Alice In Chains

Alice in Chains formed in Seattle in the late 1980s with Jerry Cantrell on guitar and vocals, Layne Staley on vocals, Mike Starr on bass, and Sean Kinney on drums. Their debut album 'Facelift' came out in 1990, and they became part of the city's grunge scene alongside bands like Nirvana and Soundgarden. Songs like 'Man In The Box' and 'Rooster' showed their heavy, melodic sound that wasn't quite like the others coming out of Seattle at the time.

Their 1992 album 'Dirt' included tracks like 'Down In a Hole' and 'Would?' that dealt with addiction and depression in plain terms. The band's music often paired Staley's strained vocals with Cantrell's harmonies over slow, heavy riffs, creating a tension that felt specific to them. 'Nutshell,' from their 1994 EP 'Jar of Flies,' became one of their most enduring songs for its spare arrangement and direct lyrics.

Staley struggled with heroin addiction throughout the 1990s, which affected the band's touring and recording schedule. They released a self-titled album in 1995 and played sporadically before going on hiatus. Staley died in 2002. The band eventually regrouped with William DuVall joining Cantrell on vocals, releasing 'Black Gives Way to Blue' in 2009.