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.
Rotten Apple
Alice in Chains Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Innocence is over
Hey ah na na, over
Hey ah na na
Ignorance is spoken
Hey ah na na, spoken
Hey ah na na
Confidence is broken
Hey ah na na
Sustenance is stolen
Hey ah na na, stolen
Hey ah na na
Arrogance is potent
Hey ah na na, potent, yeah
What I see is unreal
I've written my own part
Eat of the apple, so young
I'm crawling back to start
Hey ah na na
I repent tomorrow
Hey ah na na tomorrow
Hey ah na na
I suspend my sorrow
Hey ah na na
Sorrow, yeah
What I see is unreal
I've written my own part
Eat of the apple, so young
I'm crawling back to start
Hey ah na na
A romance is fallen
Hey ah na na fallen
Hey ah na na
Recommend you borrow
Hey ah na na, borrow, yeah
What I see is unreal
I've written my own part
Eat of the apple, so young
I'm crawling back to start
Hey ah na na
Alice in Chains's song Rotten Apple is a song that explores the loss of innocence and the effects of growing up and becoming aware of the world. The song is layered with an intricate mix of themes, including arrogance, ignorance, confidence, and sustenance, all of which seem to stem from the apple of knowledge in the Garden of Eden.
The opening lines, "Hey ah na na, innocence is over", succinctly set the tone for the song with a primal chant. The song speaks to the realization that the world, once seen as innocent and pure, is now tainted and twisted. The lyrics point to the disconnection between the reality of the world and the innocence that children are born with, among other things.
The line "what I see is unreal, I've written my own part, eat of the apple, so young, I'm crawling back to start" is particularly interesting, as it touches on the idea that the knowledge of the world can be too heavy for those who experience it too soon. The imagery of the apple is unmistakable, a reference to the original sin of Adam and Eve.
Overall, Rotten Apple is a heavy introspection of the world and the effects it has on humanity. It's a reminder of the loss of innocence, the price of knowledge, and the way life shapes us over time.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey ah na na
Acknowledging the existence of a problem or situation in a non-specific way
Innocence is over
Youthful naivety or inexperience has been left behind, and the singer has become aware of harsh realities
Ignorance is spoken
People speak without understanding or knowledge of the subject
Confidence is broken
A loss of self-assuredness and positivity, often caused by unfortunate events or experiences
Sustenance is stolen
Necessities like food, shelter, or basic human rights are being taken away or denied
Arrogance is potent, yeah
A sense of pride and superiority can be intoxicating and harmful to oneself and others
I repent tomorrow
The singer acknowledges past mistakes or negative behavior, but is not yet ready to make amends
I suspend my sorrow
The artist avoids dealing with emotional pain or anguish, possibly through addictive or self-destructive behavior
A romance is fallen
A once-beautiful, loving relationship has deteriorated or ended badly
Recommend you borrow, yeah
The artist suggests that someone else should copy or take inspiration from the artist's experiences or mistakes
What I see is unreal
The singer is struggling to reconcile their perception of reality with what they are experiencing or witnessing
I've written my own part
The artist has played a significant role in shaping their life and experiences
Eat of the apple, so young
The singer is referencing the story of Adam and Eve, suggesting that they made a mistake or bad decision at a young age
I'm crawling back to start
The singer is eager to return to a point before their problems and mistakes began, in order to try again with a clean slate
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Layne Staley, Michael Inez, Jerry Cantrell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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