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.
I Cant Remember
Alice in Chains Lyrics
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Excuse the 'tude but I haven't eaten today
And my eyes are turning grey
What's your name?
I can't remember
I can't remember
Feel the pain and keep it all in 'til you die
Without eyes you cannot cry
Who's to blame?
I can't remember
I can't remember
Remember identity, the visions in my mind from
Screaming at me
And mama, mama, ooh
My angry brains of infancy
Knocked down but I have enough hate to breathe
Down your throat and steal your energy
You took everything but my will to be
Now the loss of your god won't make me bleed
I am alive
, oh, can you feel me?
I am pure, I am clean, I am RIDDLED!
The lyrics of Alice in Chains's song "I Can't Remember" talk about the struggles of someone who is dealing with memory loss and pain. The singer of the song is unable to remember basic things like their name, and they feel lost and disconnected from the world around them. The first verse of the song finds the singer turning around to speak to someone, but they can't remember their name. They excuse their attitude, explaining that they haven't eaten, and their eyes are turning grey. This could be a result of malnutrition or depression.
As the song progresses, the theme of pain becomes more pronounced. The singer of the song feels like they are constantly being brought down and made to suffer. They try to keep the pain in until they die, but without eyes (empathy) they cannot cry. The second verse refers to the loss of identity and the visions in the singer's mind that are screaming at them. They recall their "angry brains of infancy" which has left them knocked down but with enough hate to breathe. The pain of the past and the present is overwhelming, but they refuse to let it defeat them, concluding the song with the words "I am alive."
Line by Line Meaning
Turn around you say
You turn around and speak to me
Excuse the 'tude but I haven't eaten today
I apologize for my attitude, but I haven't eaten today and it's affecting me
And my eyes are turning grey
I am feeling weak and sickly, as evidenced by my eyes turning grey
What's your name?
May I inquire as to your name?
I can't remember
I am currently unable to recall
Bring me down you try
You attempt to bring me down emotionally
Feel the pain and keep it all in 'til you die
You feel the pain and struggle with it until you die without ever releasing it
Without eyes you cannot cry
You are unable to cry without the sense of sight
Who's to blame?
Who should be held responsible for this situation?
Remember identity, the visions in my mind from
I can only remember my identity and the visions from my mind
Screaming at me
The thoughts and memories are screaming at me
And mama, mama, ooh
I call out to my mother
My angry brains of infancy
My angry state of mind in infancy still lingers
Knocked down but I have enough hate to breathe
Although I have been knocked down, I still have enough anger to stay alive
Down your throat and steal your energy
I'll take what I need from you, by force if necessary
You took everything but my will to be
You have taken everything away from me, but I still have the will to live
Now the loss of your god won't make me bleed
Now that I have lost my faith, it will not hurt me any longer
I am alive
I am still alive and kicking
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Layne Staley, Sean Kinney, Jerry Cantrell, Michael Starr
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Josh
on Nutshell
Really would like some prayers guys.