Alice in Chains [30th Anniversary] [Highlighter Colored Vinyl]

by Alice in Chains

Overview

Dispelling rumors of their demise due to Layne Staley's heroin addiction, Alice in Chains is a sonically detailed effort that ranks as their best-produced record, and its best moments are easily some of their most mature music. Alice in Chains relies less on metallic riffs and more on melody and texturally varied arrangements than the group's previous full-length albums, finally integrating some of the more delicate acoustic moods of their EPs. The lyrics deal with familiar AIC subject matter -- despair, misery, loneliness, and disappointment -- but in a more understated fashion, and the lyrics take on more uplifting qualities of toughness and endurance, which were missing from much of their previous work. The consistent visceral impact Alice in Chains lacks in comparison to that previous work is partially made up for by the skilled production and songs like "Grind," "Brush Away," "Over Now," and the hit ballad "Heaven Beside You," which are among the band's best work. Still, in spite of its many virtues, it's hard not to feel a little frustrated with the record, as though, given those qualities, it should have turned out better than it did -- there are some slow spots where the songs are undercrafted and not especially memorable, and those moments can make the band sound uncommitted and distracted. That, in turn, can make the defiance of songs like "Grind" ("you'd be well advised/not to plan my funeral 'fore the body dies") sound more like denial; just when Alice in Chains' music was finally beginning to emerge from the dark side, the intra-band problems became too much to bear and made Alice in Chains the last collection of new material the Staley-fronted AIC would release. ~ Steve Huey

Product Details

Release Date:	01/30/2026
Label:	Sony Legacy
UPC:	0198028486910

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Grind
2. Brush Away
3. Sludge Factory
4. Heaven Beside You
5. Head Creeps
6. Again

Disc 2

7. Shame In You
8. God Am
9. So Close
10. Nothin' Song
11. Frogs
12. Over Now

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Alice in Chains   Primary Artist
Layne Staley   Guitar,Vocals
Jerry Cantrell   Guitar,Vocals
Mike Inez   Bass,Guitar (Bass)
Sean Kinney   Drums

Technical Credits

Alice in Chains   Producer
Tom Nellen   Engineer
Doug Erb   Design,Cover Design
Mary Maurer   Art Direction
Rocky Schenck   Photography
Stephen Marcussen   Mastering
Layne Staley   Composer
John Seymour   Mixing Assistant
Jerry Cantrell   Composer
Michael Inez   Composer
Mike Inez   Composer
Toby Wright   Mixing,Engineer,Producer
Sean Kinney   Artwork,Composer