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.

Brush Away
Alice in Chains Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I could use some time to curl away
My aggression is where you stake your claim
Why I question this curve on which you grade
My conception, a joke or latest craze?

I try to get away
And yet I stick around
So fall and crawl away

And brush away loose ground

My intention, I arrive at eight
Lie and dream some, surprise, you guys, I'm late
All right, correction, forgetting something, wait

I try to get away
And yet I stick around
So fall and crawl away
And brush away loose ground

I try to get away
And yet I stick around
So fall and crawl away
And brush away loose ground

And brush away loose ground
And brush away

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Alice in Chains's song Brush Away deal with internal struggles and frustrations. The opening line, "I could use some time to curl away," communicates the singer's desire to withdraw and escape from the pressures of daily life. He goes on to express the feeling that others are judging him and grading his worth based on their own values and standards, asking "why I question this curve on which you grade" and questioning whether his very existence is "a joke or latest craze."

The second verse paints a picture of a person who wants to be free from the expectations of others, but is unable to fully detach himself. He declares his intention to be somewhere at a certain time, but ends up forgetting something and being late. The repeated refrain emphasizes his sense of being stuck and unable to move forward: "I try to get away, and yet I stick around, so fall and crawl away, and brush away loose ground."

The song conveys a sense of frustration and helplessness, as the lyrics depict a person who is struggling to find his own identity and sense of purpose in the face of societal pressures and norms. The repeated use of "brush away loose ground" suggests a desire to shake off anything that is holding the singer back and move forward.

Line by Line Meaning

I could use some time to curl away
I need some time to retreat and collect myself.

My aggression is where you stake your claim
You use my anger as a way to control and manipulate me.

Why I question this curve on which you grade
I'm unsure about the standards by which you're judging me.

My conception, a joke or latest craze?
I'm not sure if my ideas are taken seriously or just seen as trendy.

My intention, I arrive at eight
I had planned to do something at a specific time.

Lie and dream some, surprise, you guys, I'm late
I ended up procrastinating and now I'm running behind schedule.

All right, correction, forgetting something, wait
I need to correct my mistake and take care of something I've forgotten.

So fall and crawl away
I need to retreat and leave this situation behind.

And brush away loose ground
I need to let go of anything that's holding me back and move forward.

And brush away loose ground
I need to continue to let go of negative influences and push ahead.

And brush away
I need to keep going and not let anything slow me down.