Alice in Chains

This article is about the grunge band. For information about their self-titled album, see Alice in Chains (album).

Alice in Chains

Alice in Chains is a popular and influential rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington in 1987. They were one of the most commercially successful bands from the Seattle grunge music scene, selling an estimated 14 million albums in the US alone. Unlike many of their peers, Alice in Chains owed more to heavy metal than to punk rock or classic rock, but the group became closely associated with grunge due to their Seattle roots, their image, and their introspective and sometimes morbid lyrics.

History

Early career (1987–1990)

In 1987, Layne Staley met guitarist and song-writer Jerry Cantrell at a party and allowed him to stay at the Music Bank Hotel with him. Eventually, Cantrell invited Staley to join his band, Diamond Lie, which soon added Cantrell's friend, bassist Mike Starr. They recruited drummer Sean Kinney, who was dating Starr's sister, to complete the lineup.

The new group began writing original material and playing clubs in Seattle, eventually taking the name "Alice in Chains." (The name derived from one of Layne Staley's former bands, Alice N' Chainz, originally called "sleeze." According to Staley, Alice N' Chainz would dress in drag at concerts, and he noted that he felt the name would fit a band that "dressed in drag and played speed metal.")

The band signed with Columbia Records in 1989. After recording a series of demos in early 1989, the band offered its first official release in July 1990, the We Die Young EP. The title track became a moderate hit on metal-oriented radio, preparing the way for the release later that year of the group's first full LP, Facelift. The album produced an unexpected hit in "Man in the Box", the video for which went into regular rotation on MTV. Supported by a tour opening for Van Halen and Iggy Pop, Facelift went Gold by the end of the year.

Rise to fame (1991–1994)

File:AliceinChainsDirt.jpg

Dirt is credited as the album that launched Alice In Chains into the mainstream. (1992)

The band next released an unexpected EP of acoustic compositions, Sap, which also featured guest artists Ann Wilson of Heart, who joined Staley and Cantrell for the choruses on "Brother", "Am I Inside" and "Love Song", as well as Mark Arm of Mudhoney and Chris Cornell of Soundgarden, who appeared on the song "Right Turn" (credited in the liner notes as Alice Mudgarden). Chris Cornell also sang some backing vocals on the track "Brother." The album title came from Drummer Sean Kinney who had a dream to call the new album "Sap."

The group received more exposure in 1992 when one of their new songs, "Would?", appeared on the soundtrack for Singles, a motion picture by filmmaker Cameron Crowe based on the lives of Seattle singles. The band also appeared in the film, performing the songs "Would?" and "It Ain't Like That" during one of the club scenes. The early release of "Would?" helped build anticipation for the group's next LP.

The album Dirt, released in the fall of 1992, exemplifies the group's heavy, guitar-driven, distortion-drenched sound, and Staley and Cantrell's complex vocal harmonies. It was both a critical and commercial success, going Platinum by the end of the year and remaining the band's most successful album to date. However, the dark lyrics, dealing mostly with isolation and addiction, increased speculation that Staley was addicted to heroin. It is now known that this speculation was correct.

While the band was touring to promote Dirt, Mike Starr left the group due to the band's nonstop schedule and eventually joined a hard rock band called Sun Red Sun. Starr was soon replaced by former Ozzy Osbourne bassist Mike Inez. The band met in the studio once again in 1993 to record two new songs, "What the Hell Have I?" and "A Little Bitter", for the soundtrack of the Arnold Schwarzenegger film, Last Action Hero.

During the summer of 1993, Alice in Chains joined bands such as Primus, Tool, Rage Against the Machine, and Babes in Toyland for the alternative music festival Lollapalooza. It would be the last time that Alice in Chains would undertake a major tour.

In January 1994, the band once again released an acoustic-based EP, Jar of Flies which, similar to Sap centered on acoustic performances, including string arrangements. With a track list of seven songs, Jar of Flies was firmly in the EP category but debuted at No. 1 on album sales charts, the first EP ever to reach that position. The album was written and recorded in a week.

Alice in Chains were scheduled to tour during the summer of 1994 with Metallica and opener Suicidal Tendencies but withdrew prior to the start of the tour, fueling rumors of drug addiction. Danzig replaced Alice in Chains in some venues, while others were played by Candlebox.

Later years (1995–1997)

The band stayed off the road for the remainder of their run, adding fuel to speculation about Staley's addiction. Nonetheless, Staley performed a few shows with Gacy Bunch (Mad Season), a "grunge supergroup" side project formed in 1995 with Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready and Screaming Trees drummer Barrett Martin. They later renamed themselves Mad Season and released a single LP, Above.

In November 1995, Alice in Chains returned with the release of a self-titled album, Alice in Chains. This album was a return to the heavy metal roots of the band, though unlike the sound of their previous albums and even less like the more acoustic Jar of Flies record. For some fans this return to form was welcome, for others it was not so much a step forward as a step backward into already well-explored territory. The album debuted at number one on the charts, but the group again failed to support it with a tour, sparking further discussion about Staley's heroin addiction. Ultimately, this would be the last official album that Alice in Chains produced.

The group surfaced again in 1996 to perform their first concert in three years on MTV Unplugged, a program featuring all-acoustic sets. Throughout the entire show it was clearly visible that Staley was weak. His mind was also not entirely with the show as he did not sing all of the songs he normally would, Cantrell filling in many of the verses. At one point Staley sang the incorrect verse to "Sludge Factory," causing the band to stop and restart the song. The set included the popular single "Down in a Hole," as well as "Heaven Beside You" and "Would?." The group reworked their harder material with fresh acoustic arrangements and included a rhythm guitarist, Scott Olson, to round out the sound. They also introduced a new song, "Killer Is Me". An album of the performance was released later that year, the album debuting at number three on the charts.

After the Unplugged show, the band opened four shows on the Kiss reunion tour filling in for Stone Temple Pilots, who had to pull out, ironically, because of lead singer Scott Weiland's drug problems. Their July 3 concert in Kansas City was the last concert Alice in Chains gave with Staley as lead singer.

Hiatus and the death of Layne Staley (1998–2002)

Cantrell wanted to keep the band together and tried to stay in touch with Staley, but it became clear that Staley's health would not allow him to return to work any time soon. Cantrell began work and soon released his first solo album, Boggy Depot, in 1998. Since Alice in Chains' bassist Mike Inez, drummer Kinney and producer Toby Wright made significant contributions to the album, many fans consider Boggy Depot to be a "lost" Alice in Chains album.

In 1998, Staley reunited with the other members of the group for the last time to record two more songs, "Get Born Again" and "Died". These songs were released in the fall of 1999 on the career-spanning box set, Music Bank. The set contains 48 songs, including rarities, old demos, the two new recordings, and a majority of the album cuts. The group also released Nothing Safe: Best of the Box, which served as a 15-song sampler of Music Bank, as well as their first best-of compilation. The two new recordings, "Get Born Again" and "Died", would be the last songs that Staley would record, while Music Bank would be the last release of new studio material from the band. A live album, Live, and a 10-song greatest-hits compilation, Greatest Hits round out the group's official releases.

Although the band never officially disbanded, Staley spiraled deeper into depression when his girlfriend died from bacterial endocarditis in 1996. He became a recluse, rarely leaving his Seattle condo. The possibility of a full Alice in Chains reunion finally ended on April 20, 2002, when Staley was found dead in his condominium from a lethal overdose of heroin and cocaine. The coroner approximated Staley's day of death as April 5, which, coincidentally, was the same approximate date as Kurt Cobain's death eight years earlier. (To add to the coincidence, Cobain and Staley once shared a room in a rehabilitation center; both were in for problems with heroin.)

Cantrell, shaken by the death of his friend and bandmate, dedicated his second solo album, Degradation Trip (2002), to Staley. The album was released about two months after Staley died as a single-disc release and was later re-released, as originally intended and with added songs, as a double disc. While some of the songs on the album appear to be written about Cantrell's former bandmate's death ("Thinking 'bout my dead friends whose voices ring on"), Degradation Trip was completed before Staley died.

Reunion (2005–present)

In 2005, Cantrell, Inez, and Kinney reunited to perform a benefit concert in Seattle for victims of the Tsunami Disaster that struck south Asia. The band included former Damageplan lead singer Pat Lachman as its primary vocalist. Surprise guests Wes Scantlin of Puddle of Mudd and Maynard James Keenan of Tool appeared to assist with singing, and Ann Wilson of Heart guest-starred to reprise her co-vocals on Brother. The surviving members of the group reportedly enjoyed the reunion, and Cantrell said it felt right to be playing with his old band again and having Lachman as lead singer.

On March 10, 2006, the surviving members of Alice in Chains performed at the VH1's Decades Rock Live concert honoring Seattle rockers Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart, where they performed their own songs, Would? (with Pantera/Down vocalist Phil Anselmo) and Rooster (with William DuVall and Ann). The band followed it with a short US club tour, several festival dates in Europe, and a brief tour of Japan. To coincide with the band's reunion, Sony released the long-delayed third Alice in Chains compilation, The Essential Alice in Chains, a double album that included 28 songs.

During the reunion shows, the band enlisted Comes With the Fall's William DuVall, who previously performed with Cantrell's solo band, to sing lead vocals. Velvet Revolver's Duff McKagan joined the band for the tour, playing second guitar on a few songs. The band has recently concluded their US tour.

Before the tour, Kinney mentioned in a interview that he would be interested in writing new material, but not as Alice in Chains. However, AliceinChains.com reported that the band had been writing new material.

The band recently began a statewide tour with Velvet Revolver entitled the Re-evolution Tour. It has also been officially announced that the band is writing new material, with DuVall as the new official frontman. Rumors have been circulating of an LP to be released in late 2007 or 2008 of all new songs.

The band also recently recorded an all acoustic performance in Milwaukee, WI, the recording to be released as the band's first album since the remaining members reunited in 2005. This CD will be the first ever Alice in Chains release with William DuVall as the group's lead vocalist. The acoustic album comes in response to critical and fan acclaim that came from the short acoustic sets that the band preformed on their 2006 North American club tour. This album is expected to be released prior to their upcoming studio release. It will be the band's second acoustic release, and third total live album (Live and MTV Unplugged respectively)

Band members

Current members

• William DuVall - lead vocals, rhythm guitar (2006-present)
• Jerry Cantrell - lead & rhythm guitars, vocals (1987-2002, 2005-present)
• Mike Inez - bass, backing vocals (1993-2002, 2005-present)
• Sean Kinney - drums, percussion (1987-2002, 2005-present)

Former members

• Layne Staley - lead vocals, rhythm guitar (1987-2002)
• Mike Starr - bass, backing vocals (1987-1993)

Touring musicians

• Patrick Lachman - lead vocals (2005-2006)
• Scott Olson - acoustic guitar, bass (1996)

Discography

Main article: Alice in Chains discography

See also

• Grunge music
• Mad Season
• Gruntruck
• Grunger
• Alice Mudgarden

External links

• Alice in Chains Official Site
• Jerry Cantrell Official Site
• Interview with Michael Starr
• Alice in Chains Videos
• Alice in Chains '07 tour photos [1] [2]
• Alice in Chains '06 tour photos [3] [4] [5]
• Alice in Chains Equipment/Gear
• Alice in Chains Concert Chronology, discography, and session history