Alice in Chains is an American grunge/ alternative metal band from Seattle,… Read Full Bio ↴Alice in Chains is an American grunge/ alternative metal band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 1987 by guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell and drummer Sean Kinney, who then recruited bassist Mike Starr and lead vocalist Layne Staley. Starr was replaced by Mike Inez in 1993. William DuVall joined the band in 2006 as co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist, replacing Staley, who died in 2002. The band took its name from Staley's previous group, the glam metal band Alice N' Chains.

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.

06 Sea Of Sorrow
Alice in Chains Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Mind, of destructive taste
I choose...to stroll amongst the waste
It was your heart
Lost in the dark

Call off the chase
Walls of thought, strong and high
As my castle crumbles with time...

I think of you
Oh, yes I do
Such a crime

[Chorus]
You opened fire...and your mark was true
You opened fire...aim my smiling skull at you
You opened fire...

I live tomorrow, you I'll not follow
As you wallow in a sea of sorrow
Lines cut across my face
Why you laugh at my disgrace

I'll never know
How far to go
To reach that place

[Chorus]

I live tomorrow, you I'll not follow
As you wallow in a sea of sorrow

[Chorus]

[Repeat: x 4]

I live tomorrow, you I'll not follow
As you wallow in a sea of sorrow

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Alice in Chains's song "Sea of Sorrow" depict a mind consumed by destructive thoughts and a heart lost in the dark. The singer chooses to wander through the wasteland, feeling as though their castle of ideals is crumbling as time passes. They think of someone they once knew, suggesting a betrayal or a loss of trust, as they sing "such a crime" in reference to their wandering.

The chorus speaks of the person who caused the pain, opening fire and causing true harm. The singer refuses to follow this person into the depths of the "sea of sorrow" in which they reside. The lines cut across their face, perhaps symbolizing the pain and scars that result from facing such circumstances. Despite their pain, the singer resolutely refuses to follow the person who brought them such sadness.

One interpretation of this song is that it is about addiction and the damage it inflicts on relationships. The chorus could refer to the addictive substance or behavior being the entity that "opens fire" and causes harm. The singer, consumed by addiction and struggling to stay afloat in a "sea of sorrow," refuses to follow others down the same path.

Line by Line Meaning

Mind, of destructive taste
My mind has a destructive nature

I choose...to stroll amongst the waste
I decide to walk amidst the garbage and filth

It was your heart
It was your heart that caused my pain

Lost in the dark
My heart is full of darkness

Call off the chase
Stop pursuing me

Walls of thought, strong and high
My thoughts are like high and strong walls

As my castle crumbles with time...
As my world falls apart slowly

I think of you
I remember you often

Oh, yes I do
Yes, I truly do

Such a crime
It's a terrible thing

You opened fire...and your mark was true
You attacked me and hit your target directly

You opened fire...aim my smiling skull at you
You shot at me, targeting my skull with a smile on your face

You opened fire...
You attacked me with all your might

I live tomorrow, you I'll not follow
I will move on with my life, I won't follow you

As you wallow in a sea of sorrow
While you remain stuck in depression

Lines cut across my face
There are marks on my face

Why you laugh at my disgrace
Why do you find pleasure in my humiliation

I'll never know
I will never find out the reason

How far to go
How much further do I have to go

To reach that place
To get to where I want to be