Despite their rough-hewn, incredibly heavy, feedback-drenched sound, Nottingham's Fudge Tunnel quickly transcended the obvious heavy metal tag to find widespread critical praise outside such limits. And while this support never did translate into commercial success, it is interesting to note that Fudge Tunnel's surprising crossover appeal, along with their low-key image and absolute lack of pretense, marked them as un-hailed British predecessors to the Seattle scene.
18-year-old Alex Newport (vocals/guitar) founded Fudge Tunnel with Dave Riley (bass) and Adrian Parkin (drums) after moving to Nottingham, England, in 1989. Seemingly coming out of nowhere, the trio quickly drew support from the metal press for their brutal intensity, then earned their indie cred when 1990's debut EP Sex Mammoth was named Single of the Week by the respected ~New Musical Express.