Alice in Chains

Alice in Chains is an American rock group formed at the end of the years 1980 with Seattle. Following the example Pearl Jam, Nirvana and Soundgarden, Alice in Chains was one of the most influential groups on the scene grunge of Seattle. Although their musical style is inspired more of the heavy metal than by the Punk, the group was very quickly related with the movement Grunge, as well because of their origins as for their even morbid introspective texts.

History

The beginnings (1987-1990)

During the year 1987, Layne Staley meets the guitarist and type-setter Jerry Cantrell at the time of one evening. The two men sympathize, and soon Cantrell invites Staley to join its group Diamond Lie . Staley meets there the bass player Mike Starr, a friend of Cantrell. The group then seeks a beater and Starr recruits Sean Kinney, the boyfriend of his sister.

The group composes its own pieces very quickly and starts to turn in the clubs of Seattle and renames Alice in Chains. The name takes as a starting point one of the preceding groups of Staley: Alice Chainz

The group manages to obtain a contract with Columbia Records in 1989. After having recorded a series of demonstrations at the beginning of 89, the group leaves its first maximum We Die Young in July 1990. The song of the same name is a success moderated on the radios metal, but prepares the ground for the first album of the group Facelift . The title Man in the Box will have an unexpected success and makes it possible the group to make its first appearances on MTV. The group leaves in round to make the first parts of Van Halen and Iggy Pop, with the end of the year Facelift is certified disc of gold to the the United States.

The rise about success, the years grunge (1991-1994)

The next realization of the group is maximum compositions acoustics Sap . The disc profits from the participation of some guests of which Ann Wilson (Heart) on Brother and Am I Inside , Mark ARM (Mudhoney) like Chris Cornell (Soundgarden) on Right Turn .

Does the group remake speech of him in 1992, when the song Would? appears on the original soundtrack of the film Singles of Cameron Crowe.

The album Dirt , which appears with the autumn 1992, makes it possible the group to look further into its partitions of heavy and distorted guitars. The album is applauded by the critic and gains a real business success while becoming platinum disc before the end of the year. Dirt remains the album of Alice in Chains to be itself best sold but contain also the germs of the tragedy which soon will strike the group. Indeed, the very dark texts describing insulation, loneliness and the dependence give birth to from fears on the reports/ratios which Staley with heroin maintains. It is known today that these fears were founded.

During the promotional round of Dirt , Mike Starr leaves the group and will join later a group of hard rock Sun Red Sun . Starr is replaced with the foot raised by Mike Inez, former bass player of Ozzy Osbourne. The group turns over in studio in 1993 to record two new titles: What the Hell Cuts I? and have Little Bitter for the original soundtrack of the film Last Action Hero .

During the summer 1993, Alice in Chains takes part in the festival of alternative music Lollapalooza at the side of Primus, Tool, Rage Against the Machine and Babes in Toyland. The group receives very warm welcome for what will remain its last round of importance.

After their explosive services in Lollapalooza, the alternate scene awaits new a opus impatiently ignited four-bit byte of Seattle planned for January 1994. However, Alice in Chains off takes everyone with opposite course with Jar Flies , which marks a return towards more subtle acoustic arrangements, complex, punctuated pieces by the guitar of Cantrell and the voice of Staley.

Left in the form of maximum in spite of its quality and its length, Jar off Flies is classified n°1 in the American charts, becoming the first maximum one to carry out such a performance. Sailing between its alternate and traditional ballades, the album pays homage to the musical roots of the group. Writing and recorded in one week, the album was greeted by many critics like one mini-chief-of work.

The period post-grunge (1995-1997)

The group does not undertake any round in spite of the success of the album, which feeds the rumors on the problems of drugs of Staley. Nevertheless, Staley takes part in some representations for Gacy Bunch , a parallel project which it assembled in 1995 with the guitarist of Pearl Jam, Mike McCready and the beater of Screeming Trees, Barrett Martin. This collaboration will lead to the exit of an album, Above , but under the name of Mad Season.

In November 1995, Alice in Chains returns with the exit of an album éponyme, often called Tripode or Three because of her cover illustrated by a dog with three legs and owing to the fact that it is about the third album of the group. This new album gives up off the acoustic melodies of Jar Flies for a sound much nearer to its first two album. For certain fans this return to the sources is welcome, for others it marks more one step that real advanced behind for the creativity of the group. The album is classified of entry number 1 with the the United States, but the incapacity of the group to organize a promotional round starts again concerns concerning the health of Staley. Alice in Chains will remain the last album studio officially produced by the group.

The group has remade surface in 1996, and gives its first concert for three years for the emission MTV Unplugged. Staley suffers obviously from serious health issues and seems to be under the influence of heroin. Nevertheless, the group delivers an exceptional service, whose upsetting version of Down in has Hole . Alice in Chains revisits her principal successes with an entirely acoustic instrumentation. It receives the reinforcement of Scott Holsen (Heart) to the rhythmic guitar. The concert also contains a new title The Killer Is Me . The recording in the concert leaves in the vats to the end of the year and is classified directly in the third place of the charts.

Thereafter, the group makes the first part of KIS to four recoveries. Alice in Chains delivers her ultimate concert with Staley with the microphone on June 3rd with Kansas City.

Disappearance of Staley (1998-2002)

Cantrell is given to continue Alice in Chains and tries to remain in contact with Staley, but the health of this last makes from now on impossible a rapid return. Cantrell carries out its first album solo in 1998, Boggy Depot . All the members of the group, except for Staley, as well as the producer Toby Wright take part significantly in the album. A certain number of fans thus regard Boggy Depot as a stray album of Alice in Chains.

In 1998, the group meets complete for the last time and records four new titles Get Born Again , Fear The Voices , Lying Season and Died . Four titles which will appear with the autumn 1999 in the box Music Bank which recalls the career of the group. The box contains 48 titles, from of which scarcities, old demonstrations and extracts of the various albums. The group leaves its first best-of, Nothing Safe: Best off the Box . An album live ( Live ) as another best-of ( Greatest Hits ) come to supplement the discography of the group.

Although the group never officially separated, Staley is inserted more and more deeply in the depression when his/her partner dies of a infectious Endocardite in 1996. He saw from now on recluse in his apartment of Seattle. April 20th, 2002, the body of Layne Staley is found in its apartment, victim of an overdose of heroin and cocaine.

Jerry Cantrell, very affected by the loss of its partner, dedicates to him its second album Degradation Trip in 2002. The album, recorded before the death of Staley, leaves two months after its death.

Reformation (2005-)

In 2005, Cantrell, Inez and Kinney are reformed at the time of a concert of charity to the profit of the victims of the Asian tsunami. At the time of the concert, it is Pat Lachman (Damageplan) which officiates with the microphone. The old ones of Alice in Chains imply on this occasion their desire for reforming the group.

March 10th, 2006, the group meets once again, this time with Phil Anselmo (Pantera) with the song, at the time of the Decades Rock'n'roll Live given in the honor of Ann and Nancy Wilson (Heart). The group starts the round of the European festivals of summer with to the song William Duval, old of Comes With the Fall.

At present, no definite decision was made public by the members of the group even if those affirm to want to turn over soon in studio, perhaps under a new name.

It is with the general surprise that one could see the group at the head poster of many festivals (mainly in Europe) accompanied by a new singer: William Duval. This return to the stage is it heralding a new return in studio?

Discography

Albums studios

EPs

Live albums

Compilations

Individual

  • 1987 : Demonstrations

  • 1990: Bleed The Freak
  • 1990 : We Die Young
  • 1991: Man in the Box
  • 1991: Sea off Sorrow
  • 1992: Would?
  • 1992 : Them Bones
  • 1993 : Rooster
  • 1993 : Angry Flesh
  • 1993: Haste to Feel
  • 1993: Down in has Hole
  • 1993: What the Hell Cuts I?
  • 1994 : Got Me Wrong
  • 1994: I Stay Away
  • 1994: No Excuses
  • 1994: Don' T Follow
  • 1995: Grind
  • 1996 : Heaven Beside You
  • 1996 : Again
  • 1996 : Over Now
  • 1999 : Get Born Again
  • 1999 : Fear the Voices

Bonds

  • Official site of Alice in chains

  • Official site of Jerry Cantrell
  • ''' Fingering charts Alice In Chains. '''

Simple: Alice in Chains

Random links:The Vault-the-Luxeuil | Richard de Gloucester | Tommy Portimo | Prime number of Gauss | Rain of the devil | Califon,_New_Jersey