Alice in Chains - Alice in Chains (1995)

After nearly a year on hiatus, Alice in Chains released their self-titled LP in the fall of 1995. Coming off a length of time that saw the band deal with a cancelled tour, side projects, and a lead singer struggling with heroin addiction, the recordings here symbolize a band that wasn't quite holding itself together. Much like the three-legged dog in the album's cover art, the music here feels at times like there is something missing. In all the time I've had to listen to this album over the years, I've never really been able to appreciate it outside of a few moments here and there. 

To start, the album's overall production is much more... sludgy then on previous works. The album sounds like it was recorded in somebody's garage, lacking the scope of sound present on Dirt, or even Facelift. While the more intimate recording gives it a certain quality that I'm sure the band was eager to experiment with, I have never felt like it had an edge over the metallic quality of their earlier work. With the band's trademark vocal harmonies, it sounds like the band went the route of layering Layne Staley's own voice over himself, as opposed to having Staley and Jerry Cantrell's distinct voices compliment each other; the result is a kind of acidic drone in some of the vocal lines that, once again, don't do much for me. Case in point, the verses in "Again" and "Brush Away"; both songs seem to remove Cantrell from the equation. Again, it's probably part of the aesthetic the band was going for here, but it's not winning any accolades from me. 

That's not to say the album is all bad, and I certainly don't mean to come down on it as hard as it seems I am. The blending of acoustic and electric elements on some of the songs is a welcome step for the band; "Heaven Beside You" and "Over Now" are two of the more memorable tracks. The former devolves into a discordant grind in the second half of the song that provides an effective shift in tone, while "Over Now" is an excellent closer to entire album. Both songs recall the stellar "Brother" and "Got Me Wrong" from Sap, which is a plus. 

The album is not afraid to get heavy in some parts; things get particularly crushing during the aptly-named "Sludge Factory". Again, the vocals here don't quite do it for me 100% of the time, but they are unsettling and provide a great dressing for the fuzzy distortion of Cantrell's riffs. But, what can I say about the last three minutes of the seven(!!!)-minute song that amounts to nothing but guitar-dickery and Staley repeating the word "guilt" over and over? Puzzling. "Frogs" is another song in a similar vein as "Sludge Factory", with a pained and mournful chorus; "Why's it have to be this way?" Staley asks, to a desolate soundscape that offers little answers. It suffers the same problems as "Sludge Factory" though, in that it just crawls along for far too long, like algae growing along the surface of a pond. 

The rest of the album is an amalgamation of the band's works up to that point, with songs like "Grind" and "Again" providing the mid-tempo chug that wouldn't be out of place on Dirt, and the aforementioned acoustic-laden tracks naturally evolve from Sap and Jar of Flies. But for all of its value as a culmination of what came before, I don't feel like AiC quite found their footing here. Perhaps it's reflective of the time during which it was written, but Alice in Chains ultimately comes off as sounding like a band struggling to come to terms with the very real personal issues plaguing its members, and I can respect the fact that others may find something to appreciate there. It would have been interesting to see where things went after this in regards to new material, but as history has shown it was not meant to be (not with Staley at the helm, at least); this proved to be the last new studio material from the band for fourteen years. 

This is not an album I find myself revisiting very often, and in doing so for this review, it becomes apparent why.

Verdict: Indifference [6.5/10] (Hey, I know I made the same mistakes)

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Alice in Chains - Jar of Flies EP (1993)

Alice in Chain's second EP, Jar of Flies, is an enigma in my personal hierarchy of the band's discography, in that while it is far from their heaviest work, it is unquestionably my favourite. There are a myriad of personal reasons that inform this declaration (young-adult angst, mostly); but its an impeccable album in its own regard, with brilliant songwriting (almost) all the way through. There's something remarkably pure about this album, possibly thanks to the circumstances of its recordings (the band supposedly wrote and recorded the entire EP in a week, while living in the studio after being evicted from their shared apartment after the Dirt tour). 

Much like Sap, the songs feel more personal here; less about the wallowing in the mud and more about wondering where you are, and where life's taking you. To a young nineteen-year-old who was going through the aforementioned angst (not looking for sympathy, honest), a lot of this album rang true on a few levels. The stripped-down arrangements, dominated by acoustic guitars, evoke a more reflective side of a band that seemed to have a lot to reflect on, not the least of which being newfound critical acclaim after the release of Dirt. 

The band isn't afraid to experiment beyond the acoustic arrangements here, either. "Rotten Apple" showcases one of guitarist Jerry Cantrell's best solos, played through a talk-box; "I Stay Away" and "Whale & Wasp" both feature strings, with the latter having the honour of being the band's only instrumental piece. All the songs here are unique and manage to differentiate themselves in bold ways, which is all the more remarkable with the EP being - for all intents and purposes - an impromptu jam session. The level of craft on display here is incredible, and its made even more so when considering it was done such a short time. The fact that something so beautiful and completely integral to a band's ouevre as a song like "Nutshell" appears here is astounding. 

"No Excuses" is arguably the centrepiece of the EP's concentrated genius. All four members are at their A-game here, with an incredible rhythm section consisting of Sean Kinney and Mike Inez (replacing the late Mike Starr on bass) supporting Cantrell and late vocalist's Layne Staley's impeccable harmonies. Once again, the guitar is nothing to scoff at, with Cantrell's playing absolutely shimmering during the verse, all building to an incredibly memorable solo. The song is more upbeat than AiC has ever sounded before and since then, a stark contrast with the remainder of the disc yet never feeling out of place.

The same can't be said about my only real slight against the album, that being the final track, "Swing On This". A bluesy track ushered in with a walking bass line, there's nothing inherently bad about it. In fact, its just the kind of off-kilter track, with a chorus that reminds me a bit of Dirt's "Hate to Feel", that really characterized some of AiC's deeper cuts. That said, I feel like it doesn't flow very organically from the rest of the album. The first six songs form such a cohesive picture that "Swing On This" comes off as jarring. Some will certainly disagree, but for myself, its the only reason why I would refrain from calling Jar of Flies perfect. 

Last song woes aside, however, Jar of Flies remains an introspective, honest, and unpretentious work from a band that had worldwide acclaim at its fingertips. To take the time away from superstardom and and bare it all on a work so genuine is nothing short of remarkable, and I recommend everyone give it a listen. No excuses.

Verdict: Epic Win [9.5/10] (Take me home)

http://aliceinchains.com

Alice in Chains - Dirt (1992)

By the time Dirt was released, the Seattle grunge scene was in full swing. Nirvana had blown the doors off with their chart-topping Nevermind, and other bands, such as Pearl Jam and Soundgarden, were beginning to find themselves in the spotlight with their respective seminal works, Ten and Badmotorfinger. Released over a year after the aforementioned albums, Dirt lumbered onto the scene like the coked-up family member showing up late to the reunion. Dark, dirty, and desolate, Dirt is an exercise in exposing and exploiting the demons that lay nestled in the band’s collective conscious. Without a doubt the bands most definitive work, the album takes the listener through every twisted corner of Layne Staley and company’s psyche, and never pulls its punches. Much of the hard rock aesthetic present on Facelift is dropped here, choosing to instead to dig into sludgy riffs that limp through odd time signatures. The entire album becomes a rather unsettling look into the mind of an addict, with Layne Staley’s lyrics forming a simultaneously grating and enchanting synergy with his distinct voice. Add to the mix guitarist Jerry Cantrell’s own singing and pummeling guitar playing, and I would argue you have a singer-guitarist duo to rival the likes of the greats. The rhythm section, once again composed of bassist Mike Starr and drummer Sean Kinney, provides the ever shifting but always-solid backdrop to the proceedings.

AiC once again pulls no punches with its opening track, diving right into the off-kilter groove of “Them Bones”, with Staley starting things off with a distinctive bark. The riffing on display here is exceptional, with a driving energy that sinks its teeth in and doesn’t let go. Cantrell’s solo is one of his finest, taking a similar trick from “Man in the Box” by playing what feels like two distinct solos from two players, but at the same time achieving a cohesiveness that boosts the song into the stratosphere. The listener will notice by the first song that the band has not sounded better up until this point. The guitars are fuller, the vocals are at the forefront and clear, and the rhythm section has a low-end growl and thump that was not present to the same degree on Facelift. Again borrowing while also tweaking the template laid out on Facelift, the second song is another riff machine meant to kick your ass and show you the band is back with an even sharper edge. “Dam That River”, by far one of my favourites, chugs along at a brisk pace, leading up to a killer chorus and solo. By this point, Dirt has my full attention, taking the sound established on Facelift and crafting it into something bigger and better.

Things slow down on the acid-trip grind of “Rain When I Die”. A plunking bass line leads into a whammy-bar/wah-pedal solo that sounds like the kind of thing you would hear after a night taking a hit of everything under the sun. The guitar melody is classic Cantrell, combining the expression of the wah with eccentric phrasing that formulates his sound. The vocal harmonies at 3:22 are the perfect example of the trademark AiC developed over their career. Beautiful yet haunting, harmonious yet dissonant.

Three of the following four songs all display the very bleak atmosphere that permeates the entire album, like a layer of filth that accumulates in a home long abandoned. “Sickman”, “Junkhead”, and “Dirt” all dig straight into the mind of the bands iconic vocalist. “Dirt” in particular features Staley lamenting, “I want you to scrape me from the walls / And go crazy like you've made me”. The lyrics present the musings of a man who feels disgust with what he has become, but can’t pull himself away from it.

Backtracking a bit, we get a little personal with the other side of the vocal duo with a tribute to Cantrell’s veteran father, “Rooster”. One of the more radio-friendly songs on the album, the song features an incredible chorus courtesy of Staley’s signature pipes. You can’t help but sing along, “You know he ain’t gonna die!” Fucking killer stuff.

The next two songs, “God Smack” and “Hate to Feel”, are not songs I find myself coming back to often. They feel similar at times to what is heard earlier, but this is not to fault the songs themselves. They portray the same kind of self-loathing and drug-fueled insanity that is obvious on the first half of the album. But as it stands, I personally don’t find much reason to come back to them. “Angry Chair”, on the other hand, makes its presence known with a stomping drum line, followed by an ominous guitar melody. Another personal favourite, it grabs me from the get-go. The start-and-stop pre-chorus is a highlight, with some heavy-as-fuck power chords pounding you into submission. Angry indeed.

The albums one true ballad, “Down In A Hole”, exemplifies AiC’s knack of being able to combine an elegant grace to their gritty subject matter. Sorrowful to the nth degree, the song still manages to uplift the listener by the end of it. One of the strongest tracks on the album, it provides a moment of calm before the storm. And by storm, I mean Dirt’s crown jewel, the juggernaut “Would?”. By far the best song on the album, and one of the bands single greatest tracks, “Would?” has it all: a subtle bass intro, drums that thunder and stomp, and a kick-ass chorus combining guitar and vocals for something far greater than the sum of its parts. The interplay between Staley and Cantrell in the verse is haunting, with a foreboding guitar part becoming an instantly recognizable sound of the grunge scene. It’s a perfect way to close a near-perfect album, and I can’t see myself failing to enjoy it any time soon.

So, as you can tell, I find Dirt to be an intriguing and exceptional experience, but not one without its faults. There are times where I find the bleak and drowning nature of the music and lyrical subject matter to be too overwhelming. The album oozes atmosphere and almost leaves you reaching for something to clean yourself off with. Some of the songs are a little similar in how they go about things, and the album suffers a little for it. With that said, the album is the bands definitive work. Tracks like "Them Bones", "Dam That River" and "Would?" are mainstays of the bands setlist to this day, and for good reason. This is the band at its peak in terms of songwriting and honing their sound. This is the place to start if one is looking to explore one of the dirtier bands that rose to prominence in the grunge scene. But, for all its fanfare and praise, I cannot bring myself to declare it my favourite, nor can I give it a perfect score. Listen to it anyway.

Verdict: Epic Win [9/10]

http://aliceinchains.com/

Alice in Chains - Sap (1992)

Two years after Alice in Chains debuted with Facelift, grunge had taken over. Nirvana’s Nevermind sat at the top of the Billboard 200, and more attention was being paid to Seattle’s music scene than ever before. So, instead of following up with another full length to capitalize on the craze, Alice in Chains recorded a quick four-song EP of lighter fare, and titled it Sap. Released in the early part of 1992, it serves as a pleasant appetizer for the juggernaut that was to be unleashed that September. But that will have to wait. Sap begins a trend (albeit a brief one, brief as the first half of the band’s career) of alternating between full-length albums chock-full of sludgy riffs, and shorter EPs airing more on the acoustic side of things. Does the lack of crushing riffs meant to drag you into the pit Staley chose to occupy himself with make it any less good? Hardly. For the hardcore collector, Sap is a sweet addition to anyone’s collection.

Sap is an anomaly in that it is the only Alice in Chains album to feature guest vocals. Ann Wilson (Heart), Mark Arm (Mudhoney) and (be still my beating heart) Chris Cornell of Soundgarden fame all make appearances here, and their contributions are appreciated. Wilson in particular adds a certain beauty to the proceedings on “Brother”, an ode to guitarist Jerry Cantrell’s younger sibling. “Got Me Wrong” is the “heaviest” song on the album, with a heavy stomp accenting the acoustic guitar courtesy of Sean Kinney and Mike Starr. The chorus dirties things up a little with Cantrell turning the gain up a notch, but this is nothing that hasn’t been surpassed before or after in the band’s career. Things take a turn for the interesting on the third track, “Right Turn”. Officially credited to “Alice Mudgarden” (a juxtaposition of the contributing member’s band names), the song is an excellent display of some of the excellent vocal talent coming out of the Seattle scene. Chris Cornell in particular stuns and amazes, but I should probably save any gushing over his formidable singing ability for a Soundgarden discography review. Harmonies abound, further explored and developed from the band's debut. Haunting and at the same time beautiful, this song is a personal highlight for me. That is not to say that the final offering, “Am I Inside” (the only song to feature a Layne Staley writing credit) is something to laugh at. This song features some of the eeriest, darkest music I’ve heard AiC produce across their entire career. Ann Wilson lending her talents again doesn’t hurt too much either.

I lied when I mentioned “Am I Inside” to be the final track on this EP, as there is a hidden fifth track, titled “Love Song”. I fail to mention it because… well… it’s kind of a joke. It features a piano waltzing along as (I assume) the band members yodel and make fart noises, and then it launches into a frenzied drum-bashing craze of obnoxious guitar sounds and voice samples from something I don’t recognize. Anyways, it does nothing but annoy me so I choose to ignore it. And since it doesn’t show up on the track listing on the album, I can imagine the band didn’t intend for anyone to think much of it either. So really, what we have here is four brilliantly nuanced acoustic tracks giving us an even deeper look into the musical and lyrical abilities of this gem of a band. Would I recommend it to the casual listener? No. But to anybody who’s looking to really get into AiC, I would definitely suggest picking it up. It’s not the best of their acoustic EPs, but it is a unique experience, one that shows AiC is more than capable of making you sway to the sound of an acoustic as well as thrash to some grungy riffs.

Verdict: Win [8/10] (So unsure you reach for something strong)

http://aliceinchains.com/

Alice in Chains - Facelift (1990)

I won’t begin my discography review of Alice in Chains’ with their history and how they got to this point. The entire background of the Seattle grunge scene is so ripe with explanation and history you’d do better to look it up yourself. But I will begin this string of reviews by saying AiC stands as one of my absolute favourite bands to date, in all my time listening to music. So this discography review has a special place in my heart. But let’s get to Facelift. The full-length debut, Facelift serves as the foundation of the signature sound that guitarist Jerry Cantrell and company (Layne Staley, Mike Starr, and Sean Kinney on vocals, bass, and drums, respectively) and would develop to fruition on their second full-length, Dirt.

Things get rolling in prime fashion with one of the best opening salvos I’ve ever heard during my time listening to recorded music. “We Die Young” chugs along with an infectious groove, with Staley digging into the sinister side of things with a killer vocal. “Man in the Box” is up next with a simple but heavy riff, and a biting guitar solo takes center stage. Anybody who claims the 90’s brought about the death of great guitar-playing needs to be slapped in the face with this album, as both opening tracks show off Cantrell’s incredible chops when it comes to shredding. Tasteful, bluesy, but not afraid to dig into the metal bag of tricks, and pull out some tasty, high-speed riffs. Packed with emotion at every turn, Cantrell stands to date as one of my favourite axe-slingers, and for good reason.

“Sea of Sorrow”, “Bleed the Freak”, and “I Can’t Remember” take us further into the gloom afterwards. All good songs, but I don’t feel they compare as favourably to the first two. They still drive things along, with “Bleed the Freak” in particular cranking out some killer chugging riffs. A tasty appetizer on the way to what I consider to be the real main course of the album, “Love, Hate, Love”. A perfect example of the definitive AiC sound, the song is dark, brooding, filled with despair, and in no rush to reach the finish line. Staley festers in his own morose lyrics, bleeding pure malice and contempt into every word. Brace yourself for the climax around the 4:25, with the entire band bringing the song crashing down on top of your head, all after Cantrell’s brilliant solo of course.

The rest of the album passes by much the same way the third, fourth, and fifth songs do. Some bluesy playing opens up the somewhat mediocre “Sunshine”, and “Confusion” only serves to remind me of a much better song, “Rooster” from their second full-length (or would “Rooster” remind one of “Confusion”?). “Put You Down” feels like something Guns N’ Roses could write, with a swagger in the riff that has me picturing Axl Rose doing a snake-dance with Slash ripping it up. This song in particular demonstrates the band’s ability to break out of the slow, grunge sound they were a part of and break into a more mainstream hard rock aesthetic.

Overall, Facelift is a solid debut, one that I would recommend to anyone looking to get into the Seattle grunge scene. Cuts like “Love, Hate, Love”, “I Can’t Remember”, and “Sunshine” hint at the slower, more somber side of the band that would come to fruition in the future, and songs like “We Die Young” and “Put You Down” display a knack for cranking out hard-hitting rockers too. Promising as it is, I can’t help but feel underwhelmed by some of the album, namely tracks like “Confusion” and the aforementioned “Sunshine”. But the high points are juggernauts, integral parts of the Seattle scene canon. A must-buy for fans of the band, or people looking into the grunge scene with any curiosity.

Verdict: Win [7.75/10] (I like to see, how you all would bleed for me)

http://aliceinchains.com/