Personal torment and band tragedies aside, Nirvana helped shape rock and roll for the better so to hear an ensemble of kickass bands come together to pay tribute is perfectly fine by me. What's even cooler is to hear said bands reinterpret or pay apt homage to a trio that no doubt influenced so many genre of rockers and paved the way for grunge to evolve.

Whatever Nevermind isn't all stars and stripes, but it's a neat insight into bands that were fueled later on in life by Cobain's stories. Kylesa's haunting, spaced out and shoegaze effort on "Come As You Are" is an example of a swell cover that strays from the original but with just enough subtlety to stake a claim as part of their own style. The same can be said for the fuzzy and somewhat incomplete opener by Young Widows whose "Smells Like Teen Spirit" comes off more odd than inventive. Then you've got the gigantic Torche with a sludgy and non-subversive cover of "In Bloom" which sticks to the formula and sticks pretty well.

Nothing also pulls off a simple yet emotive shot in "Something In The Way" which arches back with beautiful pianos setting the mood. It helps add an enigmatic layer to a band that loves mystery and also, switches up Nirvana's original nicely. Acts like Circa Survive ("Drain You") as well as La Dispute ("Polly") and Touche Amore ("Lounge Act") leave their signatures to complete a pretty awesome ride overall and I strongly advise taking in this 14-tracker. Even as Wrong's "Stay Away" throws you for a loop with a confusing hardcore/screamo flow, it's still not enough to discourage anyone who's ever fallen in love with Nirvana.

In fact, it's all about these bands expressing themselves how they see fit and wearing a grungy musical influence on their sleeve. Just like Cobain intended and I'm sure he's approving of this as he chats with Paul Walker and Elliott Smith.