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.
Rainier Fog
Alice in Chains Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sometimes you never get over
Live in the past, you find out it's hard to stay sober
My see-through skin like Eurythane
Lost and then found
On view for all and I wouldn't trade
You'd never know
Thinking it over
It's raining down, and somehow you know
It reminds me why you carry me home
You can find me writhing in the ghost of a song
Rising through the Rainier fog
Some people change, sometimes you leave how it oughta be
Find a new way to come clean, let it wash over me
My see-through heart like Eurythane
Beats for you proud
Up down and through all the love and pain
You'd never know
A long time ago you were crowning
Thinking it over
It's raining down and somehow
You know it reminds me why I even care anymore
You can find me writhing in the ghost of a song
Rising through the Rainier fog
Left me here so all alone
Only for me to find
Hear your voice on waves we rode
Echoes inside my mind
Disembodied, just a trace
Of what it was like then
With you here, we shared a space
That's always half empty
Grinding, grinding on
Always half empty
Grinding, grinding on
Always half empty
Ah, yeah
So we can laugh, it's inside
Never hear me complain
My see-through city of cellophane
You'd never know
A long time ago you were drowning
Thinking it over
It's raining down and somehow
You know it reminds me why I even care anymore
You can find me writhing in the ghost of a song
Rising through the Rainier fog
It reminds me why you can carry me home
You can find me writhing in the ghost of a song
Rising through the Rainier fog
The lyrics to Alice in Chains's song Rainier Fog explore themes of nostalgia, loss, and the struggle to move on from the past. The opening lines "Some things last, sometimes you never get over, live in the past, you find out it's hard to stay sober" suggest that the past can have a heavy hold on a person, and that trying to cling to it can be consuming and dangerous. The singer then compares their "see-through skin" to Eurythane, a reference to a Greek mythological figure who was cursed to have her skin removed and replaced with transparent material, rendering her entirely transparent. This symbolizes the singer's vulnerability and transparency, a state in which they are exposed and cannot hide anything.
Later on in the song, the lyrics shift to a reflection on the passage of time and the ways in which people change. The lines "Some people change, sometimes you leave how it oughta be, find a new way to come clean let it wash over me" suggest a resignation to the fact that life is constantly changing and that the only way to deal with this is to accept it and find a new way forward. The refrain "It reminds me why you can carry me home, you can find me writhing in the ghost of a song, rising through the Rainier fog" reinforces this idea that the past can be haunting, but that there is a way through it, even if it is difficult.
Overall, the lyrics to Rainier Fog are poignant and introspective, with a sense of heaviness and melancholy that is characteristic of much of Alice in Chains's work. It is a reminder of the power of the past and the importance of finding a way to come to terms with it and move on.
Line by Line Meaning
Some things last
There are some things that endure
Sometimes you never get over
Sometimes you can never completely move on from certain events or experiences
Live in the past, you find out it's hard to stay sober
If you dwell on the past too much, it can be difficult to stay grounded and focused on the present
My see-through skin like Eurythane
The artist feels exposed and vulnerable, like the mythological substance that was see-through
Lost and then found
The artist was once lost but has since been found or discovered
On view for all and I wouldn't trade
The singer is willing to be seen and doesn't regret it
You'd never know
From an outsider's perspective, you might not guess
A long time ago you were frowning
In the past, you weren't happy
Thinking it over
Considering and reflecting on something
It's raining down, and somehow you know
It's raining and you have a feeling or intuition about something
It reminds me why you carry me home
This situation reminds the singer of why they are taken care of or supported by someone else
You can find me writhing in the ghost of a song
The memory of a song is haunting or lingering for the artist
Rising through the Rainier fog
The singer is persevering through difficult circumstances, like fog on a mountain
Some people change, sometimes you leave how it oughta be
People can change, and sometimes the circumstances you leave behind aren't ideal
Find a new way to come clean, let it wash over me
The singer has found a new approach to honesty or confession that they are willing to embrace and be cleansed by
My see-through heart like Eurythane
The artist feels emotionally exposed and vulnerable
Beats for you proud
The artist feels strongly for the addressee and is proud of their emotional attachment
Up down and through all the love and pain
The ups and downs of relationships, and the struggles and emotions that come with them
A long time ago you were crowning
In the past, you were doing well or succeeding
It's raining down and somehow
It's raining, and the situation is significant or meaningful in some way
You know it reminds me why I even care anymore
The situation is causing the artist to question their investment or concern for something
Left me here so all alone
The artist has been abandoned or left behind by someone else
Only for me to find
But the singer has found something on their own
Hear your voice on waves we rode
The artist recalls hearing someone else's voice while they were experiencing something together
Echoes inside my mind
Those memories have stayed with the singer ever since
Disembodied, just a trace
The memories or feelings are incomplete or disconnected
Of what it was like then
Of the way things used to be
With you here, we shared a space
When together, the artist and the addressee were experiencing something jointly
That's always half empty
But that situation always seemed lacking or insufficient to the artist
Grinding, grinding on
The situation was consistently difficult or unpleasant
Ah, yeah
A slight interjection of agreement or acknowledgement
So we can laugh, it's inside
The artist and the addressee share an internal understanding that allows them to laugh
Never hear me complain
The artist won't be heard complaining about the situation
My see-through city of cellophane
The artist's world feels exposed and flimsy
A long time ago you were drowning
In the past, you were struggling or overwhelmed
It reminds me why I even care anymore
The situation is making the artist question their investment or concern for something
You can find me writhing in the ghost of a song
The memory of a song is haunting or lingering for the singer
Rising through the Rainier fog
The singer is persevering through difficult circumstances, like fog on a mountain
It reminds me why you can carry me home
This situation reminds the singer of why they are taken care of or supported by someone else
You can find me writhing in the ghost of a song
The memory of a song is haunting or lingering for the artist
Rising through the Rainier fog
The artist is persevering through difficult circumstances, like fog on a mountain
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jerry Cantrell, William DuVall
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jekku
"Rainier Fog"
Some things last, sometimes you never get over
Live in the past, you find out it's hard to stay sober
My see-through skin like Eurythane
Lost and then found, on view for all and I wouldn't trade
You'd never know a long time ago you were frowning
Thinkin' it over
It's raining down, and somehow you know
It reminds me why I even care anymore
You can find me writhing in the ghost of a song
Rising through the Rainier fog
Some people change, sometimes you leave how it oughta be
Find a new way to come clean, let it wash over me
My see-through heart like Eurythane
Beats for you proud, up down and through all the love and pain
You'd never know a long time ago you were crowning
Thinkin' it over
It's raining down, and somehow you know
It reminds me why I even care anymore
You can find me writhing in the ghost of a song
Rising through the Rainier fog
Left me here so all alone, only for me to find
Hear your voice on waves we rode, echoes inside my mind
Disembodied, just a trace, of what it was like then
With you here, we shared a space, that's always half empty
Grinding, grinding on
Always half empty
Grinding, grinding on
Always half empty
So we can laugh it's inside, never hear me complain
My see-through city of cellophane
You'd never know a long time ago you were drowning
Thinking it over
It's raining down, and somehow you know
It reminds me why I even care anymore
You can find me writhing in the ghost of a song
Rising through the Rainier fog
Reminds me why I even care anymore
You can find me writhing in the ghost of a song
Rising through the Rainier fog
Sikpuppy
For all of you that didn't grow up or live in the Pacific Northwest in North America (Washington State, Oregon, Idaho, British Colombia, and surrounding areas) during the 1970's and 80's, there were these Ranier beer commercials on television that featured their beer bottles with legs and arms .Rainer beer also had another commercial that started out with a long windy road to Mt. Rainer (tallest mountain in the lower 48 states in Washington State) in the backdrop and you would hear a motorcycle coming and pass on the road gradually building up making it seem like the exhaust sound was RRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAIIIIIINNNNNNNEEEEEERRRRRR BBBBBEEEEEEEERRRR as he shifts through the gears. Tthen of course the obvious Sasquatch A.K.A. Bigfoot we are infamous for up here in the Pacific Northwest.
I'm sure I totally missed the mark trying to explain it, and will hear about it so your best bet is to just do a vintage Rainier Beer commercial search on here. lol
***May 28,2019 - I just wanted to add I was quite shocked by the response on here and all the comment and love sent my way! I think all of the Alice In Chains fans are like one big family and we all cherish the old and miss Layne like crazy, but can appreciate and move on with the new members. Thanks to everyone of you that took the time to read my comment and reply, I wish all of you the best!
Here's just a few of the links, I'm finding a bunch I've never seen before too, kinda fun.
https://youtu.be/Z0IYUXWn3UY
https://youtu.be/pC9_IgWpits
And here's one with two infamous vendors from our local professional football and baseball teams games in the 70s and 80s, I remember that peanut guy could nail you square between the eyes from 50 yards out LOL
https://youtu.be/cSCL5EdTuwM
May 𓆃
For us teens who loves Alice In Chains, we were born in the right generation! The band is still kickin ass even after Layne. Forever will he be missed. I can absolutely tell Jerry had a blast with this album the band wouldn’t be the same without him , Duval is an amazing vocalist, I’m just so happy that they still make bangers and I hope they do for a long time!
Steve Kaynan
Completely agree, no replacing Layne, but thank goodness they decided to continue, I don't look forward to much new music so getting new Alice in Chains is amazing!!
Elliott Boomsluiter
Jerry has always been the musical heavyweight in the band. I think many of the newer fans would be surprised by just how much of the material was written by Jerry, and sung by him as well. He is the brain behind Alice in Chains, and has been since the beginning. There is no AIC without him.
Callista Graves
I love Layne's time with the band, but yeah, no Jerry, no Chains.
Panos Karliotis
I am very happy to see good bands like AIC bounce back after they lost Layne and Mike, I really am
pine marten
I was NOT born in the wrong generation!!!
I'm glad to be a teen in an age where Alice In Chains still rock their asses off🤘🤘🤘🤘. So proud to be a fan!
batwoman(mom)
I was born in the wrong generation 😂😂
You're Right
Whatever generation your born in your teenage years are a blast. Have fun, rock your ass.
batwoman(mom)
@You're Right you're right !! 🤣🤣 they were a blast . Now I have bearly time to listen music ,but dont give up 😊
Daniel Casas Orozco
Well said kiddo, rock on!!