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.
Hate To Feel
Alice in Chains Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What's gone wrong, I can't see straight
Been too long, so full of hate
What the fuck will it take?
Drown myself in my wake
'Nother shaggy D.A
Plastic man, paper face
Candy heart, what a waste
Got to change, set a date
Eat my cake, lick my plate
Stare at me with empty eyes
And point your words at me
Mirror on the wall will show you
What you're scared to see
I can see, yeah (wish I couldn't see at all)
I can feel (wish I couldn't feel at all)
Hate to see (wish I couldn't see at all)
Hate to feel (wish I couldn't feel at all)
So climb walls
Thin my blood now
And I crawl, back to bed now
What the hell, got to rest
Aching pain in my chest
Lucky me, now I'm set
Little bug for a pet
New Orleans, got to get
Pin cushion medicine
Used to be curious
Now the shit's sustenance
All this time I swore I'd never
Be like my old man
What the hey, it's time to face
Exactly what I am
I can see, yeah (wish I couldn't see at all)
I can feel (wish I couldn't feel at all)
Hate to see (wish I couldn't see at all)
Hate to feel (wish I couldn't feel at all)
What the hell, got to rest
Aching pain in my chest
Lucky me, now I'm set
Little bug for a pet
New Orleans, got to get
Pin cushion medicine
Used to be curious
Now the shit's sustenance
All this time I swore I'd never
Be like my old man
What the hey, it's time to face
Exactly who I am
I can see, yeah (wish I couldn't see at all)
I can feel (wish I couldn't feel at all)
Hate to see (wish I couldn't see at all)
Hate to feel (wish I couldn't feel at all)
I can see, yeah (wish I couldn't see at all)
I can feel (wish I couldn't feel at all)
Hate to see (wish I couldn't see at all)
Hate to feel (wish I couldn't feel at all)
The lyrics in "Hate to Feel" by Alice in Chains explore the feeling of being consumed by negativity, hate, and self-loathing. The singer is struggling with the consequences of his actions and is trapped in a cycle of despair. He cannot escape his past and his inner demons, and he wishes he could numb himself to avoid feeling anything at all. He describes feeling like a "plastic man with a paper face" and a "little bug for a pet," which suggests that he feels insignificant and vulnerable. The line "Aching pain in my chest, lucky me, now I'm set" shows that he may be using drugs to cope with his emotional pain.
The chorus repeats the lines "I can see, yeah // I can feel, // Hate to see // Hate to feel," conveying the frustration of being aware of one's problems but feeling powerless to fix them. The mirror is mentioned as a symbol of self-reflection, but also as something to be feared because it shows the truth that the singer is "scared to see."
Overall, "Hate to Feel" is a poignant and raw portrayal of addiction, self-loathing, and hopelessness. It is a tragic reminder that sometimes, even when someone knows what they need to do to improve their life, they cannot find the strength to do it.
Line by Line Meaning
What's gone wrong, I can't see straight
I'm so consumed by my hatred that I can't even think straight.
Been too long, so full of hate
I've been holding onto this anger for so long that it's taken over my entire being.
What the fuck will it take?
I'm at a loss for what it will take for me to let go of this anger.
Drown myself in my wake
I'm so desperate to escape this pain that I'm considering drowning myself in my own tears.
'Nother shaggy D.A
I'm feeling so lost that I can't even come up with coherent thoughts or phrases.
Now a dog, shake my leg
I'm feeling so out of control that I'm comparing myself to a dog who can't stop shaking.
Plastic man, paper face
I feel like I'm not even a real person anymore - just a plastic figure with a false face.
Candy heart, what a waste
My heart feels like it's made of something cheap and useless, like a piece of candy that nobody wants.
Got to change, set a date
I know I need to make a change, but I'm having trouble actually committing to it.
Eat my cake, lick my plate
I'm indulging in unhealthy habits to distract myself from my pain.
Stare at me with empty eyes
People are judging me for my behavior, but they don't understand what I'm going through.
And point your words at me
Others are directing their anger and frustration at me, even though I'm already struggling.
Mirror on the wall will show you
If you look in a mirror, you'll see the same pain and anger that I'm experiencing.
What you're scared to see
You're scared to confront your own feelings, so you're taking it out on me instead.
So climb walls
I'm feeling so trapped and desperate that I would try anything to escape.
Thin my blood now
I want to get rid of this hate and anger, but I don't know how.
And I crawl, back to bed now
I'm so defeated that I can't even muster the strength to stand up and face the world.
What the hell, got to rest
I'm so tired of feeling this way that I'm willing to do anything to get some relief.
Aching pain in my chest
This anger is causing me physical pain, and it's unbearable.
Lucky me, now I'm set
I'm being sarcastic - the fact that I'm feeling this way is anything but lucky.
Little bug for a pet
I'm so desperate for companionship that I'm willing to settle for something as small and insignificant as a bug.
New Orleans, got to get
I'm searching for an escape, and I'm willing to travel to the other side of the country to find it.
Pin cushion medicine
I'm taking so many medications that I feel like a human pincushion.
Used to be curious
I used to have a sense of wonder and excitement about life, but that's all gone now.
Now the shit's sustenance
I'm relying on unhealthy coping mechanisms to survive because I feel like there's no other option.
All this time I swore I'd never
I never wanted to be like my father, who also had a lot of anger and pain.
Be like my old man
But now I see that I'm becoming just like him, and it's terrifying.
What the hey, it's time to face
I'm finally accepting that I need to confront my pain and move forward.
Exactly what I am
I'm facing the truth about who I am and what I've become because of my anger.
I can see, yeah (wish I couldn't see at all)
I'm aware of my surroundings and my problems, but I wish I could ignore them completely.
I can feel (wish I couldn't feel at all)
I'm experiencing intense emotions, but I wish I could turn them off completely.
Hate to see (wish I couldn't see at all)
I hate being confronted with my problems, and I wish I could just ignore them completely.
Hate to feel (wish I couldn't feel at all)
I hate feeling so overwhelmed by my emotions, and I wish I could just numb myself completely.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Layne Staley
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Green Machine 2.0
Lyrics:
What's gone wrong, I can't see straight
Been too long, so full of hate
What the fuck will it take?
Drown myself in my wake
'Nother shaggy D.A
Now a dog, shake my leg
Plastic man, paper face
Candy heart, what a waste
Got to change, set a date
Eat my cake, lick my plate
Stare at me with empty eyes
And point your words at me
Mirror on the wall will show you
What you're scared to see
I can see, yeah (wish I couldn't see at all)
I can feel (wish I couldn't feel at all)
Hate to see (wish I couldn't see at all)
Hate to feel (wish I couldn't feel at all)
So climb walls
Thin my blood now
And I crawl, back to bed now
What the hell, got to rest
Aching pain in my chest
Lucky me, now I'm set
Little bug for a pet
New Orleans, got to get
Pin cushion medicine
Used to be curious
Now the shit's sustenance
All this time I swore I'd never
Be like my old man
What the hey, it's time to face
Exactly what I am
I can see, yeah (wish I couldn't see at all)
I can feel (wish I couldn't feel at all)
Hate to see (wish I couldn't see at all)
Hate to feel (wish I couldn't feel at all)
What the hell, got to rest
Aching pain in my chest
Lucky me, now I'm set
Little bug for a pet
New Orleans, got to get
Pin cushion medicine
Used to be curious
Now the shit's sustenance
All this time I swore I'd never
Be like my old man
What the hey, it's time to face
Exactly who I am
I can see, yeah (wish I couldn't see at all)
I can feel (wish I couldn't feel at all)
Hate to see (wish I couldn't see at all)
Hate to feel (wish I couldn't feel at all)
I can see, yeah (wish I couldn't see at all)
I can feel (wish I couldn't feel at all)
Hate to see (wish I couldn't see at all)
Hate to feel (wish I couldn't feel at all)
Primitive In The Extreme
30 years have passed and this album still remains among my regular listens, a total masterpiece, every song, every riff 🤘🎸🤘
Juni Збережемо україні
@El violaperros muertos 5000 why complain about a compliment which is well deserved...who cares if its the same that man can express how he feels however the fuq he wishes
Dave Euhus
That's fukn awesome the best plate ever brother
Lil'
@Jake Clauson yeah, why not? Smallminded to complain about "pasting" when the "pasting" is about love.
Come on complainers.....🙄🙄🙄
Jake Clauson
Why not paste it to every song, it's true
Bugaloo Anzal
I totally agree..
Bigman
Alice can write the darkest music I swear !!
KaylaHall1821
@Gametime_123exactly 2nd to no one! AIC was the best 90s band for sure even my top 3 of all time!
Phil Yeary
@Gametime_123 Melvins.
Gametime_123
@Chris Lane AG now I feel pompous.