Alice in Chains is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1987 by guitarist Jerry Cantrell and vocalist Layne Staley.

In 1986, the band Sleeze disbanded and two of its members, vocalist Layne Staley and bassist Michael Starr met up with guitarist and songwriter Jerry Cantrell at the Music Bank — a Seattle warehouse that was illegally being used as a flop house and practice studio for several bands that later became the major “grunge” bands of the late 1980s to mid-1990s.

Staley grew up in Kirkland Washington and had formed the original band Alice N’ Chainz while in high school, a band which he said “dressed in drag and played speed metal”. After meeting up with Jerry Cantrell, he revived the name with the variation to become Alice in Chains. They found a drummer, Sean Kinney, who was dating Cantrell’s sister at the time and together began writing original material and performing at various clubs in Seattle.

In 1990, they released their first album, Facelift which reached number 42 on Billboard and was probably one of the anchor albums that started the “grunge” scene. The single, “Man in the Box” reached number 18 and even got play on MTV. RIAA rated the album gold in 1990, and they went on the Clash of the Titans tour with Anthrax, Megadeath, and Slayer, closing the year with Van Halen.

Between 1990 and 1998, Alice in Chains release a whole slew of great songs. In 1992 Michael Starr left the band due to a serious heroin habit and an arrest at the Denver airport for shoplifting. He was replaced by former Ozzie Osbourne bassist Mike Inez.

There were several periods of hiatus — one being in 1995 when Staley hooked up with Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready to tour in a band called Mad Season. In 1996 Alice in Chains got together to perform for MTV’s Unplugged. Their last concert with Layne Staley would be on July 3, 1996, in Kansas City, Missouri.

Staley’s health was an issue — he was getting deeper and deeper into heroin and cocaine. The death of his fiance in 1996 pushed Staley over the edge. He lost the will to live, and became a recluse. The last interview he gave he said, “I know I’m near death. I did crack and heroin for years. I never wanted to end my life this way.” He also said, “Don’t try to contact any Alice in Chains members. They are not my friends.” Layne was found dead in his University District condo, the cause of death being heroin and cocaine overdose.

The band officially disbanded after Layne’s death, but in 2005 Cantrell, Inez, and Kinney reunited for a benefit concert and in 2006 they officially got together and found a new lead singer, William DuVall formerly of Comes With Fall.

On March 8, 2011, former Alice In Chains bassist Mike Starr was found dead in Salt Lake City. Police told Reuters they were called to Starr’s Salt Lake City home at 1:42 pm where the musician’s body was found; Starr was 44. Reports later surfaced that Starr’s roommate had seen him mixing methadone and anxiety medication hours before he was found dead. Later reports indicated Starr’s death may have been linked to two different types of antidepressants he was prescribed by his doctor. A public memorial was held for Starr at the Seattle Center’s International Fountain on March 20, 2011. A private memorial was also held, which Jerry Cantrell and Sean Kinney attended according to Mike Inez.

Hollow

“Hollow” is a single by the American rock band Alice in Chains, from the band’s as-yet-untitled upcoming fifth studio album, which is expected to be released in the spring of 2013.  The song is currently available for digital download on iTunes.

–

Turning in circles, slowing down
Pulling against a closing out
Easy to feed off a weaker thing
Harder to say what I really mean

Hollow as a mountain all tunneled and drilled below
Hollow as a mountain crowned with a cold, blue sky

All of your colors turn to grey
Don’t even matter anyway
Bleeding impressions where you were tied
Can’t really say how you lost your mind

Hollow as a mountain all tunneled and drilled below
Hollow as a mountain crowned with a cold
Hollow as a mountain all tunneled and drilled below
Hollow as a mountain crowned with a cold, blue sky

Silence so loud, silence
I can’t tell my up from down
Silence so loud, Silence
I can’t tell my uṗ from down

All of the faces life can show
Withered and ugly the one you know

Hollow as a mountain all tunneled and drilled below
Hollow as a mountain crowned with a cold, blue sky

Silence so loud, silence
I can’t tell my up from down
Silence so loud, Silence
I can’t tell my up from down

–

• Audio from the 2013 Single, Hollow:

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Alice in Chains is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1987 by guitarist Jerry Cantrell and vocalist Layne Staley.

In 1986, the band Sleeze disbanded and two of its members, vocalist Layne Staley and bassist Michael Starr met up with guitarist and songwriter Jerry Cantrell at the Music Bank — a Seattle warehouse that was illegally being used as a flop house and practice studio for several bands that later became the major “grunge” bands of the late 1980s to mid-1990s.

Staley grew up in Kirkland Washington and had formed the original band Alice N’ Chainz while in high school, a band which he said “dressed in drag and played speed metal”. After meeting up with Jerry Cantrell, he revived the name with the variation to become Alice in Chains. They found a drummer, Sean Kinney, who was dating Cantrell’s sister at the time and together began writing original material and performing at various clubs in Seattle.

In 1990, they released their first album, Facelift which reached number 42 on Billboard and was probably one of the anchor albums that started the “grunge” scene. The single, “Man in the Box” reached number 18 and even got play on MTV. RIAA rated the album gold in 1990, and they went on the Clash of the Titans tour with Anthrax, Megadeath, and Slayer, closing the year with Van Halen.

Between 1990 and 1998, Alice in Chains release a whole slew of great songs. In 1992 Michael Starr left the band due to a serious heroin habit and an arrest at the Denver airport for shoplifting. He was replaced by former Ozzie Osbourne bassist Mike Inez.

There were several periods of hiatus — one being in 1995 when Staley hooked up with Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready to tour in a band called Mad Season. In 1996 Alice in Chains got together to perform for MTV’s Unplugged. Their last concert with Layne Staley would be on July 3, 1996, in Kansas City, Missouri.

Staley’s health was an issue — he was getting deeper and deeper into heroin and cocaine. The death of his fiance in 1996 pushed Staley over the edge. He lost the will to live, and became a recluse. The last interview he gave he said, “I know I’m near death. I did crack and heroin for years. I never wanted to end my life this way.” He also said, “Don’t try to contact any Alice in Chains members. They are not my friends.” Layne was found dead in his University District condo, the cause of death being heroin and cocaine overdose.

The band officially disbanded after Layne’s death, but in 2005 Cantrell, Inez, and Kinney reunited for a benefit concert and in 2006 they officially got together and found a new lead singer, William DuVall formerly of Comes With Fall.

Brother

Following the tour for Facelift, Alice in Chains entered the studio to record demos for its next album, but ended up recording five acoustic songs instead. While in the studio, drummer Sean Kinney had a dream about “making an EP called Sap.” The band decided “not to mess with fate,” and Sap was recorded in 1991.

The EP features guest vocals by Ann Wilson from the band Heart, who joined vocalist Layne Staley and guitarist Jerry Cantrell for the choruses of “Brother” and “Am I Inside.” The EP also features Mark Arm of Mudhoney and Chris Cornell of Soundgarden, who appeared together on the song “Right Turn,” credited to “Alice Mudgarden” in the liner notes. The song was featured in the 2001 film Black Hawk Down.

Regarding the lyrical content, Cantrell said he wrote “Brother” about his relationship with his younger brother. The song specifically refers to the period after Cantrell’s parents divorced, when his younger brother went off to live with his father while he stayed with his mother, and Cantrell said that the song “was a way of trying to build a bridge.”

–

Frozen in the place I hide
Not afraid to paint my sky with
Some who say I’ve lost my mind
Brother try and hope to find

You were always so far away
I know that pain so don’t you run away
Like you used to do

Roses in a vase of white
Bloodied by the thorns beside the leaves
That fall because my hand is pulling them hard as I can

You were always so far away
I know that pain and I won’t run away
Like I used to do

Pictures in a box at home
Yellowing and green with mold
So I can barely see your face
Wonder how that color taste

You were always so far away
I know the way so don’t you run away
Like you used to do
Like you used to do

–

• Audio from the 1991 album, Sap:
  

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Alice in Chains is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1987 by guitarist Jerry Cantrell and vocalist Layne Staley.

In 1986, the band Sleeze disbanded and two of its members, vocalist Layne Staley and bassist Michael Starr met up with guitarist and songwriter Jerry Cantrell at the Music Bank — a Seattle werehouse that was illegally being used as a flop house and practice studio for several bands that later became the major “grunge” bands of the late 1980s to mid-1990s.

Staley grew up in Kirkland Washington and had formed the original band Alice N’ Chainz while in high school, a band which he said “dressed in drag and played speed metal”. After meeting up with Jerry Cantrell, he revived the name with the variation to become Alice in Chains. They found a drummer, Sean Kinney, who was dating Cantrell’s sister at the time and together began writing original material and performing at various clubs in Seattle.

In 1990, they released their first album, Facelift which reached number 42 on Billboard and was probably one of the anchor albums that started the “grunge” scene. The single, “Man in the Box” reached number 18 and even got play on MTV. RIAA rated the album gold in 1990, and they went on the Clash of the Titans tour with Anthrax, Megadeath, and Slayer, closing the year with Van Halen.

Between 1990 and 1998, Alice in Chains release a whole slew of great songs. In 1992 Michael Starr left the band due to a serious heroin habit and an arrest at the Denver airport for shoplifting. He was replaced by former Ozzie Osbourne bassist Mike Inez.

There were several periods of hiatus — one being in 1995 when Staley hooked up with Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready to tour in a band called Mad Season. In 1996 Alice in Chains got together to perform for MTV’s Unplugged. Their last concert with Layne Staley would be on July 3, 1996, in Kansas City, Missouri.

Staley’s health was an issue — he was getting deeper and deeper into heroin and cocaine. The death of his fiance in 1996 pushed Staley over the edge. He lost the will to live, and became a recluse. The last interview he gave he said, “I know I’m near death. I did crack and heroin for years. I never wanted to end my life this way.” He also said, “Don’t try to contact any Alice in Chains members. They are not my friends.” Layne was found dead in his University District condo, the cause of death being heroin and cocaine overdose.

The band officially disbanded after Layne’s death, but in 2005 Cantrell, Inez, and Kinney reunited for a benefit concert and in 2006 they officially got together and found a new lead singer, William DuVall formerly of Comes With Fall.

Would?

Would? was written by Jerry about the death of his friend, Andrew Wood of Mother Love Bone:

I was thinking a lot about Andrew Wood at the time. We always had a great time when we did hang out, much like Chris Cornell and I do. There was never really a serious moment or conversation, it was all fun. Andy was a hilarious guy, full of life and it was really sad to lose him. But I always hate people who judge the decisions others make. So it was also directed towards people who pass judgments

Know me broken by my master,
Teach thee on child of love hereafter,

Into the flood again,
Same old trip it was back then,
So I made a big mistake,
Try to see it once my way.

Drifting body, it’s sole desertion,
Flying, not yet quite the notion.

Into the flood again,
Same old trip it was back then,
So I made a big mistake,
Try to see it once my way.

Into the flood again,
Same old trip it was back then,
So I made a big mistake,
Try to see it once my way.

Am I wrong?
Have I run too far to get home
Have I gone?
And left you here alone

Am I wrong?
Have I run too far to get home, yeah
Have I gone?
And left you here alone

If I would, could you?

–

• Audio from the 1995 album Dirt:
  

ahttp://djallyn.org/AudioScript.php?file=ic-would.mp3

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