Alice In Chains is:
•Layne Staley - vocals, guitar (b. 8-22-67)
•Jerry Cantrell - guitar, vocals (b. 3-18-66)
•Mike Inez - bass (b. 5-14-66)
•Sean Kinney - drums (b. 5-27-66)
(Selected excerpts from information provided by Columbia Records)
Formed in Seattle in 1987, Alice In Chains represents the missing link between the L.A.
glam-metal bands of the eighties and their grungier kin from the northwest. After a bit of
soul searching, opening for the likes of Ozzy Osbourne, Megadeth and Iggy Pop, Alice In
Chains' success came with the first wave of Seattle bands to hit it big in 1991. Whereas
bands like Nirvana and Soundgarden consciously distanced themselves from pop-metal
outfits, Alice In Chains co-opts glam-metal production techniques and harmonic devices,
giving the band's recorded work sonic depth missing from much of today's alternative
music.
Alice in Chains distinguishes themselves from the Seattle brat pack, featuring structured
harmonized vocals from Cantrell and Staley bringing to mind a latter-day Crosby, Stills
and Nash with flannel. The band creates brooding but compelling textures focusing on
personal pain and suffering. The group's first full-length release on Columbia, Facelift,
spawned a top 5 metal hit with "We Die Young." At the time, the album seemed
awkward and out of place in the aftermath of the eighties' fashion-conscious glam metal
and eurocentric new wave. Later, the group would achieve widespread success with "Man
In The Box," recieving considerable play on MTV. The band appeared as themselves in
Cameron Crowe's movie Singles and headed out with Lollapalooza in 1993.
The band's follow-up Dirt, rode the crest of the wave of great music from Seattle that
would change the shape of music to come. With Nirvana, Soungarden, and Pearl Jam, Alice
created rock and roll for the sake of itself, while actively downplaying the traditional
trappings that had come to be associated with pop rock stardom.
The group then released two EPs back to back, Jar Of Flies and SAP These releases show the
band moving away from the hard edged sound found on Facelift and Dirt, focusing on Layne
Staley's guitar and relying more on acoustic instruments to back up complex harmonies. On
SAP Layne and Jerry collaborate with Chris Cornell on "Right Turn." Both EPs
spawned hits for the band, including "No Excuses."
With the release of Alice In Chains, the group's third full-length release, the group
continues to create challenging and intense music. The album represents a new beginning
for the band. Alice In Chains put aside personal differences and focused on creating a new
record that would dispell the doubts surrounding the band's viability. Before this
writing, the band's album has recently ousted Tha Dogg Pound from the top spot on the
Billboard album chart, indicating the public's satisfaction with the return of one of
Seattle's greatest bands.
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