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.
Little Bitter
Alice in Chains Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When the body is shaken, yeah
Oh, this tightness in my chest
Still your leaves I'm raking
Oh Lord, is this a test?
Was it fun creating, yeah?
My god's a little sick
Who
Are you
Who can say
It's okay to live through me?
Live to be
Part of me
You're a wrinkled magazine
Yeah
Was it something that I said?
Was it how they're breaking, yeah?
I'm so selfish, paying your rent
While your blood I'm taking
You
Spend me
Like a tree
Dirty dollar bills for leaves
Dark in a sea
Of my seeds
And the tears on which you feed
You feed
Your body is a temple
A dormant alter
To where infantile men lie around
Itching and nibbling
Hoping for a small piece of sanity
That of which you can not give
Shit!
Individuality
Buying penance with my soul
And a little Heaven spent
Why the hell not take it?
Thieves
Parasites
Hide from life
You know they'll remember me
They are abhorred
In self-worth
All that matters much to me, yeah
The song 'A Little Bitter' by Alice in Chains seems to be a reflection of the internal struggles the singer is facing. In the opening lines, the singer talks about the conflict between the mind and body. The mind is shouting for rest, reminding the singer of the tightness in his chest, while the body is shaken. The following verse seems to question the test of life, and whether God is playing a part in creating it. The singer's God is a little sick, and he wants the singer to go crazy.
The second verse is about trying to comprehend the circumstances that lead to the singer's situation. The singer speaks of being selfish, paying someone's rent while taking their blood. The story is not clear, but it is evident that the singer is in a conflicted situation where he feels like he is being taken advantage of. In the chorus, the singer asks who are you, and who can say it's okay to live through me. The imagery used is that of a wrinkled magazine. It seems like the singer sees himself as a disposable entity, much like an object that is discarded after use.
Line by Line Meaning
How the mind does shout for rest
One's mind seeks repose amidst turmoil
When the body is shaken, yeah
During times of physical and emotional turmoil
Oh, this tightness in my chest
Feeling of constriction in one's heart
Still your leaves I'm raking
Cleaning up after another's mess
Oh Lord, is this a test?
Questioning the challenges in life
Was it fun creating, yeah?
Sarcastically questioning a higher power's intentions
My god's a little sick
Castigating a higher power for its actions
And he wants me crazy
Feeling persecuted and tormented
Who
Questioning one's identity
Are you
Reinforcing the previous question
Who can say
Suggesting that no one has the answer
It's okay to live through me?
Meaninglessness of one's existence
Live to be
Aspiration without a defined purpose
Part of me
Separation between one's self and their goals
You're a wrinkled magazine
Devaluing someone with a past
Was it something that I said?
Wondering about the cause of troubles
Was it how they're breaking, yeah?
Misunderstood reasons for others' misfortunes
I'm so selfish, paying your rent
Feeling trapped in a one-sided relationship
While your blood I'm taking
Exploiting someone else's troubles
You
Switching to addressing someone else
Spend me
Being used for someone else's gain
Like a tree
Metaphor for someone being used for money
Dirty dollar bills for leaves
Molding someone else for one's own monetary gain
Dark in a sea
Feeling of being trapped
Of my seeds
One's self-similar troubles spreading
And the tears on which you feed
Another's suffering as someone else's emotional nourishment
Your body is a temple
Metaphor for one's inner self
A dormant alter
Inactive and unused as a place of worship
To where infantile men lie around
Young and immature people stagnating in one's inner self
Itching and nibbling
Agitated and discontent with their presence
Hoping for a small piece of sanity
Yearning for a state of harmony
That of which you can not give
Inability for self-satisfaction
Shit!
Exasperation
Individuality
Uniqueness of one's self
Buying penance with my soul
Paying for one's internal suffering to alleviate guilt
And a little Heaven spent
Finding fleeting moments of happiness
Why the hell not take it?
Embracing the chance for contentment
Thieves
Describing others negatively
Parasites
Focusing on the negative aspects of others
Hide from life
Immaturity and avoidance of responsibility
You know they'll remember me
Negative self-impression left behind
They are abhorred
Describing others negatively
In self-worth
Deficient in self-value and acceptance
All that matters much to me, yeah
Hyper-focus on others' views of one's self
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Layne Staley, Michael Inez, Sean Kinney, Jerry Cantrell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Josh
on Nutshell
Really would like some prayers guys.