Faking the Band 2 is a weekly feature detailing the latest in DLC for the Rock Band platform.

Nirvana’s Nevermind is certainly the seminal grunge statement and a razor-sharp record in its own right, but it’s also, for many people, a rhythm game “holy grail.” Oh, yes, ever since a certain announcement about full album downloads at EA’s E3 2007 conference, gamers have been eagerly anticipating Nevermind, never doubting for a minute its eventual appearance on the Rock Band platform. Sure, “In Bloom” was already available on the first Rock Band disc, and “Drain You” showed up on the second one, but those songs simply weren’t enough to satiate armchair rockers.

Well, as time passed, players were treated to a veritable smorgasbord of content - plenty of different albums, singles and song packs - but Nevermind was nowhere to be found. Many thought Nirvana’s masterwork had gone the way of Who’s Next: a landmark achievement turned dust in the wind. Of course, when a massive The Who offering magically appeared on July 15, tears were wiped away, and hope was renewed.

Fast-forward to this week’s DLC: a seven song pack from Cobain, Grohl and Novoselic themselves. Plenty of dissonant strings, thick bass and thundering drum rolls for players, to be sure, but doesn’t that list look a little short? The answer is yes. Yes, indeed it does, because this is essentially the second half of Nevermind, which is a twelve track album (barring the hidden tune “Endless, Nameless,” of course). For those counting along at home, that makes nine, clearly three short of the total record.

Curiously enough, the remaining tracks, “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” “Come as You Are” and “Lithium,” three of Nirvana’s most popular and iconic songs, are entirely absent. Why? Licensing issues? Lost or damaged masters? Gypsy curse? No one knows for sure. We only know that, to quote the late Cobain, there’s “something in the way.”

Nirvana Pack 01

[160 MS points per song / 880 for pack / all masters]

• “Breed”
• “Polly”
• “Territorial Pissings”
• “Lounge Act”
• “Stay Away”
• “On a Plain”
• “Something in the Way”