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.
Am I Inside feat Chris Cornell
Alice in Chains Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Crawls to the surface of my skin, visibly surrounded by it
Black is all I feel, so this is how it feels to be free
Surrounded by empty souls, artificial courage used
And because so, once was mine
I walk this maze alone
Black is all I feel, so this is how it feels to be free
The man's beside himself, man's below himself
Chaos and hate shadow me, pain it fills me up
Only one thing makes me feel, missing better half of me
Black is all I feel, so this is how it feels to be free
The man's beside himself, man's below himself
Man's behind himself, Am I inside myself
Chaos and hate shadow me, hate it fills me up
Only one thing makes me feel, missing better half of me
Black is all I feel, so this is how it feels to be free
The man's beside himself, man's below himself
Man's behind himself, Am I inside myself
Am I Inside is a hauntingly introspective song by Alice in Chains that explores the themes of loneliness, emptiness, and pain. The lyrics describe a sense of being surrounded by a dark and lonely world, where the singer feels trapped inside himself. The opening lines set the tone for the entire song, with the sense of darkness creeping up on the singer. The line, "black is all I feel", is a metaphor for the emptiness in his life, and how the darkness he feels is all-consuming. The chorus adds to this theme with the line, "so this is how it feels to be free", which suggests that the darkness and loneliness are seen as a form of escape or release.
The singer's pain is further explored with lines like "chaos and hate shadow me" and "pain it fills me up". Throughout the song, the singer seems to be searching for something that will make him feel whole again. He wonders, "am I inside myself" and feels like he is walking through a maze alone. The idea of being lost and unsure of oneself is further amplified with the repetition of the line, "man's beside himself, man's below himself, man's behind himself".
Overall, Am I Inside is a powerful song that tackles themes of loneliness, pain, and the search for meaning in one's life. The lyrics are poignant and evocative, and the singer's voice only adds to the emotional resonance of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Loneliness it shadows me, quicker than darkness
The feeling of loneliness is always present and seems to follow me closely, even faster than the darkness.
Crawls to the surface of my skin, visibly surrounded by it
It's a feeling that is almost tangible, like it's crawling on my skin and everyone around me can sense it.
Black is all I feel, so this is how it feels to be free
Emptiness and sadness are the only emotions that I seem to feel, and in some strange way, it makes me feel free from the burden of happiness.
Surrounded by empty souls, artificial courage used
The people around me seem hollow and fake, putting on a brave face with artificial courage to hide their own emptiness.
And because so, once was mine
I too used to put on a fake persona to hide my own emptiness.
I walk this maze alone
I am navigating the complexities of life on my own, without any help or guidance.
The man's beside himself, man's below himself, Man's behind himself, Am I inside myself
The man seems to be separated from himself, both physically and emotionally, and it makes me question whether I am truly connected to myself.
Chaos and hate shadow me, pain it fills me up
I am constantly surrounded by chaos and hate, which only adds to my own pain and suffering.
Only one thing makes me feel, missing better half of me
The only thing that brings any sense of solace is the thought of being reunited with my missing, better half.
Black is all I feel, so this is how it feels to be free
Emptiness and sadness continue to be the only emotions that I experience, and it still feels liberating in a strange way.
The man's beside himself, man's below himself, Man's behind himself, Am I inside myself
The persistent feeling of disconnection from myself still haunts me, leaving me unsure of where I truly stand in my own life.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: LAYNE STALEY, JERRY CANTRELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Chris Rolls
Crazy to think those “empty souls” and their similarities to Layne made Layne an “empty soul” that hardly anyone could recognize years prior to his death.
He was consumed. Absolutely, totally consumed by his demons and his addiction.
Couldn’t imagine the pain he wen thru in his last 5 years of living...
Severe nerve damage, loss of extremities, damaged organs...
He had no choice but to push the end of his life at that point.
Mama Bear
I'm a 63 year old grandmother and AIC is my favorite band. Layne is my favorite vocalist by far.
notfree
You're awesome.
Danielle Watson
I turned 52 in January and my husband, whom I dragged along to see AIC’s on 27/02/13 wasn’t too interested but I wasn’t going to miss it as I’d never seen William perform live.
Hands down to the boys, I’ve come to warm to William.
The last time I saw AIC’s perform live in Melbourne, Australia was at Festival Hall in 1993 with Suicidal Tendancies opening the performance.
Gosh, I was an only 23yr old at the time and to think Demri was only 11MTHS older than me.
I always had a soft spot for Layne as he was, despite being damaged emotionally, wasn’t in your face about his problems like Kurt. I did initially like Nirvana as they introduced grunge to the global map.
In my opinion though, it was always Layne.
Btw, R.I.P. Mark W. Lanegan
25/11/64-22/02/22
kelli blue
Tho I'm not a grandma, imabout your age, and I wholeheartedly concur! 💔🎸❤
Wizard Burial Ground
You're older than my parents. My father is 59 and my mom will also be 59 this May. I turned 32 this past January and my parents raised me on AIC, pearl jam, Soundgarden, and alternative rock. The 60s, 70s and 90s were the best decades for music. The 80s were absolute trash, but the 90s came and more than made up for it 😂
Danielle Watson
@Wizard Burial Ground Half your luck! My parents were more into the 70’s decade of music but I was fortunate enough to find AIC at 22yrs.
Yasmine
I'm so glad I've discovered Alice, I feel like almost every song touches some part of my soul. Sounds pretty cheesy but it's the truth. Layne and Jerry singing together is pure magic and this one with Ann Wilson is such a gem too 🎶
Antemorpheus
If you see this Layne and Ann have another collab Bob Dylan cover called Ring them Bells
Nylon Tusk
I'm glad a beautiful soul like you discovered such a beautiful band. Alice in chains is magic from another realm. Hope their music can help you as much as it has me. ✌&🧡
None Ya
Amen.