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.
Dam the River
Alice in Chains Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I drowned you in the lake
You a snake that I would trample
Only thing I'd not embrace
Oh, you couldn't dam that river
And maybe I don't give a damn anyway
So you couldn't dam that river
And it washed me so far away
I kicked you in the face
You stare at me so hollow
Got to keep that killin' pace
Oh, you couldn't dam that river
And maybe I don't give a damn anyway
So you couldn't dam that river
And it washed me so far away
I burned the place around you
I hit you with a rake
You piss upon my candle
So proving you're a fake
Oh, you couldn't dam that river
And maybe I don't give a damn anyway
So you couldn't dam that river
And it washed me so far away
The lyrics of Alice in Chains's song Dam That River can be interpreted as a power struggle between two individuals, one who takes pleasure in dominating and hurting the other. The singer seems to have the upper hand in the relationship, using violent and destructive actions to subdue the other person. However, the other person is not entirely defenseless, and is capable of resisting in his/her own way. The river metaphor serves as a symbol of the uncontainable force of the other person's will, which cannot be dammed or controlled by the singer.
The use of violent imagery in the lyrics highlights the aggressive and oppressive nature of the singer's actions. The canyon and the lake represent the different stages of the other person's subjugation - first breaking him/her in the canyon, then drowning him/her in the lake. The snake metaphor emphasizes the other person's elusive and slippery nature, which the singer finds both intriguing and threatening. The use of physical violence, such as kicking and hitting, also underscores the singer's sadistic tendencies.
Despite the singer's attempts to dominate and control, the other person ultimately proves to be too strong and resilient. The river washes the singer away, suggesting that he/she is unable to fully conquer the other person's willpower. The last verse indicates that the other person has his/her own strategies for resistance, such as pretending to conform while secretly undermining the singer's authority. The final line, "proving you're a fake," suggests that the other person sees through the singer's facade of power and recognizes his/her weakness.
Line by Line Meaning
I broke you in the canyon
I ruined you emotionally in a deep, isolated place
I drowned you in the lake
I overwhelmed you with negative emotions and feelings
You a snake that I would trample
You are someone who is deceitful and untrustworthy that I would have no problem destroying
Only thing I'd not embrace
The only thing I refuse to accept is your negativity and toxicity towards me
Oh, you couldn't dam that river
You were unable to stop the natural flow of events and actions that lead to our current state
And maybe I don't give a damn anyway
I may not care about the outcome or consequences of my actions towards you
So you couldn't dam that river
Your attempts to stop our situation from progressing were futile
And it washed me so far away
The situation pushed me far away from you emotionally and mentally
I pushed and then you stumbled
I caused you to lose your footing and composure through my actions
I kicked you in the face
I metaphorically assaulted you and caused you insult and injury
You stare at me so hollow
You look at me with empty, meaningless eyes, devoid of true emotion
Got to keep that killin' pace
I must continue to maintain my aggressive and destructive behavior towards you
I burned the place around you
I destroyed the environment and relationships surrounding you
I hit you with a rake
I attacked you with a tool, causing you pain and suffering
You piss upon my candle
You deliberately ruin something precious to me through your actions
So proving you're a fake
Your behavior shows that you are not authentic or genuine in your intentions towards me
And it washed me so far away
The situation pushed me far away from you emotionally and mentally
Oh, you couldn't dam that river
Your attempts to stop our situation from progressing were futile
And maybe I don't give a damn anyway
I may not care about the outcome or consequences of my actions towards you
So you couldn't dam that river
Your attempts to stop our situation from progressing were futile
And it washed me so far away
The situation pushed me far away from you emotionally and mentally
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CANTRELL, JERRY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@phantomfang1927
I broke you in the canyon
I drowned you in the lake
You, a snake that I would trample
Only thing I'd not embrace
Oh, you couldn't dam that river
And maybe I don't give a damn anyway
So you couldn't dam that river
And it washed me so far away
I pushed and then you stumbled
I kicked you in the face
You stared at me so hollow
Got to keep that killing pace
Oh, you couldn't dam that river
And maybe I don't give a damn anyway
So you couldn't dam that river
And it washed me so far away
I burned the place around you
I hit you with a rake
You piss upon my candle
So proving you're a fake
Oh, you couldn't dam that river
And maybe I don't give a damn anyway
So you couldn't dam that river
And it washed me so far away
@cloudbloom
How this song didn't make it on the radio back in the day is baffling. It's so damn heavy and the vocals are so powerful, definitely one of my favorite songs by them
@benmyths
too heavy for radio
@dumbstupid5065
Agreed. And it's short. Would have been a great single. There was just so much AIC from 92-94 already. The Sap EP, Dirt - which had five singles (Them Bones, Rooster, Angry Chair, Down In A Hole and Would? - also the lead track on the Singles Soundtrack), What The Hell Have I from The Last Action Hero soundtrack and Jar of Flies - which also had two singles (No Excuses and I Stay Away). It's pretty amazing how huge the were for a minute, maybe to their own detriment (definitely fed Layne's drug issues, which were lyrically all over Dirt already). I also distinctly remember my local alternative station playing Nutshell, like, a lot. Good times, good memories.
@conorkeane4665
I would say if it was a single on its own it wouldnt be so underrated. Just my opinion.
@cloudbloom
@@conorkeane4665 agreed, back in the 90s the only songs which got mainstream radio play were almost always singles from an album
@cloudbloom
@@dumbstupid5065 nutshell is phenomenal
@MinusCube
One of my favourite AIC riffs of all
@KreepKarnage
When that guitar comes in at the start, you know its over
@BrookeChelle
Ikr, the riff sounds even better with ear buds
@MinusCube
@@BrookeChelle oh yes!