Until a week ago I had never bothered to listened to Alice in Chains. Eb tunings, Marshall amps, heavy grooves, dark sound, nice harmonies and above all good melodies. Sludgy but tight. A bit like Pearl Jam, but darker, with heavier grooves. The late Layne Staley was a skinny guy but sang like a 200kg biker. Jerry Cantrell has good chops and taste, at least the equal of any of the Seattle guitar players of the time like Mike McCready and Kim Thayil. The song "Man in the Box" is great. Fun to play the solo which is a nice workout of basic rock techniques drenched in wah. "Dirt" is just a great album, an artistic triumph for which the world can thank heroin addiction. Just putting this opinion out there in case anyone else like me has overlooked AIC. Otherwise please ignore.
Re: Alice in Chains
Posted: Mon Oct 30, 2017 11:59 am
by Shimmer
I love the Dirt album and the Jar of Flies E.P. especially. I haven't listened to them post-Layne although apparently he sounds pretty good.
Re: Alice in Chains
Posted: Mon Oct 30, 2017 1:38 pm
by godgrinder
werdna wrote:Marshall amps
Mostly Bogner actually. Engineers on Facelift and Dirt have chimed in on some info before, some very interesting methods:
Bloody good guitar melodies. Hand me a steel string and it wont be long before I've had a bash at nutshell. but overall somewhat tiresome with the constant suicidal junkie woe is me theme.
Re: Alice in Chains
Posted: Mon Oct 30, 2017 7:18 pm
by Clanger
Good band, always liked them since the early 90's. One of the better Seattle era groups IMO. I like the inclusion of DuVall as well after regrouping after Laynes passing -- he compliments Jerry nicely with his backing and vocal harmonies. Very good guitar player too. Their MTV Unplugged performance was awesome, apart from Layne struggling a bit sometimes. I've seen the needle and the damage done...a little part of it in everyone.
How good do these Guilds sound? Love this song.
Re: Alice in Chains
Posted: Mon Oct 30, 2017 7:35 pm
by Olderama
Lucky enough to catch them live supporting Metallica on the justice tour
Fucking mint live
Re: Alice in Chains
Posted: Mon Oct 30, 2017 8:29 pm
by Mini Forklift
Never really heard anything from them, maybe I should give them a crack. Not really my style of music but I can still appreciate a good album/good bands regardless of the musical pigeonhole it's been placed into.
Re: Alice in Chains
Posted: Tue Oct 31, 2017 5:28 am
by Terexgeek
JHorner wrote:Bloody good guitar melodies. Hand me a steel string and it wont be long before I've had a bash at nutshell. but overall somewhat tiresome with the constant suicidal junkie woe is me theme.
Dirt has stoked to be high anthems, would that help?
Re: Alice in Chains
Posted: Tue Oct 31, 2017 5:30 am
by jeremyb
This always makes me a bit teary, was just before Layne died, so sad
Re: Alice in Chains
Posted: Tue Oct 31, 2017 6:26 am
by Danger Mouse
Mini Forklift Ⓥ wrote:Never really heard anything from them, maybe I should give them a crack. Not really my style of music but I can still appreciate a good album/good bands regardless of the musical pigeonhole it's been placed into.
Jerry Cantrell has said that while they got lumped in with all the other Seattle grunge bands, he considered AIC to be more metal, perhaps why they were on the original Clash of the Titans tour with Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax.
I can understand the downer element to their music, they've never been a particularly happy, or positive band, and there were always issues they were dealing with but Layne was an amazing singer and Jerry has always played stuff that is just that little bit more clever than standard rock guitar. DuVall does well in the modern incarnation, but Layne just had something else. As Jerry has also said, you can't replace the irreplaceable.
A great band, but not one I listen to when I'm in a less than positive frame of mind.
Re: Alice in Chains
Posted: Tue Oct 31, 2017 6:45 am
by mrmofo
they use the riff and first two lines from Rainbows Stargazer in one of there songs. now that's balls.
Re: Alice in Chains
Posted: Tue Oct 31, 2017 7:08 am
by Slimo
I thought Jerry Cantrell had a signature Friedman amp?
godgrinder wrote:
werdna wrote:Marshall amps
Mostly Bogner actually. Engineers on Facelift and Dirt have chimed in on some info before, some very interesting methods:
