Mad Season: Grunge's Most Underrated Supergroup
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The grunge rock genre has witnessed several supergroups that have left an indelible mark on fans worldwide, including Velvet Revolver, Audioslave, and Temple of the Dog. However, Mad Season, an equally remarkable project, failed to receive its due recognition.
Mad Season was formed in 1994 after Pearl Jam's Mike McCready sought rehabilitation for his substance abuse and met veteran blues bassist John Baker Saunders. Along with Alice in Chains' Layne Staley and Screaming Trees' Barrett Martin, the quartet created music that exuded an almost spiritual chemistry between them, resulting in the production of timeless masterpieces.
Co-produced with Pearl Jam's sound engineer Brett Eliasson at Seattle's Bad Animals recording studio, Mad Season's debut album "Above" featured vocal contributions from Screaming Trees' Mark Lanegan and was released on March 14, 1995. The album achieved critical acclaim and was certified gold, while its lead single "River of Deceit" became a massive hit on rock radio.
Despite the band's promising future, marked by numerous live shows and talks of more recording and writing, Mad Season remained a one-off project that is now largely forgotten. Mad Season was ahead of its time, bravely experimenting with genres like blues and jazz while remaining rooted in the sounds of grunge.
Also read: Elephant: The 2003 Masterpiece That Elevated The White Stripes To Rock Royalty
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