I could go on and on all day about spectacular bands and artists, but one that stands out particularly for me has got to be Alice in Chains. The band’s songs and especially the lead singer Layne Staley are definitely influential to me. They have so many great songs, that it’s hard to name a favorite, but if I absolutely had to I’d probably go with “We Die Young” because of its energy, powerful Staley vocals, and amazing guitar! That and all the other excellently written and composed songs make me believe that Alice in Chains is one of the best bands ever.
With their biggest hits like “I Stay Away,” “No Excuses,” “Them Bones,” and “Man in the Box,” Alice in Chains ruled the 1990s with their music. The band was the perfect blend of heavy metal and grunge rock, which deeply suited the period of time with the music that was trendy. The band originated in 1984, and at the time was supposed to be a glam metal group by the name of “Sleze.” A young Layne Staley was the lead singer. But after a while in the Seattle, Washington spotlight, the band decided to change its name to Alice in Chains in the late ’80s, still focusing on the glam metal genre. But as the ’80s began coming to an end, people’s tastes were slowly starting to adapt and change.
A lot of teens at the time started taking an interest in smaller bands that had a new sound inspired by 1970s rock groups, but it had a modern twist to it. The genre is now known as grunge, or alternative rock. Bands like Mudhoney, Nirvana, and the Screaming Trees were very popular in the genre’s early days helping shape it as a whole. And as more bands began to change their sound and join the genre, Alice in Chains evolved, too, which led to their big break with the 1990 album “Facelift.” According to Loudwire (an online rock and roll media magazine) Alice in Chains’ “‘Facelift’ became the first grunge album to reach platinum status and went on to receive a double platinum certification.” But this wouldn’t be the end of the band’s success, as the album “Dirt” peaked at number six on the billboard 200 chart, then was the Alice in Chains title album that did well too. They also did an MTV Unplugged album, that gave a new feel to some songs from previous albums, and also gave Layne Staley another opportunity to show off his incredible voice. Alice in Chains is even considered part of the “big five of grunge,” meaning the five best grunge artists, alongside Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, and Nirvana.
Like many rock and roll bands (especially in the ’90s) drugs and alcohol were part of the band. This gave the band some problems leading to show cancellations and arguments within the band. In 1994, Alice in Chains was supposed to go on tour with thrash metal band, Metallica. Due to Layne Staley’s conditions the band had to drop out of the tour on late notice causing a little bit of beef between the bands. Metallica even mocked Alice in Chains on stage. But luckily, the anger didn’t last long as Metallica attended their MTV Unplugged concert two years later. Some of Alice in Chains’ music was based on the struggles that the band was going through with addiction. Sean Kinney struggled with alcohol, and Layne Staley’s drug addiction kept making his physical health worse as the ’90s came to an end. 1996 was the band’s last performance with Staley on a tour with the rock band Kiss. After that, Staley’s health deteriorated, and addiction continued until 2002, when Staley’s sadly passed away. He had such an impact on alternative, and hard rock. To this day his performances, and vocal techniques are praised. In 2006, Alice in Chains reunited with a new vocalist named William Duvall. They made three albums with him, and continue to tour. Duvall was a good replacement, but can’t compete with Staley. His vocals remain unmatched.
The band is still popular, and has many fans. The Alice in Chains song “Nutshell” has been growing in popularity throughout the last decade. Though it is such a powerful and emotional song, it didn’t used to have the popularity it does today. Also on the internet is a newly found video of Layne Staley singing “Man in the Box” where he hits an even higher vocal range than he did on the album’s version. People say that Staley and the band always gave it their all in live performances, which seems apparent after viewing videos of their concerts. I believe that the band is one of the greatest in not just its genre, but also in the entire music industry. They have so many memorable songs that I can’t get enough of. Their live performances are described as top tier and they didn’t lip sync their songs; everything was legit. I recommend it to anyone who hasn’t listened to them to listen to a few of their songs, and see if you like them. Listening to their music has always been a positive experience that I enjoy! They have got to be my favorite group of musicians ever.
