Malfunkshun

Along with <a href="spotify:artist:1XIIxzmo6BNRR4QkImSdsX">Green River</a>, '80s Seattle-band Malfunkshun is often cited as a founding father of the northwest grunge phenomenon of the early '90s. Unlike many future Seattle stars, the band and charismatic frontman Andrew Wood had ambitions for arena-sized rock stardom. But the band's sound, which combined the big hooks and anthemic choruses of heavy metal with the spirit of punk, had a profound effect on many future grunge superstars of the early '90s.

Malfunkshun gained attention in the mid-'80s thanks to Wood's dynamic stage presence as a glammed-out rock & roll god, equal parts <a href="spotify:artist:4M2gGLzKCo0rPyn224PsoN">Marc Bolan</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:1QB4oo4JbSRdxNyidIuD0W">Jim Morrison</a>. Each member of the band adopted an on-stage alter ego. Wood's older brother, guitarist Kevin Wood, became Kevinstein, drummer Regan Hagar became Thundarr, and Andrew became known as Landrew the Love Child. By the mid-'80s, Andrew was relying heavily on drugs to fuel his self-created rock star persona and to compensate for his innate shyness; he entered rehab in 1985, but his problems with drugs were far from over. In 1986, Malfunkshun was one of six bands featured on the <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22C%2FZ+Records%22">C/Z Records</a> compilation titled Deep Six. Two of the band's tracks, "With Yo Heart (Not Yo Hands)" and "Stars-n-You," appeared on this album, along with efforts by fellow northwest grunge pioneers <a href="spotify:artist:1XIIxzmo6BNRR4QkImSdsX">Green River</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:6aVjo0xHSiuW5hkasoYSR3">the Melvins</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:5xUf6j4upBrXZPg6AI4MRK">Soundgarden</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:22WypD8tTI2wltNMQJZhj6">the U-Men</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:0sPa3yPonEuDbDhBzz7g4E">Skin Yard</a>. This compilation is widely considered the first recorded document of grunge. With the exposure the band received from Deep Six, they soon found themselves opening for local Seattle legends like <a href="spotify:artist:5xUf6j4upBrXZPg6AI4MRK">Soundgarden</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:22WypD8tTI2wltNMQJZhj6">the U-Men</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:0sPa3yPonEuDbDhBzz7g4E">Skin Yard</a>.

By late 1987 and early 1988, Malfunkshun was over. Andrew was living in Seattle and spending a lot of time with former <a href="spotify:artist:1XIIxzmo6BNRR4QkImSdsX">Green River</a> and future <a href="spotify:artist:1w5Kfo2jwwIPruYS2UWh56">Pearl Jam</a> members <a href="spotify:artist:6AaWik9LKRViQFnIK2PSI9">Stone Gossard</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:3WQx0LWkYh95zn8McSjbJh">Jeff Ament</a>. Wood, <a href="spotify:artist:3WQx0LWkYh95zn8McSjbJh">Ament</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:6AaWik9LKRViQFnIK2PSI9">Gossard</a>'s involvement in multiple Seattle bands was typical of grunge's incestuous lineage. They performed occasionally as a cover band called Lords of the Wasteland. They also began writing original material that would later surface in the form of <a href="spotify:artist:3XR64HmFo4OvexUUNW7TP0">Mother Love Bone</a>, the band they would form in 1988. Sadly, Andrew Wood became a casualty of heroin, Seattle's drug of choice, and died of an overdose in March of 1990 just before <a href="spotify:artist:3XR64HmFo4OvexUUNW7TP0">Mother Love Bone</a>'s major-label debut Apple was to be released. Although the band never released a proper album, Return to Olympus, a collection of Malfunkshun's eight-track studio demos as well as some four-track recordings by Andrew, was released by former bandmate <a href="spotify:artist:6AaWik9LKRViQFnIK2PSI9">Stone Gossard</a> on his <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Loosegroove%22">Loosegroove</a> label in 1995. Ten years later, a documentary called Malfunkshun: The Andrew Wood Story started playing film festivals, debuting at the Seattle International Film Festival. It eventually saw home video release in 2011 as part of a <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Hip-O+Select%22">Hip-O Select</a> box set named after the film, and also included the Return to Olympus disc and unreleased Andrew Wood recordings. Originally released in 2006 by Kevin Wood & from the North, 2017's <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22EMP%22">EMP</a>-issued Monument featured new music written and performed by original Malfunkshun members Kevin Wood and Regan Hagar, with bassist Cory Kane and vocalist <a href="spotify:artist:0tdxLKLEwjcl1wlD4TmJeQ">Shawn Smith</a>, to lyrics written by the late Andrew Wood. ~ Paul Tinelli, Rovi