Alice in Chains

Alice in Chains are a rock band formed in Seattle whose fusion of heavy, sludgy metal riffing with dark harmonized vocals made them one of the defining acts of the early-1990s grunge era, alongside Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden. The band's core creative engine has always been guitarist Jerry Cantrell, the primary songwriter, whose interplay with a lead vocalist produced the group's signature layered, minor-key harmonies.

Original frontman Layne Staley became one of rock's most haunting voices, his baritone blending with Cantrell's on staples like «Man in the Box», «Down in a Hole» and «Would?» from albums that all went multi-platinum. Their songwriting frequently confronted addiction, depression and isolation with unflinching honesty, themes that took on tragic weight when Staley, who battled substance abuse for years, died in 2002.

Despite being tied to the grunge label, Cantrell has described the band's sound as closer to heavy metal, and their influence is audible in numerous later metal and hard rock acts. After a period of inactivity following Staley's death, Alice in Chains reformed with a new vocalist and continued recording and touring, cementing a legacy built on their emotionally raw, sonically distinctive catalog from albums like «Dirt», «Facelift» and «Jar of Flies».