Alice in Chains is an American
rockRock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987 by guitarist and songwriter
Jerry CantrellJerry Fulton Cantrell Jr. is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter best known for his work with the grunge/metal band Alice in Chains, as lead guitarist, backing and co-lead vocalist, and co-lyricist. He performs lead vocals on his solo projects, and is part of Alice in Chains' harmonizing...
and original lead vocalist
Layne StaleyLayne Thomas Staley was an American musician who served as the lead singer and co-lyricist of the rock group Alice in Chains, which was formed in Seattle, Washington in 1987 by Staley and guitarist Jerry Cantrell. Alice in Chains rose to international fame as part of the grunge movement of the...
. The initial lineup was rounded out by drummer
Sean KinneySean Howard Kinney is an American musician best known for being the drummer of the influential grunge band Alice in Chains....
, and bassist
Mike StarrMichael Christopher "Mike" Starr was an American musician, best known as the original bassist in Alice in Chains, with whom he played from the band's formation in 1987 until 1993.- Career :...
(who was replaced in 1993 by
Mike InezMike Inez is a rock musician best known for his role as the bassist of Alice in Chains. Inez has also worked with other popular musical acts such as Ozzy Osbourne, Black Label Society, and Heart. Inez is of Filipino ancestry.-Career:...
). Cantrell, Kinney and Inez are still members of the band.
Although widely associated with
grunge musicGrunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
, the band's sound incorporates
heavy metalHeavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
and
acousticAcoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
elements. Since its formation, Alice in Chains has released four studio albums, three EPs, two live albums, four compilations, and two DVDs. The band is known for its distinct vocal style which often included the
harmonizedVocal harmony is a style of vocal music in which a consonant note or notes are sung at the same time as a main melody in a predominantly homophonic texture. Vocal harmonies are used in many subgenres of European art music, including Classical choral music and opera and in the popular styles from...
vocals of Staley and Cantrell.
Alice in Chains rose to international fame as part of the grunge movement of the early 1990s, along with other Seattle bands such as
NirvanaNirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
,
Pearl JamPearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1990. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder , Jeff Ament , Stone Gossard , and Mike McCready...
, and
SoundgardenSoundgarden is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1984 by singer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto...
. The band was one of the most successful music acts of the 1990s, selling over 35 million albums worldwide, and over 14 million in the US alone. In 1992 the band released their album
Dirt which was critically acclaimed and has been certified quadruple platinum. The band also achieved two No.1
Billboard 200The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
albums (
Jar of FliesJar of Flies is the third studio EP by the American rock band Alice in Chains, released on January 25, 1994 through Columbia Records. It is the first EP in music history to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 Chart and was well-received by critics.-Background and recording:Following Alice in...
and
Alice in ChainsAlice in Chains is the eponymous third studio album by the American rock band Alice in Chains. Released on November 7, 1995, it was the follow-up to the highly successful Dirt...
), 14 top ten songs on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, and eight
Grammy AwardA Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
nominations.
Although never officially disbanding, Alice in Chains was plagued by extended inactivity from 1996 onwards due to
substance abuseA substance-related disorder is an umbrella term used to describe several different conditions associated with several different substances .A substance related disorder is a condition in which an individual uses or abuses a...
, which resulted in in the 2002 death of Layne Staley, and the 2011 death of former bassist Mike Starr (who left the band in 1993). The band reunited in 2005 with new lead vocalist
William DuVallthumb|200px|right|William DuVall performing with [[Alice In Chains]] at Roskilde Festival 2010William DuVall is an American musician, best known as current lead singer for Alice In Chains, following the death of the band's original lead singer Layne Staley.DuVall is also co-founder, lead singer,...
and released
Black Gives Way to BlueBlack Gives Way to Blue is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Alice in Chains, released in September 2009. The first Alice in Chains album in nearly fourteen years, Black Gives Way to Blue is their first release with new vocalist/guitarist William DuVall, who took over from the late...
, their first studio album in 14 years, on September 29, 2009. The album was a success, being certified gold by the RIAA in March 2010. Alice in Chains is currently working on a new album, which is rumored for release in early 2012.
Formation (1986–89)
Following the demise of his band Sleeze in 1986, vocalist
Layne StaleyLayne Thomas Staley was an American musician who served as the lead singer and co-lyricist of the rock group Alice in Chains, which was formed in Seattle, Washington in 1987 by Staley and guitarist Jerry Cantrell. Alice in Chains rose to international fame as part of the grunge movement of the...
formed Alice N' Chains, a band which he said "dressed in drag and played
speed metalSpeed metal is a sub-genre of heavy metal music that originated in the late 1970s from NWOBHM and hardcore punk roots. It is described by Allmusic as "extremely fast, abrasive, and technically demanding" music....
". The new band, featuring guitarist
Nick PollockNick Pollock is a Seattle-based guitarist, singer, and songwriter best known for his work with the grunge/metal band My Sister's Machine. He has also played in various bands with other notable musicians, including Alice in Chains singer Layne Staley and Queensrÿche guitarist Michael Wilton...
, bassist
Johnny BacolasJohnny Bacolas born March 3, 1969, in Seattle, Washington, is a composer, musician, producer, and videographer. He is best known for his work with the post-grunge band Second Coming...
, and drummer
James BergstromJames Bergstrom is an American musician best known for his work in the bands Alice N' Chains, a precursor to Alice in Chains, and Second Coming.-Alice N' Chains:...
, performed around the Seattle area playing
SlayerSlayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
and
Armored Saint-Early career:Armored Saint was formed in 1982 by brothers Phil Sandoval and Gonzo Sandoval , and guitarist David Prichard, while attending South Pasadena High School. Next to join were singer John Bush also a South Pasadena High School Alumni and bassist Joey Vera...
coversIn popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
. Staley met guitarist
Jerry CantrellJerry Fulton Cantrell Jr. is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter best known for his work with the grunge/metal band Alice in Chains, as lead guitarist, backing and co-lead vocalist, and co-lyricist. He performs lead vocals on his solo projects, and is part of Alice in Chains' harmonizing...
while working at Music Bank rehearsal studios, where the two struggling musicians became roommates, and lived in a rehearsal space they shared. Alice N' Chains soon disbanded and Staley joined a
funkFunk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
band who at the time also required a guitarist. Staley asked Cantrell to join as a
sidemanA sideman is a professional musician who is hired to perform or record with a group of which he or she is not a regular member. They often tour with solo acts as well as bands and jazz ensembles. Sidemen are generally required to be adaptable to many different styles of music, and so able to fit...
. Cantrell agreed on condition that Staley join Cantrell's band, which at the time included drummer
Sean KinneySean Howard Kinney is an American musician best known for being the drummer of the influential grunge band Alice in Chains....
and bassist
Mike StarrMichael Christopher "Mike" Starr was an American musician, best known as the original bassist in Alice in Chains, with whom he played from the band's formation in 1987 until 1993.- Career :...
. Eventually the funk project broke up and in 1987 Staley joined Cantrell's band on a full-time basis, playing in clubs around the Pacific Northwest, often stretching 15 minutes of material into a 45-minute set. The band played a couple of gigs calling themselves several different monikers, including Diamond Lie, which was the name of Cantrell's previous band, before they eventually took the name of Alice in Chains.
Local promoter Randy Hauser became aware of the band at a concert, and offered to pay for
demoA demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
recordings. However, one day before the band was due to record at the Music Bank studio in Washington, police shut down the studio during the biggest cannabis raid in the history of the state. The final demo, completed in 1988, was named
The Treehouse Tapes, and found its way to the music managers Kelly Curtis and Susan Silver, who also managed the Seattle-based band
SoundgardenSoundgarden is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1984 by singer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto...
. Curtis and Silver passed the demo on to
Columbia RecordsColumbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
'
A&RArtists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
representative Nick Terzo, who set up an appointment with label president
Don IennerDon Ienner was the Chairman of the Sony Music Label Group during first half of the decade of the 2000s. He worked closely with his predecessor Tommy Mottola and was partially responsible for the breakthrough of Mariah Carey....
. Based on
The Treehouse Tapes, Ienner signed Alice in Chains to Columbia in 1989. The band also recorded another untitled demo over a three-month period in 1989. This recording can be found on the bootleg release
Sweet Alice.
Facelift and Sap (1990–92)
Alice in Chains soon became a top priority of the label, who released the band's first official recording in July 1990, a promotional
EPAn EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
We Die Young-Personnel:*Layne Staley – vocals*Jerry Cantrell – guitar, backing vocals*Mike Starr – bass*Sean Kinney – drums, percussion-External links:*[ Review of "We Die Young"] at Allmusic...
. The EP's lead single, "
We Die Young-Personnel:*Layne Staley – vocals*Jerry Cantrell – guitar, backing vocals*Mike Starr – bass*Sean Kinney – drums, percussion-External links:*[ Review of "We Die Young"] at Allmusic...
", became a hit on metal radio. After its success, the label rushed Alice in Chains' debut album into production with producer
Dave JerdenDave Jerden is an American record producer, engineer and mixer who mostly works with artists in the alternative rock, punk rock and metal genres....
. Cantrell stated the album was intended to have a "moody aura" that was a "direct result of the brooding atmosphere and feel of Seattle".
The resulting album,
FaceliftFacelift is the debut studio album by the American rock band Alice in Chains. The album was released on August 21, 1990. The album is the band's second highest selling album and has been certified double-platinum by the RIAA for shipments of two million copies in the United States.-Background and...
, was released on August 21, 1990, peaking at number 42 in the summer of 1991 on the
Billboard 200 chart.
Facelift was not an instant success, selling under 40,000 copies in the first six months of release, until
MTVMTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
added "
Man in the Box"Man in the Box" is a single by the rock group Alice in Chains. It was released as a single in 1991 after being featured on the group's debut full-length album Facelift...
" to regular daytime rotation. The single hit number 18 on the Mainstream rock charts, with the album's follow up single, "
Sea of Sorrow"Sea of Sorrow" is the fourth single by the rock band Alice in Chains. It was released in 1991 and featured on their debut full-length album Facelift . The song was included on the compilation album The Essential Alice in Chains...
", reaching number 27, and in six weeks
Facelift sold 400,000 copies in the US. The album was a critical success, with Steve Huey of Allmusic citing
Facelift as "one of the most important records in establishing an audience for grunge and alternative rock."
Facelift was certified
goldMusic recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
by the
Recording Industry Association of AmericaThe Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
by the end of 1990, while the band continued to hone its audience, opening for such artists as
Iggy PopIggy Pop is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Though considered an innovator of punk rock, Pop's music has encompassed a number of styles over the years, including pop, metal, jazz and blues...
,
Van HalenVan Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. The band has enjoyed success since the release of its debut album, Van Halen, . As of 2007 Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and has had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart...
,
PoisonPoison is an American glam metal band that achieved great success in the mid-1980s to mid-1990s. To date, Poison has sold over 30 million records worldwide and have sold 15 million records in the United States alone. The band has also charted ten singles to the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100,...
, and
ExtremeExtreme is an American rock band, headed by frontmen Gary Cherone and Nuno Bettencourt, that reached the height of their popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s.Among some of Extreme's musical influences are Queen and Van Halen...
. In early 1991, Alice in Chains landed the opening slot for the
Clash of the TitansClash of the Titans was the name of a worldwide tour by several popular American thrash metal bands of the 1980s, with alternating headliners from show to show.-History:...
with
AnthraxAnthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 1981. Founded by guitarists Scott Ian and Danny Lilker, the band has since released ten studio albums and 20 singles, and an EP featuring Public Enemy. The band was one of the most popular of the 1980s thrash metal scene...
,
MegadethMegadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California which was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, bassist Dave Ellefson and guitarist Greg Handevidt, following Mustaine's expulsion from Metallica. The band has since released 13 studio albums, three live albums, two...
, and
SlayerSlayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
, exposing the band to a wide metal audience. Alice in Chains was nominated for a
Best Hard Rock PerformanceThe Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance was an award presented to recording artists at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, for works containing quality performances in the hard rock music genre...
Grammy Award in 1992 for "Man in the Box", but lost to Van Halen for their 1991 album
For Unlawful Carnal KnowledgeFor Unlawful Carnal Knowledge is the ninth studio album by American hard rock band Van Halen, released in 1991 through Warner Bros. Records. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 album chart and maintained the position for three weeks...
.
Following the tour, Alice in Chains entered the studio to record demos for its next album, but ended up recording five acoustic songs instead. While in the studio, drummer Sean Kinney had a dream about "making an EP called
Sap". The band decided "not to mess with fate", and on March 21, 1992, Alice in Chains released their second EP,
SapI "Right Turn" is credited to Alice Mudgarden in the liner notes.II "Love Song" is unlisted on the CD.-Personnel:Alice in Chains*Layne Staley – vocals, drums on "Love Song"*Jerry Cantrell – guitar, vocals, bass on "Love Song"...
. The EP was released while
NirvanaNirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
's
Nevermind was at the top of the
Billboard 200 charts, resulting in a rising popularity of Seattle-based bands, and the term
grunge musicGrunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
.
Sap was soon certified gold. The EP features guest vocals by
Ann WilsonAnn Dustin Wilson is an American musician, best known as the lead singer, flute player, songwriter, and occasional guitar player of the rock band Heart.-Personal life:...
from the band
HeartHeart is an American rock band who first found success in Canada. Throughout several lineup changes, the only two members remaining constant are sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson. The group rose to fame in the 1970s with their music being influenced by hard rock as well as folk music...
, who joined Staley and Cantrell for the choruses of "Brother", "Am I Inside" and "Love Song". The EP also features
Mark ArmMark Arm is the vocalist for the grunge band Mudhoney. He is also credited with coining the term "grunge" to describe his style of rock music...
of
MudhoneyMudhoney is an American alternative rock band. Formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1988 following the demise of Green River, Mudhoney's members are vocalist and rhythm guitarist Mark Arm, lead guitarist Steve Turner, bassist Guy Maddison, and drummer Dan Peters. Original bassist Matt Lukin left the...
and
Chris CornellChris Cornell is an American rock musician best known as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for Soundgarden and as the former lead vocalist for Audioslave. He is also known for his numerous solo works and soundtrack contributions since 1998...
of
SoundgardenSoundgarden is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1984 by singer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto...
, who appeared together on the song "Right Turn", credited to "
Alice MudgardenAlice Mudgarden is the "band" given credit for the Alice in Chains song "Right Turn" off of their 1992 EP, Sap. The group was so named because it was made up of the full Alice in Chains lineup, Mark Arm of Mudhoney, and Chris Cornell of Soundgarden...
" in the liner notes. In 1992, Alice in Chains appeared in the
Cameron CroweCameron Bruce Crowe is an American screenwriter and film director. Before moving into the film industry, Crowe was a contributing editor at Rolling Stone magazine, for which he still frequently writes....
film
Singles, performing as a "bar band". The band also contributed the song "
Would?"Would?" is a single by grunge band Alice in Chains. The song first appeared on the soundtrack to the 1992 movie Singles, in which the members of Alice in Chains make a cameo appearance and later appeared on the band's album Dirt, also released in 1992...
" to the film's soundtrack, whose video received an award for
Best Video from a FilmThe MTV Video Music Award for Best Video from a Film was first awarded in 1987, recognizing the best videos whose songs were a part of a movie soundtrack or featured in a film. As time went on, though, music videos taken from movie soundtracks became more rare, and so the last of this award was...
at the
1993 MTV Video Music AwardsThe 1993 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on September 2, 1993, honoring the best music videos from June 16, 1992, to June 15, 1993. The show was hosted by Christian Slater at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Los Angeles. This was Kurt Cobain's final VMA appearance.This year marked the introduction of...
.
Dirt (1992–93)
In February 1992, the band returned to the studio. With new songs written primarily on the road, the material has an overall darker feel than
Facelift, with six of the album's twelve songs dealing with addiction. "We did a lot of soul searching on this album. There's a lot of intense feelings." Cantrell said, "We deal with our daily demons through music. All of the poison that builds up during the day we cleanse when we play".
On September 29, 1992, Alice in Chains released its second album,
Dirt. The album peaked at number six on the
Billboard 200, and since its release has been certified quadruple
platinumIn the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
by the RIAA, making
Dirt the band's highest selling album to date. The album was a critical success, with Steve Huey of Allmusic praising the album as a "major artistic statement, and the closest they ever came to recording a flat-out masterpiece". Chris Gill of
Guitar WorldGuitar World is a monthly music magazine devoted to guitarists. It contains original interviews, album and gear reviews and guitar and bass tablature of approximately five songs each month. The magazine is published 13 times per year...
called
Dirt "huge and foreboding, yet eerie and intimate", and "sublimely dark and brutally honest".
Dirt spawned five top 30 singles, including "
Rooster"Rooster" is a grunge song by the band Alice in Chains. The song was released as a single in 1993 and is featured on the band's second studio album, Dirt . The song was included on the compilation albums Unplugged , Music Bank , Greatest Hits , and The Essential Alice in Chains...
", "
Them Bones"Them Bones" is a song by the American rock band Alice in Chains. The song was released as the second single from their second album, Dirt . The song was also included on the compilation albums Nothing Safe: Best of the Box , Music Bank , Greatest Hits , The Essential Alice in Chains...
", and "
Down in a Hole"Down in a Hole" is a single from Alice in Chains' album Dirt . It is the fourth song on most pressings of the album and twelfth on others...
", and remained on the charts for nearly a year. Alice in Chains was added as openers to
Ozzy OsbourneJohn Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
's
No More Tears tour. Days before the tour began, Layne Staley broke his foot in an
ATVAn all-terrain vehicle , also known as a quad, quad bike, three wheeler, or four wheeler, is defined by the American National Standards Institute as a vehicle that travels on low pressure tires, with a seat that is straddled by the operator, along with handlebars for steering control...
accident, forcing him to use crutches on stage. While on tour, Starr left the band, and was replaced by former Ozzy Osbourne bassist
Mike InezMike Inez is a rock musician best known for his role as the bassist of Alice in Chains. Inez has also worked with other popular musical acts such as Ozzy Osbourne, Black Label Society, and Heart. Inez is of Filipino ancestry.-Career:...
. In 1993, the band recorded two songs with Inez, "
What the Hell Have I"What the Hell Have I" is a track by grunge band Alice in Chains. It was first featured on the soundtrack to the 1993 John McTiernan film Last Action Hero starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. The song was included on the compilation album Nothing Safe: Best of the Box...
" and "A Little Bitter", for the
Last Action HeroLast Action Hero is a 1993 American action-comedy-fantasy film directed and produced by John McTiernan. It is a satire of the action genre and its clichés, containing several parodies of action films in the form of films within the film....
soundtrack. During the summer of 1993, Alice in Chains toured with the
alternative musicAlternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
festival
LollapaloozaLollapalooza is an annual music festival featuring popular alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and hip hop bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. It has also provided a platform for non-profit and political groups. The music festival hosts more than 160,000 people over a...
, their last major tour with Staley.
Jar of Flies (1993–94)
Following Alice in Chains' extensive 1993 world tour, Staley said the band "just wanted to go into the studio for a few days with our acoustic guitars and see what happened". "We never really planned on the music we made at that time to be released. But the record label heard it and they really liked it. For us, it was just the experience of four guys getting together in the studio and making some music."
While never originally intended for a public release, Columbia Records released Alice in Chains' second acoustic-based EP,
Jar of FliesJar of Flies is the third studio EP by the American rock band Alice in Chains, released on January 25, 1994 through Columbia Records. It is the first EP in music history to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 Chart and was well-received by critics.-Background and recording:Following Alice in...
, on January 25, 1994. Written and recorded in one week,
Jar of Flies debuted at number one on the
Billboard 200, becoming the first ever EP—and first Alice in Chains release—to top the charts. Paul Evans of
Rolling StoneRolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
called the EP "darkly gorgeous", and Steve Huey stated "
Jar of Flies is a low-key stunner, achingly gorgeous and harrowingly sorrowful all at once".
Jar of Flies features Alice in Chains' first number-one single on the Mainstream Rock charts, "
No Excuses"No Excuses" is the lead single off American grunge band Alice in Chains's third EP, Jar of Flies . The song was included on the compilation albums Nothing Safe: Best of the Box , Music Bank , Greatest Hits , and The Essential Alice in Chains .-Composition:The song's sound is a departure from some...
". The second single, "
I Stay Away"I Stay Away" is the second single from Alice in Chains' EP Jar of Flies . The song was included on the compilation albums Nothing Safe: Best of the Box , Music Bank , Greatest Hits , and The Essential Alice in Chains .-Origin and recording:In the liner notes of 1999's Music Bank box set...
", reached number ten on the Mainstream rock charts, while the final single "
Don't Follow"Don't Follow" is a song by American rock band Alice in Chains; it is the 3rd single on the studio EP Jar of Flies released on January 25, 1994 through Columbia Records.-Composition:...
", reached number 25. After the release of
Jar of Flies, Layne Staley entered
rehabDrug rehabilitation is a term for the processes of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment, for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, and so-called street drugs such as cocaine, heroin or amphetamines...
for
heroin addiction. The band was scheduled to tour during the summer of 1994 with
MetallicaMetallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
and
Suicidal TendenciesSuicidal Tendencies is a U.S. crossover thrash band founded in 1981 in Venice, Los Angeles, California by Mike Muir, its leader and only permanent member. The band is sometimes credited as one of "the fathers of crossover thrash"...
, but while in rehearsal for the tour, Staley began using heroin again. Staley's condition prompted the other band members to cancel all scheduled dates one day before the start of the tour, putting the band on hiatus.
Alice in Chains (1995–96)
While Alice in Chains was inactive during 1995, Staley joined the "grunge supergroup"
Mad SeasonMad Season was an American rock supergroup formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1994 by members of three popular Seattle-based bands: Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam and Screaming Trees. Mad Season only released one album, Above, and is best known for the single "River of Deceit"...
, which also featured Pearl Jam guitarist
Mike McCreadyMichael David McCready is an American musician who serves as the lead guitarist for the American rock band Pearl Jam. Along with Jeff Ament, Stone Gossard, Dave Krusen, and Eddie Vedder, he is one of the founding members of Pearl Jam...
, bassist
John Baker SaundersJohn Baker Saunders was a founding member and bassist for the American grunge rock supergroup Mad Season, as well as a member of The Walkabouts. He was born in Montgomery, Alabama and later attended Providence College...
from
The WalkaboutsThe Walkabouts is an American rock band formed in Seattle in 1984. The core members are vocalist Carla Torgerson and vocalist and songwriter Chris Eckman...
and
Screaming TreesScreaming Trees was an American rock band formed in Ellensburg, Washington in 1985 by vocalist Mark Lanegan, guitarist Gary Lee Conner, bass player Van Conner and drummer Mark Pickerel. Pickerel had been replaced by Barrett Martin by the time the band reached its most successful period...
drummer
Barrett MartinBarrett Martin , is an American drummer, upright bassist, composer, producer, writer, and Zen artist. He was the drummer for the Seattle, Washington groups Skin Yard and Screaming Trees, as well as the supergroups Mad Season and Tuatara...
. Mad Season released one album,
Above, for which Staley provided lead vocals and the album artwork. The album spawned a number-two single, "
River of Deceit"River of Deceit" is a song by the American rock band Mad Season, released in 1995 as the first single from the band's only studio album, Above...
", as well as a
home videoHome video is a blanket term used for pre-recorded media that is either sold or rented/hired for home cinema entertainment. The term originates from the VHS/Betamax era but has carried over into current optical disc formats like DVD and Blu-ray Disc and, to a lesser extent, into methods of digital...
release of
Live at the MooreLive at The Moore is a home video featuring the final live performance by the American rock band Mad Season. It was released on August 29, 1995.-Overview:...
. In April 1995, Alice in Chains entered
Bad Animals StudioBad Animals Studio is a music and media recording studio on 4th Avenue in downtown Seattle. It was originally founded as Steve Lawson Productions by founders Steve and Debbie Lawson in 1979. In 1991, Ann Wilson and Nancy Wilson joined forces with Lawson to create Studio X. In 1992, the studio...
in Seattle with producer
Toby WrightToby Wright is a record producer and mixing engineer who has worked with artists such as Alice in Chains, Metallica, Sevendust and Korn. He is currently in Nashville, Tennessee working on Kara Clark's latest Ep.-Producer:...
, who had previously worked with
Corrosion of ConformityCorrosion of Conformity is an American heavy metal band from Raleigh, North Carolina formed in 1982. For almost the majority of its existence, the band has consisted of guitarist Woody Weatherman, bassist Mike Dean , drummer Reed Mullin and vocalist and rhythm...
and
SlayerSlayer is an American thrash metal band formed in Huntington Park, California, in 1981 by guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King. Slayer rose to fame with their 1986 release, Reign in Blood, and is credited as one of the "Big Four" thrash metal acts, along with Metallica, Megadeth and...
. While in the studio, an inferior version of the song "Grind" was leaked to radio, and received major airplay. On October 6, 1995, the band released the studio version of the song to radio via satellite uplink.
On November 7, 1995, Columbia Records released the eponymous
Alice in ChainsAlice in Chains is the eponymous third studio album by the American rock band Alice in Chains. Released on November 7, 1995, it was the follow-up to the highly successful Dirt...
, which debuted at number one on the
Billboard 200, and has since been certified double platinum. Of the album's four singles, "
Grind"Grind" is a song by American grunge band Alice in Chains and the lead single from their album Alice in Chains . It serves as the opening track to the album but, despite being its first single, did not experience the radio longevity of some of its contemporaries...
", "
Again"Again" is a song by Alice in Chains, released on their album Alice in Chains . The song was included on the compilation albums Nothing Safe: Best of the Box , Greatest Hits , and The Essential Alice in Chains...
", "
Over Now"Over Now" is a song by the Seattle grunge band Alice in Chains, released on their album Alice in Chains . It was a single from the band's MTV Unplugged performance, and was used to close the televised broadcast...
", and "
Heaven Beside You"Heaven Beside You" is a song by Alice in Chains, from their album Alice in Chains . The song was included on the compilation albums Music Bank , Greatest Hits , and The Essential Alice in Chains .-Composition:...
", three feature Cantrell on lead vocals. Jon Wiederhorn of
Rolling Stone called the album "liberating and enlightening, the songs achieve a startling, staggering and palpable impact." The song "
Got Me Wrong"Got Me Wrong" was a largely acoustic single by American grunge band Alice in Chains. The studio version was first featured on the band's EP Sap...
" unexpectedly charted three years after its release on the
Sap EP. The song was re-released as a single on the soundtrack for the
independent filmAn independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
ClerksClerks is a 1994 independent comedy film written and directed by Kevin Smith, who also appears in the film as Silent Bob. Starring Brian O'Halloran as Dante Hicks and Jeff Anderson as Randal Graves, it presents a day in the lives of two store clerks and their acquaintances...
in 1995, reaching number seven on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. The band opted not to tour in support of
Alice in Chains, adding to the rumors of drug abuse.
Alice in Chains resurfaced on April 10, 1996, to perform their first concert in three years for
MTV UnpluggedMTV Unplugged is a TV series showcasing many popular musical artists usually playing acoustic instruments. The show has received the George Foster Peabody Award and 3 Primetime Emmy nominations among many accolades.-Unplugged:...
, a program featuring all-acoustic set lists. The performance featured some of the band's highest charting singles, including "
Down in a Hole"Down in a Hole" is a single from Alice in Chains' album Dirt . It is the fourth song on most pressings of the album and twelfth on others...
", "
Heaven Beside You"Heaven Beside You" is a song by Alice in Chains, from their album Alice in Chains . The song was included on the compilation albums Music Bank , Greatest Hits , and The Essential Alice in Chains .-Composition:...
", and "
Would?"Would?" is a single by grunge band Alice in Chains. The song first appeared on the soundtrack to the 1992 movie Singles, in which the members of Alice in Chains make a cameo appearance and later appeared on the band's album Dirt, also released in 1992...
", and introduced a new song, "The Killer Is Me". The show marked Alice in Chains' only appearance as a five-piece band, adding second guitarist
Scott OlsonScott Olson is a guitarist, bassist, and recording engineer. He played guitar with Heart 1995-1998 and 2002–2003, and in 1996 he performed with Alice In Chains on their MTV Unplugged concert....
. A
live album*The DVD release shows another take of "Sludge Factory", in which Layne Staley mixes up the lyrics at the beginning of the song which is ended shortly after...
of the performance was released in July 1996, which debuted at number three on the
Billboard 200, and was accompanied by a home video release, both of which received platinum certification by the RIAA. Alice in Chains performed four shows following the 1996
Lollapalooza tour supporting the reunited original
KissKiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
-lineup, with the final live appearance of Layne Staley on July 3, 1996, in
Kansas CityKansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
, Missouri.
Hiatus and the death of Layne Staley (1996–2002)
Although Alice in Chains never officially disbanded, Staley became a recluse, rarely leaving his Seattle condominium following the death of his ex-fiancée Demri Parrott in 1996, due to bacterial
endocarditisEndocarditis is an inflammation of the inner layer of the heart, the endocardium. It usually involves the heart valves . Other structures that may be involved include the interventricular septum, the chordae tendineae, the mural endocardium, or even on intracardiac devices...
. "Drugs worked for me for years", Staley told
Rolling Stone in 1996, "and now they're turning against me, now I'm walking through hell". Unable to continue with new Alice in Chains material, Cantrell released his first solo album in 1998, entitled
Boggy DepotBoggy Depot is the debut solo album by Alice in Chains guitarist and vocalist Jerry Cantrell. It was released on April 7, 1998 through Columbia Records.-Background:...
, which also featured Sean Kinney and Mike Inez. In 1998, Staley reunited with Alice in Chains to record two new songs, "
Get Born Again"Get Born Again" is a song by Alice in Chains and one of the last two songs recorded with vocalist Layne Staley before his death in 2002, the other song being "Died"...
" and "
Died"Died" is a song by Alice in Chains and the final one recorded with vocalist Layne Staley before his death in 2002. The song was included on the compilation albums Music Bank and The Essential Alice in Chains .-Origin and recording:...
". Originally written for Cantrell's solo album, the songs were released in the fall of 1999 on the box set,
Music Bank- Disc two :-Disc three :-Personnel:*Mark Arm - Assistant vocals on "Right Turn"*Jeff Beck - Graphic Design*Jerry Cantrell - guitar, vocals*Chris Cornell - Assistant guitar, lyrics, vocals on "Right Turn"*Peter Cronin - Photography...
. The set contains 48 songs, including rarities, demos, and previous album tracks. The band also released a 15-track compilation titled
Nothing Safe: Best of the Box-Personnel:*Jerry Cantrell - Guitar, backing vocals and lead vocals on "Grind"*Layne Staley - Lead vocals and guitar on "Angry Chair" and "Grind"*Mike Starr - Bass *Mike Inez - Bass *Sean Kinney - Drums*Alice in Chains - Producer...
, serving as a sampler for
Music Bank, as well as the band's first
greatest hitsA greatest hits album is a music compilation album of successful, previously released songs by a particular artist or band...
compilation. The band's last official releases include a
live albumA live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
, simply titled
Live-Personnel:Alice in Chains*Layne Staley – lead vocals, rhythm guitar*Sean Kinney – drums*Jerry Cantrell – lead guitar, vocals*Mike Inez – bass *Mike Starr – bass Production*Compilation producer – Peter Fletcher...
, released on December 5, 2000, and a second greatest hits compilation, titled
Greatest HitsGreatest Hits is a greatest hits collection by the grunge band Alice in Chains. It was released on July 24, 2001 on Columbia Records.-Overview:...
in 2001.
By 2002, Cantrell had finished work on his second solo album,
Degradation TripDegradation Trip is the second solo album by Alice in Chains guitarist and vocalist Jerry Cantrell, released on June 18, 2002. It marks his difficult transition from Columbia Records to Roadrunner and was dedicated to Alice in Chains lead singer Layne Staley, who died two months before the album's...
. Written in 1998, the album's lyrical content focused heavily on what Cantrell regarded as the demise of Alice in Chains which still remained evident as the album approached its June 2002 release. However, in March that year, Cantrell commented, "We're all still around, so it's possible [Alice in Chains] could all do something someday, and I fully hope someday we will."
After a decade of battling drug addiction, Layne Staley was found dead in his condominium on April 20, 2002. His mother and stepfather became alarmed when accountants noticed that money was no longer being withdrawn from his accounts. With assistance from the police, they broke into his condo and made the discovery. An autopsy revealed Staley had died from a mixture of
heroin and
cocaineCocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
. His friends speculate that in addition to drugs, he may have contracted an illness that his body could not fight off, due to a compromised immune system. His body was discovered two weeks after his death. In his last interview, which was given months before his death, Staley admitted, "I know I'm near death, I did crack and heroin for years. I never wanted to end my life this way." Cantrell dedicated his 2002 solo album, released two months after Staley's death, to his memory.
Reunion shows (2005–08)
In 2005, Jerry Cantrell, Mike Inez, and Sean Kinney reunited to perform a benefit concert in Seattle for victims of the tsunami disaster that struck South Asia. The band featured
DamageplanDamageplan was an American heavy metal supergroup from Dallas, Texas that formed in 2003. Following the demise of their previous group Pantera, brothers Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul Abbott wanted to start a new band. The pair recruited former Halford guitarist Pat Lachman on vocals, and later...
vocalist Pat Lachman, with other special guests including
Maynard James KeenanMaynard James Keenan is an American rock singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, winemaker, and actor. Originally from Ohio, Keenan spent his high school and college years in Michigan. After serving in the Army in the early 1980s, he attended Kendall College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids...
of
ToolTool is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1990, the group's line-up has included drummer Danny Carey, guitarist Adam Jones, and vocalist Maynard James Keenan. Since 1995, Justin Chancellor has been the band's bassist, replacing their original bassist Paul D'Amour...
, and
Ann WilsonAnn Dustin Wilson is an American musician, best known as the lead singer, flute player, songwriter, and occasional guitar player of the rock band Heart.-Personal life:...
of
HeartHeart is an American rock band who first found success in Canada. Throughout several lineup changes, the only two members remaining constant are sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson. The group rose to fame in the 1970s with their music being influenced by hard rock as well as folk music...
. On March 10, 2006, the surviving members performed at
VH1VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's
Decades Rock LiveDecades Rock Live! was a TV series of live concerts. The program premiered on VH1 Classic in the Winter of 2006.It "featured performances by celebrated artists from rock to soul who have influenced popular music over the last 50 years, as well as performances from some of today’s hottest recording...
concert, honoring fellow Seattle musicians Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart. They played "
Would?"Would?" is a single by grunge band Alice in Chains. The song first appeared on the soundtrack to the 1992 movie Singles, in which the members of Alice in Chains make a cameo appearance and later appeared on the band's album Dirt, also released in 1992...
" with vocalist
Phil AnselmoPhilip Hansen "Phil" Anselmo is an American musician who is best known as the lead singer for the heavy metal band Pantera. He is currently the frontman for the Louisiana-based metal act Down. He is also the owner of Housecore Records....
of
PanteraPantera was an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas. Formed by the Abbott brothers, Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell in 1981, bassist Rex Brown would join in late 1981 with vocalist Terry Glaze. Looking for a new and heavier sound, Pantera had Terry replaced in 1987 with Phil Anselmo as...
and
DownDown is an American heavy metal supergroup that formed in 1991 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The band's current lineup consists of vocalist Phil Anselmo, guitarist Pepper Keenan, guitarist Kirk Windstein, bassist Pat Bruders and drummer Jimmy Bower. Since their formation, Down has gone on hiatus twice...
, and
Duff McKaganMichael Andrew "Duff" McKagan is an American musician and writer. He is best known for his twelve-year tenure as the bassist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s...
of
Guns N' RosesGuns N' Roses is an American hard rock band, formed in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, in 1985. The band has released six studio albums, three EPs, and one live album...
and
Velvet RevolverVelvet Revolver is an American hard rock supergroup consisting of former Guns N' Roses members Slash, Duff McKagan, and Matt Sorum, alongside Dave Kushner formerly of punk band Wasted Youth. Stone Temple Pilots vocalist Scott Weiland was Velvet Revolver's lead singer from their formation until...
, then they played "
Rooster"Rooster" is a grunge song by the band Alice in Chains. The song was released as a single in 1993 and is featured on the band's second studio album, Dirt . The song was included on the compilation albums Unplugged , Music Bank , Greatest Hits , and The Essential Alice in Chains...
" with
Comes with the FallComes with the Fall is an American rock band from Atlanta, Georgia, formed in 1999. Since 2001, the line-up has been composed of William DuVall , Adam Stanger and Bevan Davies . Nico Constantine was the band's second guitarist before departing in 2001...
vocalist
William DuVallthumb|200px|right|William DuVall performing with [[Alice In Chains]] at Roskilde Festival 2010William DuVall is an American musician, best known as current lead singer for Alice In Chains, following the death of the band's original lead singer Layne Staley.DuVall is also co-founder, lead singer,...
and Ann Wilson. The band followed the concert with a short United States club tour, several festival dates in Europe, and a brief tour in Japan. To coincide with the band's reunion,
Sony MusicSony Music Entertainment ' is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America, the United States subsidiary of Japan's Sony Corporation....
released the long-delayed third Alice in Chains compilation,
The Essential Alice in ChainsThe Essential Alice in Chains is a two-disc compilation album by the grunge band Alice in Chains, and part of Sony BMG's The Essential series...
, a
double albumA double album is an audio album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically records and compact discs....
that includes 28 songs.
DuVall joined Alice in Chains as lead singer during the band's reunion concerts. Velvet Revolver and ex-Guns N' Roses bassist
Duff McKaganMichael Andrew "Duff" McKagan is an American musician and writer. He is best known for his twelve-year tenure as the bassist of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s...
also joined the band for the reunion tour, playing rhythm guitar on selected songs. Before the tour, Kinney mentioned in an interview that he would be interested in writing new material, but not as Alice in Chains. However, AliceinChains.com reported that the band had begun writing new material, with DuVall on lead vocals.
Black Gives Way to Blue (2008–10)
Blabbermouth.netBlabbermouth.net is a website dedicated to heavy metal and hard rock news, as well as album and music DVD reviews. Blabbermouth.net was founded and is run by Borivoj Krgin. The first version of the website was officially launched in March 2001...
reported in September 2008 that Alice in Chains would enter the studio that October to begin recording a new album for a summer 2009 release.
In October 2008, Alice in Chains began recording its fourth studio album at the
Foo FightersFoo Fighters is an American alternative rock band originally formed in 1994 by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl as a one-man project following the dissolution of his previous band. The band got its name from the UFOs and various aerial phenomena that were reported by Allied aircraft pilots in World War...
' Studio 606 in Los Angeles with producer
Nick RaskulineczNick Raskulinecz is a Grammy-winning American record producer. He resides in Nashville, Tennessee.-Production career:Raskulinecz is from the Bearden area of Knoxville, Tennessee. He first produced and recorded bands in Knoxville on a 8-track recorder that his grandfather bought for him...
. At the Revolver Golden God Awards, Jerry Cantrell said that the group had finished recording in March 2009, and were mixing it for a September release. In April 2009, it was reported that the new Alice in Chains album would be released by
VirginVirgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
/
EMIEMI Records is the flagship record label founded by the EMI company in 1972 and launched in January 1973 as the successor to its Columbia label. The EMI label was launched worldwide...
, making it the band's first label change in its 20-plus year career. On June 11, 2009, Blabbermouth.net reported that the new album would be titled
Black Gives Way to BlueBlack Gives Way to Blue is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Alice in Chains, released in September 2009. The first Alice in Chains album in nearly fourteen years, Black Gives Way to Blue is their first release with new vocalist/guitarist William DuVall, who took over from the late...
, and was officially set to be released on September 29, 2009. On June 30, 2009, one of the album's songs, "
A Looking in View"A Looking in View" is a song by Alice in Chains, featured on their fourth studio album Black Gives Way to Blue . It was released as the first single from the album on June 30, 2009, marking it as the band's first single since the previous decade. The song was the band's first release with vocalist...
", was released as the first single from the album. It was made available for a limited time as a free download through the official Alice in Chains website in early July. The music video for "A Looking in View" debuted via Alice in Chains' official website on July 7, 2009. The second single "
Check My Brain"Check My Brain" is a song by Alice in Chains, featured on their fourth studio album Black Gives Way to Blue . It was released as the second single from the album on August 17, 2009. The single topped the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks and Billboard Rock Songs charts in September 2009...
" was released to radio stations on August 14, 2009, and was made available for purchase on August 17, 2009. In addition, it was announced that
Elton JohnSir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
appears on the album's title track.
In September 2008, it was announced that Alice in Chains would headline Australia's
Soundwave FestivalSoundwave Festival, held every year at the Scarborough Spa Ocean Room, Scarborough, UK, is a music and arts festival created by the DIY Collective, a group of young people from around the Scarborough area. It was first held in 1999 on South Bay Beach, Scarborough and was moved to the Spa Complex...
in 2009, alongside
Nine Inch NailsNine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
and
Lamb of GodLamb of God is an American heavy metal band from Richmond, Virginia. Formed in 1994, the group consists of vocalist Randy Blythe, guitarists Mark Morton and Willie Adler, bassist John Campbell, and drummer Chris Adler...
. In February 2009, it was also announced that Alice in Chains would play at the third annual
Rock on the RangeRock on the Range is an annual rock festival featuring mostly mainstream rock bands, with a classic band usually headlining the show. The festival is held at two venues; Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio and Canad Inns Stadium in Winnipeg, Manitoba...
festival. On August 1, 2009, Alice in Chains, along with
MastodonMastodon is an American heavy metal band from Atlanta, Georgia, formed in 1999. The band is composed of bassist/vocalist Troy Sanders, guitarist/vocalist Brent Hinds, guitarist Bill Kelliher and drummer/vocalist Brann Dailor...
,
Avenged SevenfoldAvenged Sevenfold is an American heavy metal band from Huntington Beach, California. Formed in 1999, the group consists of vocalist M. Shadows, lead guitarist Synyster Gates, rhythm guitarist Zacky Vengeance, bassist Johnny Christ....
, and
GlyderGlyder is a hard rock band from Ballyknockan, County Wicklow, Ireland.-History:The band formed in 2004 after a one off gig at “The Vibe for Philo” in Dublin. Originally called Hollywood, the band toured Ireland with Thin Lizzy...
, performed at Marlay Park, Dublin as a direct support to Metallica. The band made an appearance on Later Live... With Jools Holland on 10 November 2009, performing "Lesson Learned", "Black Gives Way To Blue", and "Check My Brain" as the final performance of the episode.
To coincide with the band's European tour, Alice in Chains released its next single, "
Your Decision"Your Decision" is a song by Alice in Chains, featured on their fourth studio album Black Gives Way to Blue . It was released as the third single from the album on November 16, 2009 in the UK, and was released in the US on December 1, 2009...
", on November 16 in the UK and was in the US on December 1. The fourth single from the album is "
Lesson Learned"Lesson Learned" is a song by Alice in Chains, featured on their fourth studio album Black Gives Way to Blue . It was released as the fourth single from the album on June 22, 2010. It is the newest Alice in Chains single to date.-Music video:...
" and was released to rock radio in mid-June. On May 26, 2010,
Black Gives Way to Blue was certified gold by the RIAA for shipments of over 500,000 copies.
Along with
MastodonMastodon is an American heavy metal band from Atlanta, Georgia, formed in 1999. The band is composed of bassist/vocalist Troy Sanders, guitarist/vocalist Brent Hinds, guitarist Bill Kelliher and drummer/vocalist Brann Dailor...
and
DeftonesDeftones are an American alternative metal band from Sacramento, California, founded in 1988. The band consists of Chino Moreno , Stephen Carpenter , Chi Cheng , Frank Delgado , and Abe Cunningham . Currently Sergio Vega is standing in on bass while Cheng recovers from a car accident...
, Alice In Chains toured the United States and Canada in late 2010 on the
BlackdiamondskyeBlackdiamondskye was a 2010 North American concert tour by American bands Alice in Chains, Mastodon, and Deftones. Blackdiamondskye is a portmanteau of the three band's most recent albums: Alice in Chains' Black Gives Way to Blue, Deftones' Diamond Eyes, and Mastodon's Crack the Skye. The tour...
tour, an amalgam of the three bands' latest album titles (
Black Gives Way to Blue,
Diamond EyesDiamond Eyes is the sixth album by American Alternative metal band Deftones, released worldwide on May 4, 2010 through Warner Bros. and Reprise Records...
, and
Crack the SkyeCrack the Skye is the fourth studio album by American sludge metal band Mastodon, released on March 24, 2009 through Reprise Records. It features seven tracks and runs at 50 minutes and 6 seconds. The album debuted at number 11 on the Billboard 200, selling 41,000 copies in its first week. In...
).
Future fifth album and the death of Mike Starr (2010–present)
In April 2010, guitarist
Jerry CantrellJerry Fulton Cantrell Jr. is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter best known for his work with the grunge/metal band Alice in Chains, as lead guitarist, backing and co-lead vocalist, and co-lyricist. He performs lead vocals on his solo projects, and is part of Alice in Chains' harmonizing...
revealed to
MTV NewsMTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
that Alice in Chains was contemplating making a fifth studio album in the foreseeable future. He explained, "There are thoughts. We'll see how far we get. Staying in the moment is a good way to live and we certainly hope that it happens. I don't see any reason why it wouldn't [happen]." Frontman
William DuVallthumb|200px|right|William DuVall performing with [[Alice In Chains]] at Roskilde Festival 2010William DuVall is an American musician, best known as current lead singer for Alice In Chains, following the death of the band's original lead singer Layne Staley.DuVall is also co-founder, lead singer,...
also commented on the next album and Alice in Chains' future, "we've got a lot of water to sail before we do that. There's a lot of shows. But yeah, generally speaking, yeah, we're excited about the future. I don't anticipate some long layoff."
DuVall revealed in September 2010 that Alice in Chains had not begun writing their next album yet, but "there's plenty of riffs flying around." He added, "That was the case when we first started back up. We would just stockpile these fragments, and then some time later we would sift through the mountain of stuff, and that's what became
Black Gives Way to Blue. The same thing has been happening since we've been touring
Black Gives Way to Blue, so it would be only natural to at some point say, 'Hey, we've got a lot of stuff. Let's sift through and see what we've got this time.'" DuVall also mentioned that it is possible that the new album will feature songs that were written for
Black Gives Way to Blue.
On March 8, 2011, former Alice In Chains bassist
Mike StarrMichael Christopher "Mike" Starr was an American musician, best known as the original bassist in Alice in Chains, with whom he played from the band's formation in 1987 until 1993.- Career :...
was found dead in Salt Lake City. Police told Reuters they were called to Starr's Salt Lake City home at 1:42 PM where the musician's body was found; Starr was 44. Reports later surfaced that Starr's roommate had seen him mixing
methadoneMethadone is a synthetic opioid, used medically as an analgesic and a maintenance anti-addictive for use in patients with opioid dependency. It was developed in Germany in 1937...
and anxiety medication hours before he was found dead. Later reports indicated Starr's death may have been linked to two different types of antidepressants he was prescribed by his doctor. A public memorial was held for Starr at the Seattle Center's International Fountain on March 20, 2011. A private memorial was also held, which Jerry Cantrell and Sean Kinney attended according to Mike Inez.
On March 21, 2011,
Metal HammerMetal Hammer is a monthly heavy metal music magazine published in the United Kingdom by Future Publishing, and in several other countries by different publishers. Metal Hammer articles feature both mainstream bands and more unusual acts from the whole spectrum of heavy metal music...
reported that Alice in Chains will begin recording their new album at the tail end of 2011.
On July 19, 2011,
HeartHeart is an American rock band who first found success in Canada. Throughout several lineup changes, the only two members remaining constant are sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson. The group rose to fame in the 1970s with their music being influenced by hard rock as well as folk music...
vocalist
Ann WilsonAnn Dustin Wilson is an American musician, best known as the lead singer, flute player, songwriter, and occasional guitar player of the rock band Heart.-Personal life:...
told Ultimate Classic Rock that she had visited Alice in Chains at the recording studio where they are now working on their new album. On August 13, 2011 at the end of their concert in Oklahoma Cantrell concluded the performance by saying "Time to head back to the studio and finish that record."
Musical style
Although Alice in Chains has been labeled
grungeGrunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
by the mainstream media, fans and critics alike have disdained the grunge label and have felt the grunge label is inaccurate. Jerry Cantrell identifies the band as primarily
heavy metalHeavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
. He told
Guitar WorldGuitar World is a monthly music magazine devoted to guitarists. It contains original interviews, album and gear reviews and guitar and bass tablature of approximately five songs each month. The magazine is published 13 times per year...
in 1996; "We're a lot of different things... I don't quite know what the mixture is, but there's definitely metal,
bluesBlues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
,
rock and rollRock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
, maybe a touch of
punkPunk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
. The metal part will never leave, and I never want it to".
Jerry Cantrell's guitar style combines what Stephen Erlewine of Allmusic called "pummeling riffs and expansive guitar textures" to create "slow, brooding minor-key grinds". While down-tuned distorted guitars mixed with Staley's distinctive "snarl-to-a-scream" vocals appealed to
heavy metalHeavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
fans, the band also had "a sense of melody that was undeniable", which introduced Alice in Chains to a much wider pop audience outside of the heavy metal underground.
The band has been described by critics as "hard enough for metal fans, yet their dark subject matter and punky attack placed them among the front ranks of the Seattle-based grunge bands". Three of the band's releases feature all acoustic music, and while the band initially kept these releases separate, Alice in Chains' self-titled album combined the styles to form "a bleak, nihilistic sound that balanced grinding hard rock with subtly textured acoustic numbers".
Alice in Chains is also noted for the unique vocal harmonies of Staley and Cantrell, which included overlapping passages, and dual lead vocals. Alyssa Burrows said the band's distinctive sound "came from Staley's vocal style and his lyrics dealing with personal struggles and addiction". Staley's songs were often considered "dark", with themes such as drug abuse, depression, and suicide, while Cantrell's lyrics dealt more with personal relationships.
Legacy
Alice in Chains has sold more than 14 million albums in the United States, and around 35 million worldwide, released two number-one albums and 21 top 40 singles, and has received eight Grammy nominations. The band was ranked number 34 on
VH1VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's
100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock. Alice in Chains was named 15th greatest live band by
Hit ParaderHit Parader is an American music magazine focusing on the genres of hard rock, pop, and heavy metal.The magazine was originally started as a pop song lyric magazine by Charlton Publications in 1942. Charlton sold off the magazine before the company went under in 1991...
, with vocalist Layne Staley placing as 27th greatest vocalist of all time. The band's second album,
Dirt, was named 5th best album in the last two decades by
Close-Up magazine. In August 2009, Alice in Chains won the
Kerrang!Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
Icon Award.
Alice in Chains has had a large impact on many bands, such as
GodsmackGodsmack is an American heavy metal band from Lawrence, Massachusetts, formed in 1995. The band is composed of founder, frontman and songwriter Sully Erna, guitarist Tony Rombola, bassist Robbie Merrill, and drummer Shannon Larkin...
, who, according to Jon Wiederhorn of
MTVMTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, "have sonically followed Alice in Chains' lead while adding their own distinctive edge". Godsmack singer and founder
Sully ErnaSalvatore Paul "Sully" Erna , is an American vocalist and primary songwriter for the American heavy metal band, Godsmack. Erna is also a guitarist and drummer, performing these both on albums and during live shows. He has a daughter named Skylar Brooke Erna and an older sister named Maria.-Early...
has also cited Layne Staley as his primary influence.
StaindStaind is an American rock band that was formed in 1995 in Springfield, Massachusetts. For 16 years, the band consisted of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Aaron Lewis, lead guitarist Mike Mushok, bassist Johnny April, and drummer Jon Wysocki...
has covered Alice in Chains' song "Nutshell" live, which appears on the compilation
The Singles: 1996-2006, and also wrote a song entitled "Layne", in Staley's dedication, on the album
14 Shades of Grey-Personnel:* Aaron Lewis – vocals, rhythm guitar* Mike Mushok – lead guitar* Johnny April – bass guitar* Jon Wysocki – drums-Reception:Initial critical response ranged from mixed to average. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album...
.
Three Days GraceThree Days Grace is a Canadian rock band, formed in Norwood, Ontario, Canada in 1992, originally under the name Groundswell. After a breakup in late 1997, the band regrouped in the same year under its current name and with a line-up consisting of guitarist and lead vocalist Adam Gontier, drummer...
also performs a cover of "
Rooster"Rooster" is a grunge song by the band Alice in Chains. The song was released as a single in 1993 and is featured on the band's second studio album, Dirt . The song was included on the compilation albums Unplugged , Music Bank , Greatest Hits , and The Essential Alice in Chains...
", which can be seen on the DVD
Live at the PalaceLive at the Palace 2008 was the first DVD release from rock band Three Days Grace. Three Days Grace dedicated this DVD, in loving memory, to their manager and friend Stuart Sobol...
. Other bands that have been inspired by Alice in Chains include
CreedCreed is an American rock band formed in 1995 in Tallahassee, Florida. Becoming popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the band has released three consecutive multi-platinum albums, one of which has been certified diamond, and has sold over 28 million records in the United States, with an...
,
NickelbackNickelback is a Canadian rock band from Hanna, Alberta. Since 1995 the band has included guitarist and lead vocalist Chad Kroeger, guitarist and back-up vocalist Ryan Peake and bassist Mike Kroeger.. The band's current drummer and percussionist is Daniel Adair who has been with the band since 2005....
,
TaprootTaproot is a four-piece rock group from Ann Arbor, Michigan. They are most known for their hit single "Poem" , as well as a number of other singles from 2000 to the present.-Pre-formation:...
,
Stone SourStone Sour is an American rock band from Des Moines, Iowa. Since 2006, the group has been composed of Corey Taylor , Jim Root , Josh Rand, , Shawn Economaki and Roy Mayorga . Original drummer Joel Ekman left the group in 2006...
,
Puddle of MuddPuddle Of Mudd is an American rock band from Kansas City, Missouri, USA. To date the band has sold over 7 million albums, and have had a string of #1 mainstream rock singles in the United States. Their major-label debut Come Clean has sold over 5 million copies...
,
GodsmackGodsmack is an American heavy metal band from Lawrence, Massachusetts, formed in 1995. The band is composed of founder, frontman and songwriter Sully Erna, guitarist Tony Rombola, bassist Robbie Merrill, and drummer Shannon Larkin...
,
Smile Empty SoulSmile Empty Soul is an American post-grunge band from Santa Clarita, California.-History:Smile Empty Soul formed in 1998, while its original members were attending different high schools in the Santa Clarita area...
,
Avenged SevenfoldAvenged Sevenfold is an American heavy metal band from Huntington Beach, California. Formed in 1999, the group consists of vocalist M. Shadows, lead guitarist Synyster Gates, rhythm guitarist Zacky Vengeance, bassist Johnny Christ....
,
ColdCold is an American post-grunge band, formed in 1996 in Jacksonville, Florida. With two gold-albums Cold has sold over 1.2 million records in the US alone. On November 17, 2006, Ward announced on MySpace that, after a period of uncertainty since that February, the group had decided to disband. In...
,
HurtHurt is a rock band formed in 2000 in Virginia, now located in Los Angeles, California, United States. Currently in partnership with their manager's independent record label, Amusement, the band has put out three major label albums. The group consists of lead singer J...
,
Days of the NewDays of the New is an American alternative rock band from Louisville, Kentucky, formed in 1995. The band consists of vocalist/guitarist Travis Meeks and a variety of supporting musicians...
and
TantricTantric is a rock band from Louisville, Kentucky. The group has released four studio albums since 2001; although, their last two albums only retain Tantric's original singer, Hugo Ferreira...
.
MetallicaMetallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
said they've always wanted to tour with the band, citing Alice in Chains as a major inspiration for their 2008 release,
Death MagneticDeath Magnetic is the ninth studio album by the American heavy metal band Metallica. It was released on September 12, 2008 through Warner Bros. Records. It was the band's first album to feature bassist Robert Trujillo and the first to be produced by Rick Rubin, making this Metallica's first album...
. Metallica also recorded "Shine" as a tribute to Layne Staley, but the song was left off
Death Magnetic due to manufacturing restrictions.
Alice in Chains has also had a significant influence on modern
heavy metalHeavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
. Their songs were covered by various metal bands such as
OpethOpeth is a Swedish heavy metal band from Stockholm, formed in 1990. Though the group has been through several personnel changes, singer, guitarist, and songwriter Mikael Åkerfeldt has remained Opeth's driving force throughout the years...
,
Dream TheaterDream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of their studies to further concentrate on the band that would...
,
Suicide SilenceSuicide Silence is an American extreme metal band from Riverside, California. The group consists of vocalist Mitch Lucker, guitarists Chris Garza and Mark Heylmun, drummer Alex Lopez and bassist Dan Kenny. Formed in 2002, the band has released three full-length studio albums, one EP and seven music...
and
GraveGrave is a Swedish death metal band that formed in 1986 by vocalist and guitarist Ola Lindgren, who is their only constant member. The band had particular success in the early 1990s, and their first four albums, Into the Grave, You'll Never See..., Soulless and Hating Life, cemented their...
.
PanteraPantera was an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas. Formed by the Abbott brothers, Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell in 1981, bassist Rex Brown would join in late 1981 with vocalist Terry Glaze. Looking for a new and heavier sound, Pantera had Terry replaced in 1987 with Phil Anselmo as...
and
DamageplanDamageplan was an American heavy metal supergroup from Dallas, Texas that formed in 2003. Following the demise of their previous group Pantera, brothers Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul Abbott wanted to start a new band. The pair recruited former Halford guitarist Pat Lachman on vocals, and later...
guitarist
Dimebag DarrellDarrell Lance Abbott , also known as Diamond Darrell and Dimebag Darrell, was an American guitarist. He was best known as a founding member of the heavy metal bands Pantera and Damageplan. Abbott also contributed to the album Rebel Meets Rebel, a collaboration between Pantera and David Allan Coe...
had expressed his admiration for Jerry Cantrell's guitar work in an interview for
Guitar International saying that "the layering and the honest feel that Jerry Cantrell gets on [Alice in Chains' Dirt] record is worth a lot more than someone who plays five million notes". Anders Fridén of Swedish melodic death metal band
In FlamesIn Flames is a Swedish heavy metal band from Gothenburg, formed in 1990. Since the band's inception in 1993, they have released ten studio albums and one live DVD...
cited Layne Staley as an inspiration for his vocals on the band's later albums. In addition to fellow musicians, the band has also received praise from critics, with Steve Huey of Allmusic calling them "one of the best metal bands of the '90s" upon reviewing the 1999 compilation
Nothing Safe.
Band members
- Jerry Cantrell
Jerry Fulton Cantrell Jr. is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter best known for his work with the grunge/metal band Alice in Chains, as lead guitarist, backing and co-lead vocalist, and co-lyricist. He performs lead vocals on his solo projects, and is part of Alice in Chains' harmonizing...
– lead guitar, backing and lead vocals (1987–2002, 2005–present)
- Sean Kinney
Sean Howard Kinney is an American musician best known for being the drummer of the influential grunge band Alice in Chains....
– drums (1987–2002, 2005–present)
- Mike Inez
Mike Inez is a rock musician best known for his role as the bassist of Alice in Chains. Inez has also worked with other popular musical acts such as Ozzy Osbourne, Black Label Society, and Heart. Inez is of Filipino ancestry.-Career:...
– bass (1993–2002, 2005–present)
- William DuVall
thumb|200px|right|William DuVall performing with [[Alice In Chains]] at Roskilde Festival 2010William DuVall is an American musician, best known as current lead singer for Alice In Chains, following the death of the band's original lead singer Layne Staley.DuVall is also co-founder, lead singer,...
– lead vocals, rhythm and lead guitar (2006–present)
Former members
- Layne Staley
Layne Thomas Staley was an American musician who served as the lead singer and co-lyricist of the rock group Alice in Chains, which was formed in Seattle, Washington in 1987 by Staley and guitarist Jerry Cantrell. Alice in Chains rose to international fame as part of the grunge movement of the...
– lead vocals, occasional rhythm guitar (1987–2002)
- Mike Starr
Michael Christopher "Mike" Starr was an American musician, best known as the original bassist in Alice in Chains, with whom he played from the band's formation in 1987 until 1993.- Career :...
– bass (1987–1993)
Discography
- Facelift
Facelift is the debut studio album by the American rock band Alice in Chains. The album was released on August 21, 1990. The album is the band's second highest selling album and has been certified double-platinum by the RIAA for shipments of two million copies in the United States.-Background and...
(1990)
- Dirt (1992)
- Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains is the eponymous third studio album by the American rock band Alice in Chains. Released on November 7, 1995, it was the follow-up to the highly successful Dirt...
(1995)
- Black Gives Way to Blue
Black Gives Way to Blue is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Alice in Chains, released in September 2009. The first Alice in Chains album in nearly fourteen years, Black Gives Way to Blue is their first release with new vocalist/guitarist William DuVall, who took over from the late...
(2009)
Awards and nominations
Alice in Chains has received eight
GrammyA Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
nominations. The band's first Grammy nomination occurred when "
Man in the Box"Man in the Box" is a single by the rock group Alice in Chains. It was released as a single in 1991 after being featured on the group's debut full-length album Facelift...
" was nominated for
Best Hard Rock PerformanceThe Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance was an award presented to recording artists at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, for works containing quality performances in the hard rock music genre...
in 1992. Alice in Chains has also received Grammy nominations for Best Hard Rock Performance for the band's 1992 album,
Dirt, "
I Stay Away"I Stay Away" is the second single from Alice in Chains' EP Jar of Flies . The song was included on the compilation albums Nothing Safe: Best of the Box , Music Bank , Greatest Hits , and The Essential Alice in Chains .-Origin and recording:In the liner notes of 1999's Music Bank box set...
" from 1994's
Jar of FliesJar of Flies is the third studio EP by the American rock band Alice in Chains, released on January 25, 1994 through Columbia Records. It is the first EP in music history to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 Chart and was well-received by critics.-Background and recording:Following Alice in...
, "
Grind"Grind" is a song by American grunge band Alice in Chains and the lead single from their album Alice in Chains . It serves as the opening track to the album but, despite being its first single, did not experience the radio longevity of some of its contemporaries...
" and "
Again"Again" is a song by Alice in Chains, released on their album Alice in Chains . The song was included on the compilation albums Nothing Safe: Best of the Box , Greatest Hits , and The Essential Alice in Chains...
" from the band's 1995
self-titled albumAlice in Chains is the eponymous third studio album by the American rock band Alice in Chains. Released on November 7, 1995, it was the follow-up to the highly successful Dirt...
, and the 1999 track "
Get Born Again"Get Born Again" is a song by Alice in Chains and one of the last two songs recorded with vocalist Layne Staley before his death in 2002, the other song being "Died"...
". The music video for the song "
Would?"Would?" is a single by grunge band Alice in Chains. The song first appeared on the soundtrack to the 1992 movie Singles, in which the members of Alice in Chains make a cameo appearance and later appeared on the band's album Dirt, also released in 1992...
", Alice in Chains' contribution to the 1992 film,
Singles, won the award for
Best Video from a FilmThe MTV Video Music Award for Best Video from a Film was first awarded in 1987, recognizing the best videos whose songs were a part of a movie soundtrack or featured in a film. As time went on, though, music videos taken from movie soundtracks became more rare, and so the last of this award was...
at the
1993 MTV Video Music AwardsThe 1993 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on September 2, 1993, honoring the best music videos from June 16, 1992, to June 15, 1993. The show was hosted by Christian Slater at the Gibson Amphitheatre in Los Angeles. This was Kurt Cobain's final VMA appearance.This year marked the introduction of...
.
American Music Awards
The American Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony created by Dick Clark in 1973.
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| || Alice in Chains || Favorite New Heavy Metal/Hard Rock Artist ||
|-
Grammy Awards
The
Grammy AwardA Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
s are awarded annually by the
National Academy of Recording Arts and SciencesThe National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Inc., known variously as The Recording Academy or NARAS, is a U.S. organization of musicians, producers, recording engineers and other recording professionals dedicated to improving the quality of life and cultural condition for music and its...
.
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|
1992The 34th Grammy Awards were held on February 26, 1992. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year . Natalie Cole was the big winner winning three awards including Album of the Year.-Award winners:*Record of the Year...
|| "
Man in the Box"Man in the Box" is a single by the rock group Alice in Chains. It was released as a single in 1991 after being featured on the group's debut full-length album Facelift...
" ||
Best Hard Rock PerformanceThe Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance was an award presented to recording artists at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, for works containing quality performances in the hard rock music genre...
||
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|
1993The 35th Grammy Awards were held in 1993. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year. Eric Clapton was the night's big winner, winning 6 awards including Album of the Year.-Award winners:*Record of the Year...
||
Dirt || Best Hard Rock Performance ||
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|
1995The 37th Grammy Awards were presented March 1, 1995. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year.-Award winners:*Record of the Year**Bill Bottrell & Sheryl Crow for "All I Wanna Do"*Album of the Year...
|| "
I Stay Away"I Stay Away" is the second single from Alice in Chains' EP Jar of Flies . The song was included on the compilation albums Nothing Safe: Best of the Box , Music Bank , Greatest Hits , and The Essential Alice in Chains .-Origin and recording:In the liner notes of 1999's Music Bank box set...
" || Best Hard Rock Performance ||
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|
1996The 38th Grammy Awards were held on February 28, 1996. The awards recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year. Alanis Morissette was the night's big winner, scoring four trophies, including Album of the Year.-Award winners:...
|| "
Grind"Grind" is a song by American grunge band Alice in Chains and the lead single from their album Alice in Chains . It serves as the opening track to the album but, despite being its first single, did not experience the radio longevity of some of its contemporaries...
" || Best Hard Rock Performance ||
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|
1997The 39th Grammy Awards were held on February 26, 1997. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year.- Award winners :*Record of the Year**Babyface & Eric Clapton for "Change the World"*Album of the Year...
|| "
Again"Again" is a song by Alice in Chains, released on their album Alice in Chains . The song was included on the compilation albums Nothing Safe: Best of the Box , Greatest Hits , and The Essential Alice in Chains...
" || Best Hard Rock Performance ||
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|
2000The 42nd Grammy Awards were held on February 23, 2000. During the show, Santana won 8 Grammys, tying Michael Jackson's record for most awards won in a single night. Santana's album Supernatural was awarded a total of nine awards....
|| "
Get Born Again"Get Born Again" is a song by Alice in Chains and one of the last two songs recorded with vocalist Layne Staley before his death in 2002, the other song being "Died"...
" || Best Hard Rock Performance ||
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 2010 || "
Check My Brain"Check My Brain" is a song by Alice in Chains, featured on their fourth studio album Black Gives Way to Blue . It was released as the second single from the album on August 17, 2009. The single topped the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks and Billboard Rock Songs charts in September 2009...
" || Best Hard Rock Performance ||
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 2011 || "
A Looking in View"A Looking in View" is a song by Alice in Chains, featured on their fourth studio album Black Gives Way to Blue . It was released as the first single from the album on June 30, 2009, marking it as the band's first single since the previous decade. The song was the band's first release with vocalist...
" || Best Hard Rock Performance ||
MTV Video Music Awards
The
MTV Video Music AwardsAn MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos...
is an annual awards ceremony established in 1984 by
MTVMTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
.
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| || "Man in the Box" ||
Best Heavy Metal/Hard Rock VideoThe MTV Video Music Award for Best Rock Video was first given out in , and it was one of the four original genre categories added to the VMAs that year. That year, though, the award was called the Best Heavy Metal Video. From 1990 to 1995, the award was called the Best Metal/Hard Rock Video, and...
||
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| || "
Would?"Would?" is a single by grunge band Alice in Chains. The song first appeared on the soundtrack to the 1992 movie Singles, in which the members of Alice in Chains make a cameo appearance and later appeared on the band's album Dirt, also released in 1992...
" from
Singles ||
Best Video from a FilmThe MTV Video Music Award for Best Video from a Film was first awarded in 1987, recognizing the best videos whose songs were a part of a movie soundtrack or featured in a film. As time went on, though, music videos taken from movie soundtracks became more rare, and so the last of this award was...
||
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| || "Again" || Best Hard Rock Video ||
|-
External links