’s a great blend of chaos and synchronicity throughout. The fact that Cobain wrote 11 out of these 12 songs impressed me and verified what I had read about his legacy in the music world. I think the most interesting thing about this album for me is that I had never thought I’d listened to it in full before, yet I know every song included here. “Dumb” and “All Apologies” are A+ in my book After a full listen while reading a bit about the songs included on the album, this listener is left with 4 stars of nihilistic angst.
Ei yllä mitenkään nirvanan edellisen albumin tasolle mutta omaan korvaan melko synkähkökin levy kun ottaa huomioon Cobainin kohtalon. Lyyrisesti kovaa kamaa ja soittimet on saatu kuulostamaan tosi raa’alta ja nää toimii hyvin keskenään. Ei tälle kuitenkaan ihan vitosta voi antaa
If extreme inner turmoil - physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual - set to a harrowing Noise-inspired soundtrack is your cup of tea, then by all means dive head first into this pool. A masterpiece that invites you to f off in every possible way. Brutal and, ironically, unapologetic.
I prefer Nevermind, but this is still a solid album
Ngl I hadn’t listened to this for more than 30 years and I liked it much, much more than I expected - particularly the crisp production by Steve Albini (RIP) struck me as almost perfect
s'alright really
tbh nirvana is a phase for me even tho it's not for a million people out there. The composition of nirvana is not timeless as i think it is. the Recording is something else, neutral sounding and the room capture is on point.
Good ole clasdic
I have a very sentimental relationship with this album. It was part of a very important time in my life. Kurt's almost nonsensical lyrics have their own meaning for me.
Groupe et album connu. J’aime beaucoup ce groupe, en particulier l’album ‘Nevermind’. ‘In utero’ est un peu moins réussi (difficile d’être au même niveau que le précédent !), mais reste bien meilleur que beaucoup d’album de cette liste … => 4.5/5
4.0 RYM
More abrasive and raw than the polished Nevermind, drawing more from the post punk/hardcore 80s tradition than the metal well that fed Soundgarden or Alice in Chains, this is a bracing mix of aggression and melody. Pummelling riffs and pop hooks, violent textures and dissonant harmonies, guttural screams and brutal lyrics.
Great album, some hit songs that have such a strong force to them. Not every song is quite what I love to listen to, but the artistry makes up for it.
Really emotional and raw.
I hadn’t heard this before in its entirety and I think I enjoy it more than Nevermind. It feels like they were on an interesting path and I wish we could have seen where they went next. Definitely like the less grungy sounding moments more like All Apolgies, Heart Shaped Box, and Dumb.
Much has already been said about this album, and has been dissected to end and back in reverse. I'd say even more than Nevermind. In Utero combines the pop backbone of Nevermind and adds the noisy touch Kurt was free to add and Albini was happy to oblige. The result was an album that proudly stands shoulder to shoulder with one of the best albums of the 90s. To some, even above it. Part of what makes it great is how they created songs in the same vein as Nevermind (Serve The Servants, Dumb, Very Ape), but then adding an experimental touch to others (Tourette's, Scentless Apprentice). What also stands out is how much this album feels like a letter to a psychologist. Kurt's mental health was at a downswing on Nevermind, but on In Utero it feels like rock bottom. Songs like Heart Shaped Box, Pennyroyal Tea and All Apologies show this. If you were to ask me to name me which album I like more, I'd struggle. Both of them are good in their own right, with each highlighting different things, which means I enjoy them in different times. In Utero is for the moments where life brings you down, something i'm all too familiar with. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Pretty solid, not their best. I think I like nirvana when they're a bit more raw and rough around the edges. Fav lyrics: Dumb Fav music: Heart shaped box Fav overall: Rape me
Heart Shaped Box and All Apologies are brilliant songs. Rest are great too 4/5
Hardcore grunge tastic meltdown. Tbh I had never listened to anything but the singles. The other tracks are way more hardcore.
Very good album, some defining tracks of a generation but also a couple that don't quite get to those heights.
Classic and for good reason
Fond memories of playing guitar to Penny Royal Tea. All apologies and also Heart shaped box raise this to 4 stars.
There are certainly some great songs on In Utero (particularly Heart Shaped Box). It's probably my favourite Nirvana album. Still, their sound is pretty basic and samey, and now I'm past my angsty teenage stage it's difficult to love these lyrics as much as I once did.
It's not Nevermind, but what is? Plus, In Utero is still incredible with some key Nirvana tracks.
Loved this. Such a great album, super solid all round. I was so into this even through work.
A brooding, downright menacing album, it was never going to be another Nevermind, but it stands as a great album in its own right.
This was a confirmation that these Cats were game changers. Raw & intense, just what the 90’s needed to shake things up. A tragedy that it all ended too soon..
I’ve always loved Nirvana, but In Utero isn’t the album I go back to most often. There’s no denying its importance as a cultural moment in the grunge era but as a studio record, it only has a handful of truly great songs for me. I generally prefer the live versions of these songs on From the Muddy Banks of the Wishkah, which feel rawer and more immediate, which is Nirvana is at its best. That said, I can’t imagine the pressure the band was under making a follow-up to Nevermind. Were they just a one-hit wonder? Or would they create a record that went to the next level and cemented them as superstars who shaped the culture? Did they even want any of that? Or did they want to reject that pressure and stay outsiders? Those questions alone could weigh heavily on any artist, but when you add in Kurt Cobain’s struggles with addiction and mental health, you can imagine the tension behind making In Utero.
Primal, gritty, overhyped and but enjoyable
Solid but overrated
Great vocals
Never been the biggest Nirvana fan but there's far worse I could listen to. There's guitars and powerful drums. Not a bad listen at all.
I liked this album so much I bought two copies
Fantastic album, filled with raw energy and iconic songs. Love it
Not Nirvana's best album but some great hits and a lot of screaming. 8/10
Is it wrong that I prefer a more polished sound? I completely get the point and the fighting back against media and expectations but I struggled a bit with 'Tourette's' and 'Scentless Apprentice' (despite a cool drum groove on this one.) For those without a background understanding of the band and Cobain's position, 'Rape Me' could understandably be a difficult and shocking listen. Hopefully, there is enough out there for people to comprehend its purpose. My favourite tracks are those that wouldn't feel out of place on Nevermind: 'heart-shaped box' and 'all apologies' in particular. I don't feel bad about that though. Also, pretty high ranking on the album cover front.
Roh, unbequem, ehrlich: In Utero ist Nirvanas radikale Abkehr vom Mainstream. Mit noisigen Tracks und düsteren Texten zeigt Cobain seine verletzliche Seite. Kein leichtes Album – aber ein kraftvolles Statement.
I like this a lot, but it's not quite at the highs of Nevermind. Maybe some of that is familiarity, though. Some great songwriting on here; Heart-Shaped Box and All Apologies are the highlights, and I liked Radio Friendly Unit Shifter.
Another album that has become completely inaudible due to a virtual Pompeii of layered memories, thoughts, feelings, and experiences over the decades. Is it good? It has to be, to me, I guess, since it was so instrumental in the shaping of my aesthetics. Beyond that, who can really say?
Serve the servants - likee, lowk catchy (3,5/5) Scentless apprentice - Jean-Baotiste Grenouille is it you??, not really my thing but okayish (2,3/5) Heart-Shaped box - classic, crushing, love (5/5 am I biased?) (fav) Rape me - questionable lyrics but hate to sah that the song still slaps (4/5) (2nd fav) Frances will habe her Revenge on Seattle - dient stick out to ne but generally a good song (3,5/5) Dumb - random as lyrics but kinda sweet? (2,7/5) Very Ape - like the guitar and the theme (3/5) Milk it - like it surprisingly, only the way kurt cobain sings the Verses isnt really my thing but it dies fit the sing kinda (3/5) Pennyroyal tea - likee it, fits my music taste (4/5) Radio friendly unit shifter - me too, im a lyrics person and i couldnt undertand the the lyrics half the time sadly because j do like them (3/5) Tourettes - liek the instrumental, interestung way of singing the lyrics dont know if i like it or not (indescisive 2-4/5) All apologies - strong good song, like it a lot (4/5) (3rd fav) Lyrics I liked: I miss the comfortnin bejng sad My heart is broke but I have some glue Im so tired i cant sleep Everyone is gay
I am thankful for Nirvana primarily because of just how popular they were and still are - which isn’t usually a metric that I go by but in this case it is because of this band’s skirting of the line between approachability and, well, very noisy rock that somehow made them into an almost universally beloved act and helped to usher in many years of ‘mainstream’ rock afterward. I confess that I have never listened to a full Nirvana album despite my love for very loud guitar-heavy rock. This has changed with In Utero, and even though it is their third and last studio album it is probably as good an entry as Bleach or Nevermind would be, the latter of which is coming up soon on my catch-up of 1001 list backlog. You can immediately see how they were so popular but somewhat paradoxically you are in awe of how they managed it with such a harsh, loud sound. And don’t get me wrong, I know the masses love some loud rock - see... most any popular rock band from the 60s and 70s. But for the masses to latch on to this? It’s just great. I should probably talk about the music. It isn’t half harsh, as I’ve said. Scentless Apprentice goes fully into that deep, grunge-y sound just after the still heavy but comparatively ‘light’ Serve the Servants, and this is built upon with the supermassive hit of Heart-Shaped Box and the bluntly titled but greatly impactful Rape Me. These first four tracks are what establishes the album, and the sounds from them are built upon in the subsequent tracks, both in the lyrical and the loud. An additional mention to the hidden track on some CD releases, Gallons of Rubbing Alcohol Flow Through the Strip, too. It’s worth the 20 minute wait (or 1 minute of pressing the fast forward button). The cover here represents the rise of Nirvana in their time as a band, and the rise thereafter following Cobain’s death both in music and in the large industry of shirts with their logo on it.
it's no nevermind, but it's still a great album.
Haven't listened in a while but great album
Good, but I don’t think this is the best grunge album of the 90’s . Overplayed on radio.
a classic! had never played the album in full and it was clear how well-crafted it was. peak nirvana, but i'm drunk and going to bed so good night
Man, what a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day. Classic. I adored Nirvana in my teen years and it still connects. Melody forward, rough vocals, grunge. Nevermind will always be my favorite, as I'm sure it is for most, but I'm Utero deserves to be apart of the conversation.
Sonic delight, Nirvana's response to global fame and the path to destruction.
Right before peak nirvana, this is still up there with one of the best grunge albums of the 90's. Timeless classic. Top 3 are pennyroyal tea, all apologies and heart-shaped box
I don't think I've listened to another Nirvana album besides Nevermind (the one with the iconic album cover). I certainly know and like the classic songs here. After a couple of runs I feel pretty confident this was the most hot and cold album I've ever listened to. By that I mean, the good songs hear were bangers and the bad songs were almost unlistenable. On the good side you have Heart-Shaped Box, Rape Me, Frances Farmer, Dumb, Pennyroyal Tea, and All Apologies. On the bad side you had Serve The Servants, Scentless Apprentice, and Tourette's. I didn't have an opinion on the other songs not listed. The majority of the album was strong and the good songs here are among the best Nirvana put out, especially All Apologies which I think is my favorite song by them. If I come back to this album, I'll just skip the songs I don't like. Despite those poor songs, I still feel like this is solidly in the 4 tier.
Was just talking with Mehie the other day about how I don't think I've ever listened to this album straight through. Loving the sludginess of Scentless Apprentice -- I don't think I've ever heard Nirvana sound quite like this. Heart-Shaped Box is just a fantastic song. Rape Me is also just a really well-written song, which is underlined by the fact that it garnered significant radio play in spite of its heavy/bordering taboo subject matter. Back half was fine, though I could have done without Tourette's -- a bit shouty for me. My favorites were Very Ape, Milk It and All Apologies. The latter of which is one of my favorite individual Nirvana tracks and is even better in the context of this album as a closer. Such a tender, but raw jam. Love how despite the critical and commercial success of Nevermind, Nirvana kept true to their roots and doubled down on this lo-fi mixing and super rough sound. Not nearly as strong end to end as Nevermind, but still a fine album. Solid 4 imo.
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.
Ever heard of this little unknown gem?
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
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.
wonderful, always
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.
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.
It's Nirvana. Lots of familiar songs.
Sick album but not their best
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
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 dig the rougher sound on this one. Lots of great songs - Heart-Shaped Box and All Apologies are my favorite. Fun listen.
good
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.
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.
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.
Still rocks all these years later, a very solid 4 stars
Patiko, niekada pilnai neklausiau, visai herų melodijų yra.
Liked the rough edges and punk roots.
What a voice. Very good album, I like the more mature sound.
I ended up liking this one more than expected. Discovered some non-single tracks I like: Frances Farmer and Very Ape.
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
Classic. Grunge's high water mark.
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.
Mumble Rock/10
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.
I was a big Nevermind and Bleach kid growing up. I need more time with this one!!!
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.
Finds it's groove after the first two songs, which as hard to listen to
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.
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.
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.
Nirvana is beeeesssstttt
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
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
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)
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.
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.
3.6
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.
In Utero is fine, but I always liked Nevermind better.
Some absolute gems in this album mixed in with some noisy filler.
Solid classic, not quite Nevermind
Не фанат Нирваны и текстов их песен, но этот альбом звучит неплохо.
Greta album
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
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
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.
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
Really big bangers. My friend look like nirvava
Classic
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
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.
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.
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.
Honestly a cool album, and you can hear the early basis for Nevermind, but it’s not quite as great
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.
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
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.
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
Heart Shaped Box <3 Great album
Some of the great hits from a wonderful band
Pretty good stuff- would have liked to have seen where they went next :( FS: Dumb?
Maybe my favorite Nirvana album? I’d have to listen to more but the songs just have that extra something on them
Not their best for my money, but still outstanding!
One of my favorites.
The simplistic childish lyrics from albums past have vanished, replaced by darker themes and more mature subject matter. The urgency is missing giving In Utero an eerie mellow vibe. Not a Nirvana fan, still an excellent album.
Already listened to this, nirvana makes good songs but I always think there albums kinda blend into one. Being a third listen I might be able to understand the individual songs better this time.
This is a raw, heavy, abrasive and quite a dark album. I've heard it's more grungey, punky and darker than 'Nevermind' so it'll be interesting to compare when I get that album. Kurt Cobain sounds great. His screams on 'Tourette's' and 'Scentless Apprentice' sound like he's in pain and he's letting his anger and frustration out. What a great riff on the latter track too by the way! Despite it being less poppy than their previous album, it still has its pop moments. Opener 'Serve The Servants' is a catchy way to start the album and 'Heart Shaped Box' was the only familiar track to me (thanks again, Guitar Hero!) and I used to find it so boring. Listening to it today though, I really enjoyed it. It's one of those tracks that you think a loud and heavy guitar is coming to blow your ears off but it never comes and I like that. A couple of dud tracks here and there and it did every so slightly sound a bit samey at times (need more listens) but this was great, and I'm very much looking forward to more from Nirvana.
86% Best: Heart-Shaped Box; Rape Me; Dumb; Milk It; Radio Friendly Unit Shifter; All Apologies Must-Hear? Sure
Intentionally rawer and and less polished than Nevermind, but also the crop of songs isn't as strong. I'm not Gen X so I don't have that big an emotional attachment to this record, but it still pretty great. Key tracks: Heart-Shaped Box Rape Me Dumb Pennyroyal Tea All Apologies
The 1st 2 tracks really turned me off, much rawer than Nevermind. Then it settled down and I really enjoyed the rest of the Album
Raw
Not my favourite from Nirvana, a bit more avant-garde than I like personally. But there are some obvious hits here and it’s interesting to listen to the whole record front to back.
nunca fui mto fã de nirvana, mas esse eu vou ter que dar a devida moral: poucas coisas me pegam mais do que gritos raivosos e angustiados com uma guitarra distorcida fazendo bagunça
My prime youth here in all it's angsty glory, lol. Great album with some solid tracks and only minimal filler. All Apologies is still my favorite Nirvana track after all these years.
I only know the hits… have never listened to a Nirvana album in full and I was surprised how many “deep cuts” (to me) I liked. Can totally understand how this band changed the game at the time.
The first album generated for me is one I know well from previous years, but haven't listened to in some time. It is a classic and my favorite Nirvana album - it's rawness elevates it above Nevermind, but also means you have to be in the right state of mind to listen to it, and it can on occasions prove too challenging. I will only give 5 stars to albums I genuinely see as some of my favorites of all time, so will limit this album to 4 stars. Standout Tracks - Heart Shaped Box, Rape Me, Dumb, All Apologies. 8/10.
4.5
Ok... As for me half of this album is fucking brilliant. "Heart-Shaped Box", "Rape Me", "Francis Farmer...", "Dumb", "Pennyroyal Tea", and my personal favorite Nirvana song, "All Apologies" are all absolute bangers. Five more songs like that and yes I would call this a five star, hands down. The rest honestly are just too raw and noisy for the sake of being raw and noisy. That usually doesn't sit well with me. But some of those tracks overcome that. Like the opening tracks "Sereve The Servant" and "Scentless Apperentice", which though I'm not as high on as the six I mentioned earlier, really feel fine in the context of the album. Then there is "Milk It" and "Tourette's" which we'll is just a bunch of screaming nonsense to me. Over all this is a great album, but as I've always maintained, doesn't hold a candle to "Nevermind" as far as excellence. I don't care how many Nirvana fans have tried to convince me till they're blue in the face that this is a far better album and that I don't have any ears for not recognizing that. I'm not aiming that at anyone here, but it has historically made me kinda despise the album in retrospect. Every time I listen to it I keep on trying to find what it is that everyone talks about, but I don't hear it. I tried not to listen to it in that context this time around. And yes actually is a very good album. 8.75 ★★★★
An album of similar stature and circumstance to Joy Division’s Closer except not quite as good. You have Scentless Apprentice as pulverising highs, a few other classic not-as-pulverising tracks like All Apologies, Dumb and Heart Shaped Box and below that Pennyroyal tea as bleary mids, Milk It and Tourettes as punishing mids, and Very Poo Ape and Radio Friendly Poo-nit Shifter as poopy lows. On balance though still a pretty great record.
It's just a classic album. Raw and authentic despite having top-flight production value.
7.75/10
An amazing album. Raw, pure and angry.
Actually far better than i remembered
Deeply personal with plenty of both angst and pain to be seen here. Some songs have ear worm melodies, and others increased sales on distortion pedals by 50%. Punk albums can often feel more bark than bite — I believe the case is clear here that In Utero is not. Least favorite — Very Ape, Tourette’s, Radio Friendly Unit Shelter Top tracks — the rest
8/10. Nevermind is a better album but i love how raw and real this is. All apologies is an amazing closer
Seemed good. A bit sweary and intense
Having flashbacks of my nirvana “phase” in high school and I liked it!
Som en blyg och sympatisk seriemördare
heart-shaped box and dumb already saved. Let's see the other ones:
This one is good, but it hits differently than Nevermind. I didn't get into this as much, and I'm not sure why. I would've loved to have heard another album from them, but it wasn't meant to be. Fun fact, The Prodigy samples the opening guitar on Very Ape for their song Voodoo People on Music for the Jilted Generation. Give it a listen. Anyhoo, this album is a 4 for me.
I have mentioned that Nirvana was a hugely impactful band for me when I was a kid in the early '90's. But that after Kurt's death it was hard for me to keep listening. So it's been a long time since I listened to this album straight through. If you would've asked me what I rated this album, before I recently listened to it again, I would have told you that it was a five, easily. But listening to it surprised me and made me realize that it was a much louder, harsher album on some tracks than some of their other stuff. Kurt was too raw and screamy for some of these songs to be anything I would reach for on a regular basis these days, but they still have their place and I still appreciate them. Yet I realize that it doesn't quite meet my threshold of an album needing to be absolute wall to wall greatness for it to garner a five. So I'll give it a four and a half. My favorite tracks are Serve The Servants, Heart-Shaped Box, Dumb, Pennyroyal Tea, All Apologies.
Hard to follow up “Nevermind” but still solid, actually found the slower songs more enjoyable
Amazing of course.
Pretty good!, but i love nevermind more than this one
12/1001. What do you get when an angry and depressed band gets world famous, pushed and pulled around? Add a bit of drugs to the mixture and they get angrier and more depressed, and it shows here. So for me this album is a diary of what was happening at that time to Nirvana / Cobain. Somehow I can't imagine what would have happened after this if what happened didn't happen with the band? Cobain sobered out, grunge craze gone by, next big thing in everyone's cd-walkmans — would they have mellowed out, wrote more savvy, still a bit grungy songs a la the Foo Fighters? Would the world have wanted that? And does this make this album better because of that improbable future never happened? The album is honest, with great songs and amazing energy and rawness, but I don't really feel too comfortable reading or listening to someone's private life splattered over 12 songs. I liked Bleach when it came out and Nevermind was out of this world, and this album reminds us that Grunge Lives Matter.
This album is so good. I’m not really the biggest rock guy but they are undeniable. Their chemistry bleeds through the music, it just sounds seamless. I’m usually indifferent to Rock vocalists singing capabilities but Kurt’s voice just fits perfectly. I loved this project!
90s grunge have my heart. Good times.
Classic nirvana
Very very solid rock
I never used to like Nirvana because I thought they were all poppy tunes under a veneer of rock guitars, but since listening to a lot more grunge this year I've found I like them after all. I realised they (and grunge more generally) are a bridge from hard rock to sludge/stoner/doom that I just skipped. I didn't really get why Melvins are sometimes labelled as grunge until I heard songs like Blew and Mr. Moustache I still prefer the noisy and chaotic moments, like Scentless Apprentice and the guitar solo on Serve the Servants. The softer moments suffer a bit for me because of Kurt's voice, sometimes I find it offputting and grating. Not always though, the verses on Heart-Shaped Box work I could also tell Steve Albini produced this purely by the sound of the drums on Scentless Apprentice I don't like Rape Me though, it's a level of edgelord that ends up quite cringe in my opinion. The riff also sounds like shitty self-plagarisation of Teen Spirit Highlights: Scentless Apprentice, Pennyroyal Tea, Heart-Shaped Box, Milk It
Ah, the Nirvana album they made to intentionally alienate their fans from Nevermind (allegedly). The album has a much dirtier, uglier sound, which is certainly... A choice. It's unconventional but it's still clearly purposeful and every song is distinct. And though I may not like it as much as Nevermind, it's not without it's high points. Heart Shaped Box is one of my favorite Nirvana songs ever, and Pennyroyal Tea is a damn good song where Kurt gets out a lot of his pain. It's an ugly album, but one still with a place.
This album was riding high on the success of Nevermind, an iconic cover design, and the slow and steady decline of Cobain’s mental health. Kurt’s erratic behavior paired with public suicidal ideations was creating friction within the band. Relistening to this album in retrospection makes those little nuances become increasingly more evident. That’s not to say that there aren’t some good songs on here: Heart-Shaped Box; Rape Me; Dumb, and my favorite, All Apologies. But the other songs on there tend to lead toward the forgettable ans they seem like leftovers from Bleach and Nevermind. I wonder: if Cobain won’t have died, would have this been the last Nirvana album anyway?
Random thoughts: * It is hard not to judge this album in the shadow of Nevermind. No matter what Nirvana did after that it was not going to measure up. * They definitely went a little darker and harder to probably turn off the masses. But a few songs still pushed through: Heart Shaped Box, Rape Me, Pennyroyal Tea, All Apologies. * There is enough here for an above average album with a more acquired taste.
I’ve never listened to any Nirvana ever before and I can now say I get why people love them now. It’s emotion and talent expressed like no other. Good stuff but I think it’ll take me a second to really fully appreciate this record.
It’s good but the grunge schtick gets boring. Nevermind is a better album despite what all the greebos say
Nirvana’s best album. It’s raw and noisy and full of energy.
Wow grandma's review makes me want to listen again and pay closer attention! Like gumblesnork, this sounded a lot more like Creed than I remembered. But I was tapping my feet and I like the vocal range that Kurt Cobain has throughout the album. I might like Nevermind more 😬
Alt rock is never going to be the same once they hear this
When I think of Nirvana I mostly think of "Nevermind". By comparison this album felt like a move away from pop and towards a more raw energetic sound. I'm sure that a lot of people like that a lot but I'm not sure how I feel about it. On one hand I think it's cool to see a band with so much mainstream success move towards a less palatable sound. On the other hand I think that at it's best the band was really fueled by Cobain's impeccable sense of melody and this album didn't really put that on display. Regardless: good listen IMO. Album art is sick AF too
Hard to complain about Nirvana. Heart-Shaped box, Rape Me, and Dumb have catchy familiar melodies, while the rest is just very grungy 90s alt rock.
Great album. I really dug the use of feedback that Kurt used. Just disgusting guitar tone they used
“Slaps the top of Kurts head” This bad boy can hold so much angst.
Se rämisevämpi Nirvana. Pidän tätä nevermindia parempana sen räkäisyyden takia.
another album i've heard before (partially) Serve The Servants - 4/5 Scentless Apprentice - 3/5 Heart-Shaped Box - 5/5 Rape Me - 5/5 Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge... - 4/5 Dumb - 5/5 Very Ape - 4/5 Milk It - 4/5 Pennyroyal Tea - 4/5 Radio Friendly Unit Shifter - 4/5 Tourette's - 3/5 All Apologies - 5/5 Average score: 4.1/5 it's Nirvana, what can i say?
Not my favorite of the nirvana albums but always a good listen.
Still relevant in 2025, honestly. I was young (exactly 20 years old) when this album came out, and I was fond of the grunge scene — and the Britpop scene as well, which is funny — but I was devastated by the news of Cobain’s death. So I decided not to listen to this LP. And I never listened to it later on. But now… oh boy, this is a masterpiece.
The highs on this album are all time!
More creative than Nevermind, but a little too self loathing
Nice album
nice mix of heavy but still melodic
I haven’t listened to Nirvana in a long time, but this is undeniably a great album. Also, without Nirvana, I’m not sure that Dave Grohl would have ever made Everlong, so it would be really hard not to give this album praise.
The best nirvana album. Album is dripping in angst and is so consistent start to finish. 8/10 Favorite tracks - pennyroyal tea, tourettes, dumb
I only know a couple songs from this record. I owned it in the 90s. We’ll see how this aged for me. Ok, opening track “serve the servants” sounds like “Big Me” from Foo Fighters. “Gentleness apprentice” sounds like “my hero”. Have the foo fighters just been Nirvana re-treads? From “Heart shaped box” on sounds like nirvana. I really like “Milk it”. I love the noise at the end of “Radio Friendly Unit Shifter”. “All apologies” is the best song on this record. This is the song that makes me believe that they all loved the Beatles. This song is raw and ferocious while retaining the song writing sensibility of Eleanor Rigby.
First album I've not (re) listened to as I know it well enough to not need to. I reckon if I was rating this as a first listen it'd be lower.
It’s got some good songs but not quite as many as Nevermind.
Angry and energetic. The hit songs are my favorites - if it wasn't for them, this score would likely be a 3.
8/10. Very good. I like Rape me and Marigold both are class
Some real gems in here. “Heart shape box” is probably one of the best Nirvana songs imo, “Dumb” is another great one. Compared to “Nevermind” this feels like it has some more breadth with experimentation with string instruments and different sounds. The sound is very Nirvana, if you enjoy grunge you will like this. I really enjoyed it, maybe a better album than “Nevermind” even? It is at least as good. I’ll settle for a very strong 4 since after listening to it I still can’t remember that many of the songs. See it as evening out giving “Nevermind” a 5 star, they are quite equal in my opinion.
Listening to In Utero is like a time machine to 90s rock, specifically the emotions attached to the sound.
i've already heard this plenty of times. it's good.
Oh yes. What can i possibly say what hasn't already been said a thousand times over. I'm just glad Kurt didn't live long enough to have a twitter account. They'd be awful.
Solid. Only issues I had were some of the random screaming and noise like guitar feedback that popped up from time to time.
In Utero > Nevermind I still feel that Nirvana is an overrated band but In Utero is as near a masterpiece that can be gotten out of them. All Apologies is/was one of my favorite songs when Kurt was still alive. If only he had the help he needed In Utero's follow up could've been stellar. 4/5
This is the first album that I've listened to before that I truly love. I can even play a couple of the songs on the drums. Some music pipeline I've already been down has meant that I've listened to a lot of noise rock albums that I believe do the same thing better, though. It 'only' gets a 4/5 because of this. I also recommend throwing 'Gallons Of Rubbing Alcohol Flowing Through The Strip' at the end, since it was the hidden track on some releases and I'm sure you throw in Endless, Nameless when you listen to Nevermind.
Muy bueno
Cobain's whining hasn't aged perfectly, but its a good sound overall. Heart Shaped Box is a 9/10. Dumb is a classic too. Pennyroyal Tea is solid, and All Apologies is probably my favorite Nirvana song. Little bit of boring filler but overall it is a good album and very important in music history.
The BEST Nirvana album. These has everything you could ever want from a Nirvana album. This is their masterpiece.
No Unplugged but its still good