Alice In Chains

Alice in Chains embodied the brooding intensity of Seattle's 1990s rock scene while distinguishing themselves from the surrounding grunge acts through their deep grounding in heavy metal rather than punk. Guitarist Jerry Cantrell and vocalist Layne Staley had both performed in metal groups before the band came together in 1987, and they issued their debut album Facelift in 1990, predating the mainstream breakthrough of Nirvana's Nevermind. Their metal affiliations did not prevent them from flourishing during grunge's prime years, a fit that extended beyond mere timing because Cantrell's dark, minor-key riffs aligned closely with Staley's anguished songwriting to produce a weighty yet radio-friendly sound slightly more polished than that of their Seattle peers. This approach also proved adaptable, allowing the group to achieve early rock-radio and MTV success with "Man in the Box" and "Would?" before becoming one of the first 1990s alternative bands to explore acoustic territory and score further hits with the gentler "No Excuses" and "I Stay Away." Internal strains nevertheless marked their commercial height, largely driven by Staley's substance issues, which curtailed momentum through the latter half of the decade and ended with the singer's accidental death in 2002. Cantrell, drummer Sean Kinney, and bassist Mike Inez then relaunched the band four years later with vocalist William DuVall, initiating a sustained second chapter of releases and performances that outlasted the original lineup's duration.

The group's origins traced back to Sleze, a Seattle hair-metal outfit fronted by Layne Staley. That band adopted the name Alice N Chains in 1986, about a year before Staley met Cantrell at a gathering in the rehearsal space known as the Music Bank. The two quickly bonded, and Staley offered Cantrell a place to stay in his rented room there. Soon afterward both Alice N Chains and Cantrell's own group Diamond Lie disbanded. Cantrell began assembling a new project, bringing in Kinney on drums and Mike Starr on bass while still hoping Staley would handle vocals. At that moment Staley was performing with a funk band in need of a guitarist, so Cantrell agreed to fill the role only if his friend would commit to the emerging ensemble. Staley consented, the funk band soon dissolved, and the resulting quartet solidified under the name Alice in Chains.

Regular local performances followed, frequently alongside Mother Love Bone, which drew the notice of promoter Randy Hauser and led to a financed demo titled The Treehouse Tapes. Soundgarden's managers Kelly Curtis and Susan Silver forwarded the tape to Columbia Records, which signed the band in 1989 and paired them with producer David Jerden, fresh from work with Jane's Addiction. Early the next year the label issued the promotional We Die Young EP aimed at metal listeners; its title track gained rock-radio traction and paved the way for Facelift's August arrival, after which the group toured as openers for Iggy Pop. "Man in the Box" followed as the second single in January 1991, and heavy MTV rotation propelled the album onto the Billboard charts by April. Van Halen subsequently chose Alice in Chains as tour support in August, and the record received its initial gold certification in September, ultimately achieving double-platinum status.

While Facelift gained traction, the band worked on material for a follow-up and recorded the acoustic EP Sap, one of the earliest all-acoustic releases by an alternative act, which appeared in February 1992. They also made a brief appearance in Cameron Crowe's film Singles celebrating Seattle's early-1990s underground community. By the time the soundtrack reached stores in June, Nirvana's Nevermind had propelled the local scene onto the national stage, placing Alice in Chains squarely within it.

"Would?," a brooding track serving as the lead single from both the Singles soundtrack and the band's second album Dirt, began ascending Billboard's mainstream rock chart in June 1992. When Dirt arrived in September, Alice in Chains had fully aligned with the grunge movement, as evidenced by "Them Bones," the album's second single and their first entry on the alternative rock chart. Released amid the height of 1992's grunge surge, the bleak and somber Dirt propelled the band's career; it earned platinum certification by December, received two more platinum awards in 1993 and 1995, and a fourth in 2000, while sustaining chart presence through "Angry Chair" and the Top Ten mainstream rock successes "Rooster" and "Down in a Hole."

Behind the scenes, however, tensions mounted. Starr departed in January 1993 and was replaced by Mike Inez; although the initial account cited Starr's unreadiness for a demanding schedule, he later stated he had been dismissed over drug problems. Rumors of heroin addiction surrounding Staley, reinforced by lyrical content on Dirt, persisted as the band continued forward, contributing two new songs—including the radio hit "What the Hell Have I"—to the Last Action Hero soundtrack and securing a prominent slot on the 1993 Lollapalooza tour. The acoustic-leaning Jar of Flies, issued in January 1994, became the first EP to debut at number one on the Billboard charts and, aided by "No Excuses" which topped the mainstream rock chart and reached number three on the alternative chart—their highest placement with Staley—received platinum certification by March, eventually earning two further certifications.

Despite remaining chart-toppers, Alice in Chains stayed off the road throughout 1994, prompting speculation about Staley's heroin dependence, which proved accurate. After a failed rehab attempt the band abruptly canceled its summer tour and entered an unofficial hiatus. During this period "Got Me Wrong," originally from Sap, was released as a single from the Clerks soundtrack and became a radio success. Staley also formed the side project Mad Season, initially called the Gacy Bunch for early shows, alongside Pearl Jam's Mike McCready, the Screaming Trees' Barrett Martin, and John Saunders; their sole album Above appeared in March 1995.

While Above climbed the charts—peaking at number 24 on the Billboard album chart, with "River of Deceit" reaching the Top Ten on both mainstream and modern rock charts—Alice in Chains reconvened with producer Toby Wright for their third album. The self-titled record debuted at number one upon its November 1995 release, and the singles "Grind" and "Heaven Beside You" both entered the mainstream rock Top Ten, the latter reaching number six on the alternative chart. Reluctant to tour again, the band instead recorded their first concert in nearly three years for MTV Unplugged on April 10, 1996. Released as an album on July 30, the performance came after only four warm-up dates with Kiss; Staley suffered a heroin overdose on July 3 following a Kansas City show and was discovered unresponsive.

Although Staley survived the overdose, addiction continued to hinder the group. After the October 1996 death of his former fiancée Demri Parrott, he withdrew from public view, prompting Cantrell to record the solo album Boggy Depot with assistance from Inez and Kinney. Two new songs, including the Top Ten mainstream rock hit "Get Born Again," were added to the 1998 box set Music Bank, which initiated a series of archival releases: Nothing Safe: The Best of the Box in 1999, Live in 2000, and Greatest Hits in 2001. During the extended break Kinney and Inez participated in Spys4Darwin, Inez performed with Zakk Wylde's Black Label Society, and Cantrell prepared a second solo effort, Degradation Trip, issued in June 2002, two months after Staley was found dead from a drug overdose at his Seattle residence.

Following Staley's passing the band disbanded; Inez joined Heart while Cantrell collaborated with various hard-rock and metal artists including Heart and Ozzy Osbourne. Sony terminated their contract in 2004, yet the group reunited the next year for a benefit concert addressing the 2004 South Asia tsunami disaster, with Damageplan singer Pat Lachman filling in for Staley and additional guests such as Ann Wilson and Maynard James Keenan appearing. The successful one-off led to a permanent reunion; after enlisting William DuVall, formerly of Comes with the Fall, as the new vocalist, Alice in Chains toured in 2006 and supported Velvet Revolver in 2007.

The reunited lineup recorded Black Gives Way to Blue with co-producer Nick Raskulinecz; released in September 2009, it debuted at number five on the Billboard charts, earned gold certification, received two Grammy nominations, and reaffirmed the band's standing in mainstream and modern rock. Further touring followed into 2010, after which they returned to the studio with Raskulinecz for The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here, which debuted at number two upon its May 2013 release. The band supported the album through 2014 and remained on the road for the next two years. In 2017 they began work on another album with Raskulinecz; primarily recorded in Seattle, Rainier Fog appeared in August 2018.