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.
Head Creeps
Alice in Chains Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just one more time
So crazy, beat the strain
Too lazy, shake the gray
So, and she willed the rain
So let me be defamed
Your redundancy stains
Like puppets on a string
Untangle you from me
Time to call the doggies off
Tired of the shadowin'
Slide me to the side again
Slapped in the face again
No more time
Just one more time
Your redundancy stains
Tired of infantile claims
Like puppets on a string
Untangle you from me
So crazy, beat the strain
Too lazy, shake the gray
So, and she willed the rain
So let me be defamed
Time to call the doggies off
Tired of the shadowin'
Slide me to the side again
Slapped in the face again
One day my plane leaves
Some way my head creeps
Some day my head leads
Some way my head creeps
No more time
Just one more time
Empty room sets the scene
Pick at me slow, pain fiend
Suck me through barbed screen
Anger becomes our queen
Tongue whipping forked black
How long until you crack
Surprised and set back
Lackeys' loose talk for fact
Time to call the doggies off
Tired of the shadowin'
Slide me to the side again
Slapped in the face again
Time to call the doggies off
Tired of the shadowin'
Slide me to the side again
Slapped in the face again
One day my plane leaves
Some way my head creeps
Some day my head leads
Some way my head creeps
Creeps
No more time
Just one more time
So crazy feel the hate
Yeah, I've got years to wait
I know it's not too late
Lending clean hands of fate
Rise from the dirt I'm in
Hide in another's skin
Stick black dress doll with pin
Your mouth takes on my grin
Ah
Ah
Ah
Ah
Ah
Ah
So crazy
So crazy
So crazy
Ah
Ah
Ah
The song "Head Creeps" by Alice in Chains has a deep meaning behind the lyrics that can be interpreted in different ways. The opening lyrics, "No more time, Just one more time," could refer to the singer's urgent need to experience something before time runs out. The song also talks about being tired of childlike behaviors from those around us and wanting to untangle ourselves from those situations. The line, "Time to call the doggies off," suggests the singer is done with the drama and manipulation from others and wants a break.
There is a sense of anger and frustration throughout the song, with lyrics like "Empty room sets the scene, Pick at me slow, pain fiend," and "Tongue whipping forked black, How long until you crack." The sense of betrayal is demonstrated in the line, "Slapped in the face again." The song touches on themes of mental illness and haunting thoughts, with the lyrics, "One day my plane leaves, Some way my head creeps," and "Rise from the dirt I'm in, Hide in another's skin."
Overall, the lyrics of "Head Creeps" are cryptic and abstract, exploring themes of betrayal, frustration, and mental illness.
Line by Line Meaning
No more time
There isn't any more time left.
Just one more time
Just one more chance.
So crazy, beat the strain
Feeling overwhelmed and trying to overcome it.
Too lazy, shake the gray
Being unmotivated and trying to find inspiration.
So, and she willed the rain
Describing someone who is powerful and can control their environment.
So let me be defamed
Giving permission to be slandered or insulted.
Your redundancy stains
Being tired of hearing the same thing over and over again.
Tired of infantile claims
Being fed up with immature actions and assertions.
Like puppets on a string
Feeling controlled by someone else.
Untangle you from me
Wanting to separate oneself from someone else.
Time to call the doggies off
Time to stop the harassment.
Tired of the shadowin'
Sick of being followed or stalked.
Slide me to the side again
Being ignored or overlooked again.
Slapped in the face again
Feeling betrayed or hurt again.
Empty room sets the scene
Describing a lonely or isolated setting.
Pick at me slow, pain fiend
Causing slow and deliberate harm to somebody else.
Suck me through barbed screen
Feeling trapped or stuck in a dangerous situation.
Anger becomes our queen
Becoming obsessed with anger and letting it control oneself and others.
Tongue whipping forked black
Using harsh words to hurt others.
How long until you crack
How much pressure can a person handle before breaking down.
Surprised and set back
Being caught off guard and resulting in a setback.
Lackeys' loose talk for fact
People who talk without having all of the facts.
One day my plane leaves
Dreaming of escaping one's current situation.
Some way my head creeps
Being consumed by negative thoughts or feelings.
Empty room sets the scene
Describing a lonely or isolated setting.
Pick at me slow, pain fiend
Causing slow and deliberate harm to somebody else.
No more time
There isn't any more time left.
Just one more time
Just one more chance.
So crazy feel the hate
Becoming overwhelmed with hatred.
Yeah, I've got years to wait
Having the patience to wait for something to happen.
I know it's not too late
Believing it's not too late to make a change.
Lending clean hands of fate
Allowing fate to take control.
Rise from the dirt I'm in
Overcoming a difficult situation or rising above adversity.
Hide in another's skin
Pretending to be someone else.
Stick black dress doll with pin
Inflicting harm on oneself to feel alive.
Your mouth takes on my grin
Feeling like someone else is controlling your thoughts or actions.
Creeps
Becoming consumed with negativity or darkness.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Layne Staley
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Josh
on Nutshell
Really would like some prayers guys.