On Sept. 29, 1992, Alice in Chains launched their sophomore album, Grime, which is broadly thought-about the band’s biggest effort. The album defines the group’s signature sound with heavy dropped ‘D’ tuned guitars, droning vocal harmonies and drug-induced lyrical themes. Grime peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard album chart and has bought over 5 million copies world wide.
Following the gentle success of the band’s debut set, Facelift, due to MTV embracing the video for the band’s hit “Man within the Field,” Alice in Chains had their sights set on breaking the mould and shattering expectations. They did precisely that with the brooding and darkish masterpiece that’s Grime.
The trouble bought an early increase due to the music “Would?,” which was launched through the Singles soundtrack nicely earlier than the album was unleashed. The music was written by guitarist Jerry Cantrell following the demise of his buddy Andrew Wooden of Mother Love Bone. Wooden died from a heroin overdose again in 1990.
Alice in Chains, “Would?” Music Video
Within the liner notes on AIC’s 1999 field set Music Financial institution, Cantrell states, “I used to be pondering loads about Andrew Wooden on the time. We at all times had a good time after we did hang around, very similar to Chris Cornell and I do. There was by no means actually a severe second or dialog, it was all enjoyable. Andy was a hilarious man, energetic and it was actually unhappy to lose him. However I at all times hate individuals who decide the choices others make. So it was additionally directed in direction of individuals who go judgments.”
The feelings attributed to drug dependancy are sprinkled all through the chilling album particularly in “Them Bones,” “Offended Chair,” “Junkhead” “God Smack,” which options the haunting line “What in God’s title have you ever finished? / Stick your arm for some actual enjoyable.” Then there’s “Sick Man,” which options the Staley-penned lyric, “I can really feel the wheel, however I am unable to steer / When my ideas turn into my largest worry.”
The album’s second single “Them Bones” options highly effective and guttural screams from late vocalist Layne Staley. Cantrell instructed Guitar World that he takes nice delight within the songs 7/8 time signature. “Off-time stuff is simply extra thrilling. It takes folks unexpectedly while you shift gears like that earlier than they even know what the hell hit ‘em… a number of Alice stuff is written that manner. ‘Them Bones’ is a superb off-time music.”
Alice in Chains, “Them Bones” Music Video
The trouble additionally marks the band’s final recording that includes bassist Mike Starr, who handed away from a drug overdose in 2011. Starr shines placing his stamp on the bass-driven music “Rain After I Die” and “Offended Chair.”
Alice in Chains scored an enormous hit once they launched “Rooster” because the fourth single from the trouble. Layne Staley’s haunting vocals mixed with Jerry Cantrell’s masterful guitar work make the music a traditional. Cantrell wrote the six-minute music about his Vietnam Battle-vet father, who was nicknamed “The Rooster.” The observe shares the horrors of struggle that his father lastly opened up about years later. It might go on to turn into the most important music on the disc, peaking at No. 7 on the Mainstream Rock Chart.
The ultimate single peeled off Grime is the darkish love music “Down in a Gap.” Cantrell mentioned within the ‘Music Financial institution’ liner notes, “It’s to my long-time love. It’s the fact of my life, the trail I’ve chosen, and in a bizarre manner it type of foretold the place we’re proper now. It’s laborious for each of us to know … that this life just isn’t conducive to a lot success with long-term relationships.”
Layne Staley, Alice In Chains – File Photographs, Early Nineteen Nineties
On prime of all the nice singles, Grime has some nice deep cuts together with the wah-infused title observe, the Cantrell written rocker “Dam That River,” “Junkhead,” “Sick Man,” and an untitled observe now often known as “Iron Gland,” which options Slayer’s Tom Araya. The singer lends his demonic voice to the 43-second observe that squeezes in between the tracks “God Smack” and “Hate to Really feel.”
Grime cemented Alice in Chains’ place in rock ‘n’ roll historical past and stands out as one of many musical highlights of the Nineteen Nineties grunge period. Furthermore, it extremely influenced a brand new technology of rock acts who would go on to dominate rock radio within the 2000s.
