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.
Hung on a Hook
Alice in Chains Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cracked down the center I split you
Counting the clouds in a storm behind your eyes
Show you the face of a man who
Not that he wants but he has to
Look at the thing he's become, what I see
Sometimes people do, the world it don't change
I'm caught in a still life with no frame
Sometimes people do, the world it don't change
Give up awaiting someday
Future between a gun
Pieces of me on a tile floor
Look up at you as you change more
Floating in fear I appear a hundred times
Hold a reflection inside me
I cannot feel you are empty
Throw me away
I am broken not your time
I'm caught in a still life with no frame
Sometimes people do, the world it don't change
I'm caught in a still life with no frame
Sometimes people do, the world it don't change
Give up awaiting someday
Future between a gun
Give up awaiting someday
Future between a gun and your head
Not gonna save you
Perform euthanasia
Not gonna save you
Perform euthanasia
Not gonna save you
Perform euthanasia
Not gonna save you
Perform euthanasia
The lyrics to Alice in Chains's song "Hung on a Hook" explore some dark themes of self-reflection, fear, and hopelessness. The singer is comparing himself to a broken mirror, split down the middle and unable to reflect anything accurately. He is unable to escape his own still life, trapped in a frameless existence. He sees himself as a man who doesn't necessarily want to be what he has become, yet he cannot escape his own reflection. The storm behind his eyes is reminiscent of a tempest, a force he cannot control.
The second verse continues to explore this fear and self-loathing. The pieces of himself on the floor are a metaphor for the shattered remnants of his psyche. As he watches the person he loves change and transform before his eyes, he feels powerless and helpless. The reflection inside him is empty, and he realizes that he has become broken and useless. The repetition of the line "give up awaiting someday" further underscores his sense of hopelessness and resignation.
In the final stanza, the singer alludes to a potential act of violence, or perhaps suicide. He tells the person he is addressing that he will not save them and that the only way out is through euthanasia. The repetition of this line is haunting and unsettling, echoing the darkness that permeates the entire song.
Line by Line Meaning
Hung on a hook I'm a mirror
I feel trapped and useless, like a reflection that is suspended on a hook with no real purpose.
Cracked down the center I split you
Our relationship is broken and damaged, and I am responsible for the pain and hurt that you feel.
Counting the clouds in a storm behind your eyes
I can tell that you are going through a difficult time, and I can see the turmoil and strife in your eyes.
Show you the face of a man who
I want to reveal to you the truth about who I really am and what I am feeling.
Not that he wants but he has to
Even though it may be difficult or uncomfortable, I feel an obligation to show you my true self.
Look at the thing he's become, what I see
I am ashamed of the person that I have become, and I want you to see the real me and understand my struggles.
I'm caught in a still life with no frame
I feel stuck and stagnant, like a painting that is isolated and not part of the world around it.
Sometimes people do, the world it don't change
Although individuals may try to make a difference, the world often remains indifferent and unchanging.
Give up awaiting someday
I am tired of waiting for things to get better or hoping for a brighter future.
Future between a gun
The future feels uncertain and unstable, like it is hanging in the balance between life and death.
Pieces of me on a tile floor
I feel broken and shattered, like fragments of myself that have fallen apart and scattered on the ground.
Look up at you as you change more
As you continue to evolve and grow, I feel like I am losing you and cannot keep up with your transformation.
Floating in fear I appear a hundred times
I feel overwhelmed with anxiety and uncertainty, like I am drowning in a sea of my own fears and doubts.
Hold a reflection inside me
I carry a reflection of myself within me, but I cannot truly connect with it because I feel empty and hollow.
I cannot feel you are empty
I cannot sense any genuine emotion or connection from you, and it makes me feel even more alone and isolated.
Throw me away
I feel disposable and worthless, like something that can be easily discarded or forgotten.
I am broken not your time
I am too damaged and broken to be fixed or healed by anyone else, and it is not fair to put that burden on someone else.
Not gonna save you
I cannot rescue or fix you or your problems.
Perform euthanasia
The only solution or escape from our pain and suffering may be death, or putting an end to our struggles.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JERRY CANTRELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Josh
on Nutshell
Really would like some prayers guys.