Bands began to mix metal and punk in the Seattle music scene around 1984, with much of the credit for this fusion going to The U-Men. However, some critics have noted that in spite of The U-Men's canonical place as original grunge progenitors, that their sound was less indebted to heavy metal and much more akin to However the unique idiosyncrasy of the band may have been the bigger inspiration, more than the aesthetics themselves. Soon Seattle had a growing and "varied music scene" and "diverse urban personality" expressed by local "post-punk garage bands". Grunge evolved from the local punk rock scene, and was inspired by bands such as The Fartz, The U-Men, 10 Minute Warning, The Accüsed, and the Fastbacks. Additionally, the slow, heavy, and sludgy style of the Melvins was a significant influence on the grunge sound. Roy Shuker states that grunge's success built on the "foundations ... laid throughout the 1980s by earlier alternative music scenes." Shuker states that music critics "... emphasized the perceived purity and authenticity of the Seattle scene.