Alice In Chains

Alice In Chains

Alice In Chains is an American rock band from Seattle, formed in 1987 and active since then. The group is commonly abbreviated as AiC. It is known for a sound that is often linked with grunge, but also draws on heavy metal, and its listed styles include acoustic rock, alternative metal, alternative rock, doom metal and glam metal.

Line-up

The original line-up consists of Jerry Cantrell, Sean Kinney, Layne Staley and Mike Starr. Staley and Starr are former members. Since 2006, the band line-up consists of Cantrell and William DuVall on vocals and guitar, Mike Inez on bass, and Sean Kinney on drums.

Career and recordings

The band takes its name from Staley’s earlier group, Alice N' Chains. It becomes known internationally during the early 1990s grunge movement alongside other Seattle acts such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden. Mainstream attention comes with the single “Man in the Box” from the 1990 debut album Facelift.

After the EP Sap in early 1992, Alice In Chains has further commercial success with Dirt later that year, which includes “Rooster” and “Would?”. Starr is replaced by Inez in early 1993. The later releases Jar of Flies and the self-titled Alice in Chains both reach number one on the US Billboard 200 and receive several Grammy Award nominations. Jar of Flies includes “I Stay Away” and “No Excuses”, while the 1995 album includes “Heaven Beside You” and “Grind”.

The band becomes inactive from 1996, largely because of Staley’s substance abuse, and Staley dies in 2002. Alice In Chains reunites in 2005, with DuVall joining the following year as rhythm guitarist and co-lead vocalist. It then releases Black Gives Way to Blue in 2009, The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here in 2013, and Rainier Fog in 2018.

Recognition

Alice In Chains has sold over 30 million RIAA-certified records in the United States. It has 18 Top 10 songs on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, including five number-one hits, and has received 11 Grammy Award nominations. The band also appears on lists such as VH1’s 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock, where it is ranked at number 34, and Hit Parader’s Greatest Live Bands, where it is placed at number 15.

Studio albums

Facelift (1990), Dirt (1992), Alice in Chains (1995), Black Gives Way to Blue (2009), The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here (2013), Rainier Fog (2018).