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.
God Smack
Alice in Chains Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Straw that broke your back, you're under
Cast all them aside who care
Empty eyes and dead end stare
Don't you know that none are blind
To the lie and you think I don't find what you hide?
What in God's name have you done?
For the horse you've grown much fonder
Than for me, that I don't ponder
As the hair of one who bit you
Smiling, bite your own self, too
And I think that you're not blind
To the ones you left behind
I'll be here
What in God's name have you done?
Stick your arm for some real fun, uh
So be yearning all your life
Twisting, turning like a knife
Now you know the reasons why
Can't get high, or you will die
Or you'll die
What in God's name have you done?
Stick your arm for some real fun
So your sickness weighs a ton
And God's name is smack for some, yeah
The lyrics of Alice in Chains's song "God Smack" describe the despair and addiction that comes with heroin use. The song is a reflection of lead singer Layne Staley's struggles with addiction, which consumed him during the height of his fame. The opening lines suggest that the singer is urging the addict not to pay attention to those who doubt or criticize them. They are under a great deal of stress, and are at risk of being crushed by the "straw that broke [their] back."
The lyrics continue to express a sense of hopelessness, as the addict is encouraged to ignore anyone who cares about them. Instead, they are caught in a cycle of "empty eyes and dead end stare," a state of numbness and depression that is probably self-imposed. The lyrics then take on a more accusatory tone, questioning the addict's judgment and morality. The lines, "What in God's name have you done? / Stick your arm for some real fun," suggest that the addict has made a conscious decision to self-harm through drug use. The reference to "God's name" is likely a nod to the religious overtones of addiction, as well as the idea that the addict is playing with a divine force they don't fully understand.
The final lines of the song offer a bleak conclusion to the addict's story, revealing that their addiction is so heavy that it feels like a "ton." The reference to "God's name" as "smack" further intertwines religion and drug use, suggesting that addiction is a form of worship for some. Overall, "God Smack" is a powerful and haunting song that captures the feelings of fear, desperation, and despair that come with addiction.
Line by Line Meaning
Care not for the men who wonder
Pay no attention to those who question you
Straw that broke your back, you're under
You've reached your breaking point and can't take it anymore
Cast all them aside who care
Push away those who care about you
Empty eyes and dead end stare
Displaying a lifeless, emotionless expression
Don't you know that none are blind
Everyone can see through your lies
To the lie and you think I don't find what you hide?
You're hiding something and people know it
What in God's name have you done?
Questioning your actions and their morality
Stick your arm for some real fun
Engaging in drug use for entertainment
For the horse you've grown much fonder
You're more attached to drugs than you are to a person
Than for me, that I don't ponder
You care more about drugs than you do about me and I can't understand why
As the hair of one who bit you
As someone who's hurt you before
Smiling, bite your own self, too
You're causing harm to yourself as well
And I think that you're not blind
I believe you see the consequences of your actions
To the ones you left behind
The people you've hurt and left in your drug use
I'll be here
I'll stick around through this difficult time
So be yearning all your life
Longing for something your whole life
Twisting, turning like a knife
Feeling emotional pain similar to that of a sharp object twisting inside you
Now you know the reasons why
You understand why you're feeling this way
Can't get high, or you will die
Your drug addiction is putting you at risk of death
Or you'll die
Your drug addiction could lead to your demise
So your sickness weighs a ton
Your addiction is extremely heavy and burdensome
And God's name is smack for some, yeah
God's name is used to describe the addiction to heroin
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jerry Cantrell, Layne Staley
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@crunchysugar
Lyrics from genius:
[Verse 1]
Care not for the men who wonder
Straw that broke your back, you're under
Cast all them aside who care
Empty eyes and dead-end stare
[Pre-Chorus 1]
Don't you know that none are blind
To the lie, and you think I don't find
What you hide?
[Chorus]
What in God's name have you done?
Stick your arm for some real fun
[Verse 2]
For the horse you've grown much fonder
Than for me, that I don't ponder
As the hair of one who bit you
Smiling, bite your own self, too
[Pre-Chorus 2]
And I think that you're not blind
To the ones you left behind
I'll be here
[Chorus]
What in God's name have you done?
Stick your arm for some real fun
[Guitar Solo]
[Verse 3]
So be yearning all your life
Twisting, turning like a knife
[Pre-Chorus 3]
Now you know the reasons why
Can't get high, or you will die
Or you'll die
[Chorus]
What in God's name have you done?
Stick your arm for some real fun
So your sickness weighs a ton
And God's name is smack for some
[Outro]
Yeah!
@nightsblood
Care not for the men who wonder
Straw that broke your back, you're under
Cast all them aside who care
Empty eyes and dead-end stare
Don't you know that none are blind
To the lie, and you think I don't find what you hide?
What in God's name have you done?
Stick your arm for some real fun
For the horse, you've grown much fonder
Than for me, that I don't ponder
As the hair of one who bit you
Smiling, bite your own self, too
And I think that you're not blind
To the ones you left behind
I'll be here
What in God's name have you done?
Stick your arm for some real fun
So be yearning all your life
Twisting, turning like a knife
Now you know the reasons why
Can't get high, or you will die
Or you'll die
What in God's name have you done?
Stick your arm for some real fun
So your sickness weighs a ton
And God's name is smack for some
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah...
Przetłumacz na: polski
@ilaser4064
Damnit early to an Alice In Chains release and too drunk to think of a witty comment.
@reinforcedpenisstem
You made up for it with honesty.
@RobertFry-xv2yj
SLAMSQUATCH APPROVED!!!!!!
@NoCantsAllowed
That one seemed pretty good to me!
Except... I'm fairly certain this song was released about 30 years ago...
Haha!
@pvcsjojungfru
It was witty for being 30 years too late 😂😂😂👍🏼🤘🏼
@M_Jayy
@@pvcsjojungfrulmao
@reinforcedpenisstem
This is where Layne recorded his vocals secretly and out of sight in the vocal booth, I believe.
@mikedowns3195
You are absolutely correct sir that's why he such a goddamn legend.
@Jason-TheChad-Muska_circa1995
Yes he did so because he was pressing on his Adam's apple in order to create the sound and he didn't want anybody to see what it looked like because he thought it would look goofy
@e.no2388
Yea laynes voice was wack