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.
The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here
Alice in Chains Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why would I be lying
End fan, all planned out
Offering a wonderful
Peace of mind worth buying
Bow down last round up
A cloud is my home
Only some get in
Got a 'maginary friend
The devil put dinosaurs here
Jesus don't like a queer
The devil put dinosaurs here
No problem with faith just fear
Promise those who've gone before
Waitin' on you flyin'
Leading, receiving us
I'm as flawed as any man
Look at me I'm smiling
Drink me, eat me up
I am wise and you don't know
A cloud is my home
Only some get in
Got a 'maginary friend
The devil put dinosaurs here
Jesus don't like a queer
The devil put dinosaurs here
No problem with faith just fear
I am wise and you don't know
A cloud is my home
Only some get in
Got a 'maginary friend
The devil put dinosaurs here
Jesus don't like a queer
The devil put dinosaurs here
The problem with faith
Fear
Liar, liar, liar, liar, liar, liar
The opening lines of Alice in Chains’ “The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here” seem to be a reference to the concept of filling one’s perceived emptiness. The hole here could be symbolic of the emptiness felt by someone, which the singer promises to fill. However, the singer is quick to point out that he would not be lying about this offer. The second line of this verse, “End fan, all planned out” seems to imply the inevitability of things coming to a close and the idea that everything is predestined or predetermined. The song's lyrics continue to touch on themes of religion and the afterlife.
The chorus “The devil put dinosaurs here, Jesus don't like a queer, No problem with faith just fear” offers a commentary on contemporary conflicts between scientific ideology and religious dogma. The line “the devil put dinosaurs here” seems to suggest an acceptance of scientific views on the origins of life, whereas the next line “Jesus don’t like a queer” could be interpreted as a criticism of the perceived dogmatism of certain religions that reject variations in gender and sexuality. The overall message of the song seems to be a questioning of religious institutions and a call for an open-minded approach to the idea of the afterlife.
Line by Line Meaning
Come to me, I'll fill the hole
The singer offers a sense of fulfillment and completeness to anyone who comes to them.
Why would I be lying
The singer is defending their credibility and honesty.
End fan, all planned out
Everything is predetermined and there is no escaping the inevitable end.
Offering a wonderful
Peace of mind worth buying
The singer is providing the listener with a way to ease their anxiety and worries.
Bow down last round up
The end is near and there is no chance for redemption or escape.
I am wise and you don't know
The singer believes that they have superior knowledge or understanding compared to the listener.
A cloud is my home
Only some get in
Got a 'maginary friend
The singer is referencing their delusions and distorted perception of reality.
The devil put dinosaurs here
Jesus don't like a queer
The singer is expressing their skepticism towards religion and certain beliefs.
No problem with faith just fear
The singer acknowledges that many people believe in religion not out of genuine faith, but rather out of fear or social pressure.
Promise those who've gone before
Waitin' on you flyin'
Leading, receiving us
The singer is referring to the concept of an afterlife and is promising that those who have passed away are waiting for us and will guide us into the next stage.
I'm as flawed as any man
Look at me I'm smiling
Drink me, eat me up
The singer is showing signs of acceptance towards their own imperfections and is asking to be embraced for who they are.
The problem with faith
Fear
The true problem with faith is that it is often motivated by fear and insecurity.
Liar, liar, liar, liar, liar, liar
The singer is accusing someone of being a compulsive liar.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Jerry Cantrell, Michael A. Inez, Sean H. Kinney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sylvian Juraska
Remember when this band was good? No? That's because they still are.
Caped Critique
The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here is their best album and best grunge album ever, IMO.
Soup 'R Crackers
Truly, man. I mean what even would constitute as their weakest song? Iron Gland? Haha and that song is hilarious.
Nope, these dudes have never compromised this band and it is astounding how they just keep getting better. Hate to reference the fine whine cliché, but it's the truth. RIP Layne and may the legacy of this band transcend this world.
Joseph Armeni
I got worried you were gonna say they never were!
Robin Dettmar
@Shannon Lowe love Alice in chains
Shannon Lowe
I thought you was hating, thank you for the love,lolololol, that how I decide if I like people or not,"do you like alice in chains???
Fullmetal Norik .
i simply cannot get this song out of my head . it's hauntingly beautiful, dark and heavy. it's eerie and gorgeous and memorable and everything i want in rock music - it's classic Alice in Chains.
Layne would be proud.
Puppetmaster 85
It’s such a bummer they’ve never played it live, same with “pretty done” two in credit songs imo and they’ve never been heard live which is a shame. Anyway this song is amazing and super addicting, the chorus always gets stuck in my head when I listen to it.
elusive mg
yep
Stewart Brodie
So very well said friend