Former Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl contributed to his band in countless ways from the moment that he joined them in 1990, and other band members considered him the perfect fit. Although Nirvana was characterized by its dominant punk aesthetic and sound, it was the energetic drummer who often encouraged other band members to step out of their comfort zone.
Thanks to his youth and love for rock and metal music, Dave Grohl once even convinced his band members to record something they had never been involved with. Nirvana recorded a track named ‘Onward Into Countless Battles‘ by a Swedish death metal band named Unleashed for their third and final studio album, ‘In Utero.’ Although they recorded the song, it actually never made it to the album but we’re here to break down the story of why the band decided to record the song in the first place.
Nirvana Recorded ‘Onward Into Countless Battles’ Thanks To Dave Grohl
After releasing their immensely successful second studio album, ‘Nevermind‘ on September 24, 1991, Nirvana achieved unexpected critical acclaim and commercial success. Since the band needed another record to follow their breakthrough album, they booked a recording session to demo new material on a trip to Brazil in January 1993.
During the recording sessions, Dave Grohl came up with a brilliant idea that pushed his bandmates’ limits considering their music style. Apparently, the drummer wanted to record a cover version of the song named ‘Onwards Into Countless Battles‘ by Unleashed. The track was way different than Nirvana’s usual sound, but Grohl managed to play all the instruments for the song, and lead singer Kurt Cobain joined him on the vocals.
While recording the track, the two decided not to sing the lyrics for ‘Onward Into Countless Battles’ in specific points, and instead, Kurt Cobain and Dave Grohl shouted ‘meat’ over the riff. The track turned into something very unique in the hands of Nirvana members, yet, it didn’t make it to the band’s next album, ‘In Utero.’ In spite of not making it to the record, the track still remains one of the most peculiar yet interesting works of the band, all thanks to Dave Grohl.
You can listen to ‘Onward Into Countless Battles’ by Nirvana and Unleashed below.
