Alice In Chains released their third full-length album today in 1995, the self-titled “Alice In Chains”. Formed by guitarist Jerry Cantrell and singer Layne Staley in Seattle in 1987, Alice In Chains was in the most successful period of their career at this point. Their previous release, the EP “Jar of Flies” in 1994, became the first EP in history to debut at #1. Their previous full-length album, “Dirt” in 1992, was one of the best rock records of the decade and sold over four million copies. Staley’s worsening heroin addiction, however, would soon reduce the band to ashes.
The band was forced to abandon a tour with Metallica in 1994 due to Staley’s unreliability and they decided to take a break. Staley released an excellent album with Mad Season during their hiatus but the band reformed and hit the studio in 1995. Staley’s condition had actually deteriorated even more and he was absent for the majority of the recording sessions.
Despite the circumstances, “Alice In Chains” was an outstanding album and another step in the band’s progression away from simply being a “grunge” band, if they were ever grunge at all. They retained the dark, tormented and drug addled lyrics Staley had become known for, but the sound was cleaner than their first two albums and provided a stark contrast to the subject matter of the songs. The clarity of the music allowed Staley’s agony to be experienced unfiltered and this might make “Alice In Chains” the band’s most unsettling album, though not nearly its heaviest.
In spite of the window into Staley’s torment, the album debuted at #1 and stayed on the chart for 10 months. The biggest song on the album, “Heaven Beside You”, was the second highest charting single for the band and featured Cantrell in a dual-lead vocal role with Staley. On previous albums Cantrell and Staley harmonized well and the lead/background singer dynamic was always fluid, but on this album Cantrell picks up a lot of Staley’s slack. Two other singles, “Again” and “Grind” were nominated for Grammys.
Sadly, this would be Alice In Chains’ last album with Staley. Though they released a few more songs together, Staley’s addiction was consuming him. He withdrew from family and friends and holed up in a condo in Seattle. He was rarely seen and when he was those that knew him were shocked at the sight of the withered husk of a man masquerading as Staley. He was often less than 100 pounds stretched across a six foot tall frame and his alternating ghastly pale and sickly greenish complexion and missing teeth foreshadowed what he would soon become. Layne Staley was found dead on April 19, 2002 though it is estimated he died weeks before that.
“Head Creeps”:
“Again”:
“Grind”:
