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.
Private Hell
Alice in Chains Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And then remove another too
Painted words adorn the walls
Echoing untrue
(I feel cold, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh)
Promises abound
You rarely find it to begin
Maybe I'm afraid
(I guess so, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh)
I excuse myself
I'm used to my little cell
I amuse myself
In my very own private hell
I excuse myself
I'm used to my little cell
I amuse myself
In my very own private hell
Lately I'm beside myself
Pretending unconcerned
Standing at a corner
Where I threw you on a turn
(I'll move on, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh)
Flowers on a cross remain
Mark an ending scene
Damn it all if blood you spill
Turn the grass more green
(Life is short, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh)
I excuse myself
I'm used to my little cell
I amuse myself
In my very own private hell
I excuse myself
I'm used to my little cell
I amuse myself
In my very own private hell
I amuse myself
In my very own private hell
The lyrics to Alice in Chains’ song ‘Private Hell’ are a haunting depiction of a person feeling trapped within their own world. The song talks about the singer giving away love while simultaneously removing it from someone else in their life. There are painted words that adorn the walls, but they are “echoing untrue,” symbolizing the lack of authenticity in the world around them. The singer is filled with a sense of dread towards making promises and the idea of letting someone all the way in.
The chorus sees the singer excusing themselves and retreating into their own “private hell” where they amuse themselves. There is a strong sense of isolation that pervades the song, as the singer talks about being “beside themselves” and pretending to be unconcerned. The flowers on a cross symbolize the end of a relationship, and the idea that even in death, people are still trying to leave a mark and make their existence known. The song ends with the singer acknowledging that they are in their own private hell, and that they are the only ones capable of amusing themselves within it.
Overall, the song can be seen as a commentary on the isolation and numbness that can come from not allowing oneself to feel anything deeply. It’s a bleak depiction of a person who is unable to fully connect with those around them.
Line by Line Meaning
Give away a love
Surrender love to someone else
And then remove another too
Take away love from someone else as well
Painted words adorn the walls
Deceptive phrases cover the interior
Echoing untrue
Empty words that are repeated but are not genuine
(I feel cold, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh)
Feeling numb, apathetic, and unresponsive
Promises abound
Assurances of things to be done are plentiful
You rarely find it to begin
It is scarcely possible to locate what was promised
Maybe I'm afraid
There might be a fear, a reluctance
To let you all the way in
To let you come in wholly, fully and truly
(I guess so, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh)
Agreeing to the previous statement with hesitation
I excuse myself
I pardon myself
I'm used to my little cell
I have grown accustomed and comfortable to the limited and confined space I live in
I amuse myself
I entertain myself with my own thoughts
In my very own private hell
In my self-created painful and distressing world
Lately I'm beside myself
Recently I am feeling overwhelmed and not under control
Pretending unconcerned
Feigning disinterest to disconnect from the matter
Standing at a corner
Positioned at a spot
Where I threw you on a turn
Where I abandoned you on a chaos-filled spot
(I'll move on, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh)
I will keep going forward despite the difficulties
Flowers on a cross remain
Blossoms on a grave signify the ending
Mark an ending scene
Symbolizes the concluding scene
Damn it all if blood you spill
Sacrifices are worthless if they go to waste
Turn the grass more green
Make a temporary place into something permanent and lively
(Life is short, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh)
Acknowledging how brief life really is
I amuse myself
I entertain myself
In my very own private hell
In my own self-created mental suffering
I excuse myself
I pardon myself
I'm used to my little cell
I am familiar with my confined mental space
I amuse myself
I entertain myself
In my very own private hell
In my self-created painful and distressing world
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jerry Cantrell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lionel Max
Give away a love and then remove another too
Painted words adorn the walls, echoing untrue
I feel cold...
Promises abound, you rarely find it to begin
Maybe I'm afraid to let you all the way in
I guess so...
I excuse myself
I'm used to my little cell
I amuse myself
In my very own private hell
I excuse myself
I'm used to my little cell
I amuse myself
In my very own private hell
Lately I'm beside myself, pretending unconcerned
Standing at a corner where I threw you on a turn
I'll move on...
Flowers on a cross remain, marking an ending scene
Damn it all if blood you spill, turn the grass more green
Life is short...
I excuse myself
I'm used to my little cell
I amuse myself
In my very own private hell
I excuse myself
I'm used to my little cell
I amuse myself
In my very own private hell
I amuse myself
In my very own private hell
Cory Matthew
I feel like when Jerry and DuVall harmonize, they unlock Layne’s voice
Matt Giroux
I will def agree with that.
Courtenay G
I totally agree with you too!!
Courtenay G
Is the black guy DuVall? I was wondering what his name was. He's awesome and sings very well!! The harmony he and Jerry have is unreal!!
Cory Matthew
@Courtenay G Yes that is William DuVall. He’s the perfect addition!
William Twiner
yes. it is so cool.
Dobryk D.
I think we all can agree that production and sound quality on this album was phenomenal
Brenda Woods
This is my song.....you never know what people are suffering through even when you're standing close......I connect on so many levels of songs by AIC....Jerry you are a true survivor.....Thanks for your music....Thanks AIC...I just hope I can survive....Right now I am losing the battle. But you give me hope....
glenhugh73
Keep fighting girl. You are in my thoughts...
Dcyphrz
Keep your chin up Brenda. I dig what you mean, been there more than a few times. There’s always something good ahead.