Category Archives: Alice In-chains

Alice In Chains

Overview
Seattle’s Alice In Chains was labeled one of the big-4 bands of grunge along with Soundgarden, Nirvana, and Pearl Jam. Although Alice In Chains were labeled as a grunge band, they were really a modern metal band, and they were much heavier than their grunge counterparts. The two key members of the band’s original line up were Jerry Cantrell and Layne Staley. Unfortunately, the band was plagued by Staley’s drug use, and he died in 2002. After Staley’s death, the band went on a long hiatus, but they reunited in 2006 with William DeVall taking Staley’s place as vocalist.

Styles and Genres
Grunge, Metal

Orignal Band Line-Up
Layne Staley – Lead vocals
Jerry Cantrell – Guitar, lead and backing vocals
Mike Starr – Bass, backing vocals
Sean Kinney – Drums, percussion

Current Band Line-Up
Jerry Cantrell – Lead and backing vocals, lead guitar
William DuVall – Lead and backing vocals, rhythm guitar
Mike Inez – Bass, backing vocals
Sean Kinney – Drums, percussion

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Alice In Chains Facelift- 1990
RMR Album Rating- 8 (Excellent)

Alice In Chains’ 1991 debut record, Facelift, is the heaviest of their albums with Layne Staley. Its dark and foreboding instrumentation and lyrics are driven by Cantrell’s sinister guitar riffs and Staley’s inimitable vocals. The album was grouped in with the grunge scene of the early 90’s, but it has much more in common with early Black Sabbath than it does with most grunge music. It can also be considered a prime mover to the sludge metal scene that gained momentum a decade after Facelift’s release.

The three big tracks on the record are “We Die Young,” “Man in the Box,” and “Sea of Sorrow” (the opening three tracks). They set the tone for the album right away with inventive guitar sequences and lyrics focused on death and misery. Another highlight is “Bleed the Freak,” which contains my favorite chorus on the album (“These stand for me/ name your god and bleed the freak/ I like to see/ how you all would bleed for me”). Lastly, there’s “Love, Hate, Love.” It is slower than the rest of the album, and I rank it slightly below the rest of the tracks, but Cantrell is quoted as calling it the “masterpiece of that record” (Wikipedia).

During a time when hair-metal and lighter grunge music dominated the charts, Facelift carved the way for a new metal sound– literally giving metal a much needed new face.

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Alice In Chains Sap (EP) – 1992
RMR Album Rating- 6 (Good)

Sap is a four song acoustic EP that shows Alice In Chains taking a break from their signature metal sound.

For almost any other metal band, this would have been a death wish. But with the release of Sap, Alice Chains actually became more popular. There are two reasons for this. First, grunge and alternative rock fans are more accepting of acoustic music than metal fans. But more importantly, the songs are outstanding. Sap still sounds like Alice In Chains; it just shows there is more to the band’s sound than menacing guitar riffs.

“Brother” is a great opener that features guest vocals from Ann Wilson of Heart. She also adds vocals on “Am I Inside.” Her contribution is subtle and fits the music perfectly on both songs. “Am I Inside” features my favorite lyrics and chorus on the album. The lyrics were penned by Staley. So as you would expect, they are dark, but they are also telling. Staley was dealing with a heroin addiction and was severely depressed, and Ann Wilson had become seriously overweight and was also battling depression. Here is the chorus: “Black is all I feel so this is how it feels to be free/ Miles beside himself, miles below himself/ Miles behind himself.” They conclude the chorus by asking “am I inside myself,” which considering their personal situations is truly moving and heartfelt.

My favorite track on the record is “Got Me Wrong.” It is the only song that is not fully acoustic. Cantrell adds electric guitar that drives into each chorus, which sounds profoundly powerful compared to the rest of the acoustic instrumentation.

Although Sap is a simple 4-song release, it shows a different side of Alice In Chains not found on their full length records. This makes it a must own album for Alice In Chains fans and a worthwhile release for general rock fans who are not already familiar with the band.

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