Although widely associated with grunge music, the band's sound incorporates heavy metal elements. Since its formation, Alice in Chains has released five studio albums, three EPs, three live albums, four compilations, two DVDs, 31 music videos and 29 singles. The band is known for its distinctive vocal style, which often included the harmonized vocals between Staley and Cantrell (and later between Cantrell and William DuVall). Cantrell started to sing lead vocals on the 1992 acoustic EP Sap, and his role continued to grow in the following albums, making Alice in Chains a two-vocal band.
Alice in Chains rose to international fame as part of the grunge movement of the early 1990s, along with other Seattle bands such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden. The band was one of the most successful music acts of the 1990s, selling over 20 million records worldwide, and over 14 million records in the US alone, with two No. 1 albums and six Top 10 albums on the Billboard 200 chart. The band has had 16 Top 10 songs on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, 5 No. 1 hits, and nine Grammy Award nominations. Their debut album, Facelift, featuring the hit single "Man In The Box", was released in 1990 and has been certified double-platinum by the RIAA, selling over two million copies. In 1992, the band's second album, Dirt, was released to critical acclaim and was certified quadruple platinum. Their second acoustic EP, Jar of Flies, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart in 1994, becoming the first ever EP and first Alice in Chains release to top the charts, and it has been certified triple platinum by the RIAA. The band's third album, Alice in Chains debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in 1995 and has been certified double platinum.
Although never officially disbanding, Alice in Chains was plagued by extended inactivity from 1996 onwards due to Staley's substance abuse, which resulted in his death in 2002. The band reunited in 2005 for a live benefit show, performing with a number of guest vocalists. They toured in 2006, with William DuVall taking over as lead vocalist full-time. The new line-up released the band's fourth studio album, Black Gives Way to Blue, in 2009, which received gold certification by the RIAA and two Grammy nominations. Their fifth studio album, The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here, was released in 2013 and debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. The band toured extensively and released several videos in support of these albums.
Their sixth studio album, Rainier Fog, would be released in 2018, through BMG records, making it their first big release on the new label. Rainier Fog would end up debuting at No. 12 on the Billboard 200, making it yet another powerful addition to the band's already impressive discography.
Although Alice in Chains has been labeled grunge by the mainstream media, Jerry Cantrell identifies the band as primarily heavy metal. He told Guitar World in 1996, "We're a lot of different things ... I don't quite know what the mixture is, but there's definitely metal, blues, rock and roll, maybe a touch of punk. The metal part will never leave, and I never want it to". The Edmonton Journal has stated, "Living and playing in Seattle might have got them the grunge tag, but they've always pretty much been a classic metal band to the core."
Over the course of their career, the band's sound has also been described as alternative metal, sludge metal, doom metal,drone rock, hard rock, and alternative rock. Regarding the band's constant categorization by the media, Cantrell stated "When we first came out we were metal. Then we started being called alternative metal. Then grunge came out and then we were hard rock. And now, since we've started doing this again I've seen us listed as: hard rock, alternative, alternative metal and just straight metal. I walked into an HMV the other day to check out the placement and see what's on and they've got us relegated back into the metal section. Right back where we started!". Drummer Sean Kinney rejects the grunge label, stating in a 2013 interview "I mean, before we first came out there was no grunge, they hadn’t invented that word. Before they invented the word grunge we were alternative rock and alternative metal and metal and rock, and we didn’t give a shit whatever, we were a rock and roll band!". According to Mike Inez, they were always the metal stepchildren of the Seattle scene.
Jerry Cantrell's guitar style combines "pummeling riffs and expansive guitar textures" to create "slow, brooding minor-key grinds". He is also recognized for his natural ability to blend acoustic and electric guitars. While down-tuned, distorted guitars mixed with Staley's distinctive "snarl-to-a-scream" vocals appealed to heavy metal fans, the band also had "a sense of melody that was undeniable", which introduced Alice in Chains to a much wider audience outside of the heavy metal underground.
According to Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic, Alice in Chains' sound has a "Black Sabbath-style riffing and an unconventional vocal style". The band has been described by Erlewine as "hard enough for metal fans, yet their dark subject matter and punky attack placed them among the front ranks of the Seattle-based grunge bands". Three of the band's releases feature acoustic music, and while the band initially kept these releases separate, Alice in Chains' self-titled album combined the styles to form "a bleak, nihilistic sound that balanced grinding hard rock with subtly textured acoustic numbers".
Alice in Chains is also noted for the unique vocal harmonies of Staley (or DuVall) and Cantrell, which included overlapping passages, dual lead vocals, and trademark harmonies typically separated by a major third. Cantrell said it was Staley who gave him the self-assurance to sing his own songs. Alyssa Burrows said the band's distinctive sound "came from Staley's vocal style and his lyrics dealing with personal struggles and addiction". Staley's songs were often considered "dark", with themes such as drug abuse, depression, and suicide, while Cantrell's lyrics often dealt with personal relationships.
- Grind
Alice in Chains Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Not to plan my funeral 'fore the body dies, yeah
Come the morning light, it's a see through show
What you may have heard and what you think you know, yeah
Let the sun never blind your eyes
Let me sleep so my teeth won't grind
Hear a sound from a voice inside
Sure to play a part, so you love the game
And in truth your lies become one and same, yeah
I could set you free, rather hear the sound
Of your body breaking as I take you down, yeah
Let the sun never blind your eyes
Let me sleep so my teeth won't grind
Hear a sound from a voice inside
In the darkest hole, you'd be well advised
Not to plan my funeral 'fore the body dies, yeah
Let the sun never blind your eyes
Let me sleep so my teeth won't grind
Hear a sound from a voice inside
Let the sun never blind your eyes
Let me sleep so my teeth won't grind
Hear a sound from a voice inside
The lyrics of Alice in Chains's song "Grind" describe the internal struggle of the singer who feels trapped in a game of deceit and deceitful relationships. The opening lines, "In the darkest hole, you'd be well advised not to plan my funeral 'fore the body dies" suggest that the singer is in a dark place mentally and urges the listener not to try to predict or control his actions. The line "Come the morning light, it's a see-through show / What you may have heard and what you think you know" refers to the singer's desire to be seen for who he really is and not what others perceive him to be.
The chorus serves as a sort of mantra for the singer, as he repeats the lines "Let the sun never blind your eyes / Let me sleep so my teeth won't grind / Hear a sound from a voice inside." These lines suggest a need for clarity, peace, and self-awareness.
The second verse refers to the singer's knowledge that he is playing a role in his relationships, even if it is built on lies. "Sure to play a part, so you love the game / And in truth your lies become one and same" suggest that the singer is both a victim and a participant in this game of deception. The line "I could set you free, rather hear the sound / Of your body breaking as I take you down" suggests that the singer knows he has the power to break free from this cycle but also enjoys the feeling of power over others.
Overall, "Grind" is a powerful exploration of the singer's state of mind and his desire for authenticity in a world built on falsehoods.
Line by Line Meaning
In the darkest hole, you'd be well advised
Not to plan my funeral 'fore the body dies, yeah
Don't give up on me just yet, even in my darkest moments. Don't assume I'm gone before I'm gone. Wait for me to die before planning my funeral.
Come the morning light, it's a see through show
What you may have heard and what you think you know, yeah
When everything is revealed in the light of day, you may realize that what you thought you knew is different from what you actually know.
Let the sun never blind your eyes
Let me sleep so my teeth won't grind
Hear a sound from a voice inside
Don't place too much trust in bright or hopeful things. Let me rest so I don't become anguished. Listen to the voice you hear inside your thoughts.
Sure to play a part, so you love the game
And in truth your lies become one and same, yeah
You always play a part, even if you don't want to admit it. In reality, your deception becomes part of who you really are.
I could set you free, rather hear the sound
Of your body breaking as I take you down, yeah
Although I could release you from your pain or difficulties, I'd take pleasure in hearing the sound of your body breaking as I overpower you.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Jerry Cantrell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Moranimal23
Lyrics*******
In the darkest hole, you'd be well advised
Not to plan my funeral before the body dies, yeah
Come the morning light, it's a see through show
What you may have heard and what you think you know, yeah
Let the sun never blind your eyes
Let me sleep so my teeth won't grind
Hear a sound from a voice inside
Sure to play a part, so you love the game
And in truth your lies become one and same, yeah
I could set you free, rather hear the sound
Of your body breaking as I take you down, yeah
Let the sun never blind your eyes
Let me sleep so my teeth won't grind
Hear a sound from a voice inside
In the darkest hole, you'd be well advised
Not to plan my funeral before the body dies, yeah
Let the sun never blind your eyes
Let me sleep so my teeth won't grind
Hear a sound from a voice inside
Let the sun never blind your eyes
Let me sleep so my teeth won't grind
Hear a sound from a voice inside
@Awge_aket
In the darkest hole, you'd be well advised
Not to plan my funeral before the body dies, yeah
Come the morning light, it's a see through show
What you may have heard and what you think you know, yeah
Let the sun never blind your eyes
Let me sleep so my teeth won't grind
Hear a sound from a voice inside
Sure to play a part, so you love the game
And in truth your lies become one and same, yeah
I could set you free, rather hear the sound
Of your body breaking as I take you down, yeah
Let the sun never blind your eyes
Let me sleep so my teeth won't grind
Hear a sound from a voice inside
In the darkest hole, you'd be well advised
Not to plan my funeral before the body dies, yeah
Let the sun never blind your eyes
Let me sleep so my teeth won't grind
Hear a sound from a voice inside
Let the sun never blind your eyes
Let me sleep so my teeth won't grind
Hear a sound from a voice inside
@SkyHigh87
Anyone else on an Alice in Chains binge? Its hard to stop.
@big_sky_country
on such a binge tonight
@tarunchauhan3393
Alice in Chains has always been something that you can't really put a label on. Sure...we call it grunge to put our minds at ease. I personally cant put a finger on what I like about AIC, but I'm pretty sure that my understanding of music would be quite empty without it.
@philearl7614
Right now!
@grassmonster
Yessir
@alessandrofirano9922
Same!
@jessehutchings
For some reason I think AiC is the darkest band ever. Like, sure, thousands of bands put all of their energy behind being as dark as humanly possible but it's like AiC didn't even have to try. Even when they write something semi uplifting there's still this undercurrent of soul crushing despair
@efck4923
I do agree
@S0RELOSER
Probably because they were all basically strung out out on H throughout their entire existence.
It’s amazing they were able to function & stayed together as long as they did.
@joshuaweston6531
I will certainly agree they are one of the darkest. I'm thinking top 5. There's alot of bands that could be considered dark, especially when you get into death metal and black metal. However, I'd argue the darkness that comes from AIC is because of the human condition. No satanic fireworks, just the virus that is being a human in this world.