Here they come to snuff the rooster
Heavy guitars, powerful lyrics and a unique voice. Those are the core elements of this great band from the grunge movement in Seattle.
The band was formed in 1987 by lead guitarist Jerry Cantrell and drummer Sean Kinney however Layne Staley, the voice of Alice In Chains, was such a perfect fit that he quickly became a synonym of the band.
For that reason, it was really hard for the band to continue its activities when Layne isolated himself from the world and, later, died.
It took a few years, but the band eventually came back with William DuVal sharing the voices and guitars with Cantrell. The band is still active and doing very well in my humble opinion but its fans will never forget the golden age with the powerhouse that was the Staley and Cantrell duo.
Let's hear them in action!
Nutshell
I think this is one of the best live entrances that I've ever seen so I thought it would be a good idea to make this the first song of this post. This is also my favorite AiC song. The lyrics are very deep and they speak to me in a way that I can't describe with words so I'll just leave you to it.
No Excuses
This is another one of my favorites. The doubled voices by Jerry Cantrell and Layne Staley is one of Alice in Chains' most notable features and I think they did it particularly well in this one. Also, I don't know why but this bit of lyrics means so much to me:
You my friend
I will defend
And if we change, well I
Love you anyway
Rain when I die
I believe this is not one of the most popular songs by the band and it will come to the minds of a few people only, when they think of Alice In Chains. Still, it's one of my favorite songs by them. I really like that main riff and that was one of the first guitar parts that I've learned to play with a wah pedal.
Them Bones
This song really packs a punch with Jerry's heavy guitar and Layne's roaring voice. I think it's one of the heaviest songs they ever made. I really love the ending when they repeat the chorus a few times and then end with Layne's voice all by itself. A masterpiece!
It also reminds me of listening to Radio-X while playing GTA San Andreas. Great memories.
Man In The Box
Well, I couldn't leave this one out of the list, could I? This is probably the band's greatest hit and whether you're a hardcore AiC fan or just a casual rock n roll listener, you have most likely listened to this timeless classic! Oh, if you played Guitar Hero there is a good chance you this one too.
And this is it for today! I hope you have enjoyed this small selection. Alice in Chains is one of my favorite bands and it was really hard for me to pick only 5 songs from their extensive discography. I will definitely feature them here again because there is so much more to be covered!