Post 4a: CLASSIC REVIEW: Dirt - Alice in Chains

Classic Review: Dirt - Alice in Chains

CLASSIC/10

Background: Alice in Chains is an American rock/metal band from Seattle, Washington that gained fame for being at the forefront of the grunge movement in the early 1990s. Along with their contemporaries, such as Nirvana, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, and Stone Temple Pilots, Alice in Chains helped to pioneer grunge, which at its most simplistic consisted of a fusion of heavy metal and hardcore punk that formed as a reaction to the overblown and downright embarrassing forms of metal that began to originate in the late 1980s. Each major grunge band featured traits that made them unique, such as Nirvana's combination of punk with strong pop melodies and Pixies inspired stop-start/quiet-loud dynamics, and AIC's defining factor lay in their heaviness. Despite being one of the leading grunge bands, Alice in Chains were always closer to a metal band than grunge, lacking Nirvana's punk energy and replacing it with the darkness of heavy metal. Another important influence to note in the music of Alice in Chains is a little opioid known as heroin, a favorite of the grunge movement. Dirt, as an album, centers thematically around the use of heroin, and the subsequent effects that such a drug has on the user's life. While this is hardly unique to music (your grandpa's favorite band, The Rolling Stones, had an little ditty named "Sister Morphine" along with other heroin songs), what makes frontman Layne Staley's heroin addiction so interesting is the brutal honesty about the drug. These songs do not mince words, and they do not mess around. A few songs seem to glorify heroin, in an extremely dark and not at all enticing manner, but many make their point clear: heroin addiction is a living hell. In 2002, at the age of 34 and after suffering his entire life with drug addiction and depression, Staley was found dead in his apartment of a heroin overdose. Around him was a stash of cocaine, several empty aerosol cans, a few crack pipes, a loaded syringe in his right hand, and a cleared syringe jammed into in his left leg. Despite being 6'0" tall, Staley weighed 86 lbs at the time of his death. According to Alice in Chains' bass player, who later died of a prescription drug overdose, Staley had entered rehab thirteen times in his life.. 

Review: If this album could be summarized in a single word, it would be "suffocating." Everything about this album feels devoid of oxygen, so brutally honest and close to the listener's ears that it steals the air from the room and selfishly uses it for its own sustenance. The guitars are violent and heavy, while the bass and drums are ruthlessly efficient. The real star here is Staley, however. Staley's lyrics are chilling to the bone, especially considering his ultimate fate. His voice, while not particularly impressive on a technical level, is jarring in its ability to convey feelings of eeriness and anger. Sounding like a baritone Axl Rose, if Axl Rose had spent his teenage years slamming dope into his veins while gargling broken glass instead of learning how to hit his famous high notes, Staley's voice gives off a sense of urgent anger like few in the history of heavy music can manage. The music was primarily written by genius guitarist Jerry Cantrell, with lyric duty handled by Layne Staley, although Cantrell also had a hand in most of the lyrics as well. 

The album opens with a banger, a two and a half minute song called "Them Bones." This song wastes not a single note in its short run time, A yell from Staley, some crunching guitar, and the song launches into its unusual 7/8 time verse. The verse can be described perfectly by the word eerie, with Staley and Cantrell singing in dark harmony over the skittering time signature. The song switches into the conventional 4/4 for the chorus, which really gives it extra kick. The lyrics are downright depressing, focusing on the fact that one day we will all just be a pile of bones. Way to start off the album on a happy note. 

The next track is also a a doozy, the merciless "Dam That River." Written by Cantrell after a fight with drummer Sean Kinney that ended with a coffee table being broken over Cantrell's head, this song features one of the heaviest riffs of the album, as well as some of its most brutal (albeit cheesy) lyrics. The whole dam that river/don't give a damn pun in the chorus is a little lame, but I'm certainly not going to tell the intimidatingly angry man singing it how I feel. This is one of the few songs on the album that do not deal directly with heroin addiction, but the anger, loneliness, and hostility towards the outside world present in the lyrics is no doubt the result of some deep seated issues. 

"Rain When I Die" is the next track, and represents a sort of breather (no pun intended) for the album. This song is slower, and more ambient. However, the eeriness is not toned down at all. Droning guitar and vocals begin the track, which morphs into a swaggering riff. The song then goes back to its slow, plodding pace until the chorus, which almost sounds happy (relatively). The greatness of this song is not so much in the actual song, but in what it represents in terms of the album's structure. This slower, creepier song is an excellent break from the first two pummeling tracks. If this track were to be placed anywhere else, the album would not fit together in the cohesive manner that it does. The song cycles through a few similar phases during its lengthy six minute run and ends with a brilliant trick fade-out that fades back into the song. 

The song "Sickman" is an incredibly tense affair, and would be blatantly ripped off by Soundgarden for their own heroin song. Luckily Soundgarden was one of the best bands from this era, and this is one of the best songs here. The verses are tight and fast, but the song hits slow-mo for the choruses. This one of the most twisted songs on the album, as was the point of writing it. The song has a somewhat breezy bridge before it switches into an excellent guitar solo and ends relatively quickly. 

"Rooster" is the next song up, and it was one of the most popular of AIC's career. Perhaps that is because it isn't about killing yourself with heroin and sticks to the lighthearted topic of the Vietnam War. Written about Cantrell's father in Vietnam (his nickname was "Rooster"), this is by far one of the "easiest" songs to enjoy here. The quieter verses describe a fear of dying in Vietnam, while the explosive chorus trumpets the refusal to give in. It's an inspiring song all the way through due to the contrast of the verses and the chorus, as well as Staley's powerful vocal performance. The guitar playing here, while not particularly technical, is also worth noting. Cantrell's switch between a soaring, clean guitar in the verses to a bombastic metal guitar tone in the chorus really makes it punch with bad intent. The drums, which are understated and economical throughout this album make a subtle but vital contribution with their well placed cymbals and pounding buildup a to the chorus. The changed subject matter is also a nice change, although lyrics about your friends dying in the jungle are not necessarily any easier than the heroin tracks (no pun intended, again). 

 In case the listener had started to miss heroin, the next song, "Junkhead" is by far the most drug induced of the album (and is my personal favorite). This tracks is absolutely disgusting, revolting in the best way. The lyrics see Staley taking pride in his heroin use, defensively using his junkie status as as a badge of honor. It nearly makes me sick to my stomach to hear the lyrics here and realize the fate of one of my musical heroes was decided long before his actual death. Anybody listening to this song when it was released knew the end for Staley would come in one, and only one, manner. 

Similar to "Rain When I Die" the title track represents a a break from the speed of the past tracks, but this time around it is anything but a breather. Despite being slower than the rest of the songs, "Dirt" might be the heaviest of them all. Lyrics here revolve around suicide, alienation, and being buried and are absolutely crushing. The song also features an excellent solo from Cantrell, who does not get many opportunities to show off on this album. 

Back to that aforementioned suffocation, and another song that is quite blatantly about heroin. "God Smack" is a child friendly, lighthearted pop tune. Wait, no. Its a weird, staggering song about really good (bad?) heroin. This is one of the most brutally honest drugs songs ever, There is an immediate desperation in Staley's vocals, very unlike his usual creepy moaning-to-screaming style. His voice quivers with anger as he describes the affects his heroin addiction has worked on his life. Hint: Staley is not a big fan of his dependency. 

Next comes a short interlude named "Iron Man" that is just a bunch of droning guitars with Slayer vocalist Tom Araya growling over it. Pretty hard to listen to, but at least it's short. 

The next song is the most underrated on the album, by far, and actually features singer Layne Staley on rhythm guitar. For a long time this was my favorite song on the album, due to the chilling lyrics and heavy guitars. These vocals see Staley at his angriest as he describes his dependency and the havoc it is wrecking  on his body. Staley describes his transformation from a normal man to the drug addled mess that he would become. "Hate to Feel" is also possibly Staley's best vocal performance here. He sounds as if he is about to fall into a heroin sleep during the verses, but then shoots back into consciousness for the pre-chorus and chorus, as Cantrell's buzzsaw guitar screams to life. This was the song that introduced me to the album, and I still get chills when I hear Staley's voice crack as he is yelling just before the chorus. 

My least favorite track, "Angry Chair" is next. This song, while not inherently bad, just seems rather tame compared to many of the tracks here. Something about it also screams "generic 1990s alt metal" to me and I really dislike how the drums and guitar sound during the verses. The vocals also feature too many effects, which buries Staley's ability to convey emotion as well as he does on the other songs. 

The closer, "Would" is perhaps the best summary of Alice in Chains as an artist. Structured similiarly to "Rooster," this song has a quieter verse, but really explodes in the chorus. The song is written from the point of view of Cantrell's friend, Andrew Wood, who overdosed on heroin in 1990. The lyrics feature him regretting his mistakes, and his powerlessness to his fate. Knowing how Staley's life will end is particularly disturbing here, as when he cries "So, I made a big mistake? / Try to see it once MY way" it is a watershed moment, to say the least. Staley's big mistake would come later in his life, but the passion with which he sings that line lets the listener know that Staley is aware a mistake would be inevitable. The song transitions into a heavy, melancholy bride at the end, with Staley asking "Am I wrong? / Have I run too far to get home?" before finally closing the album with an ultimatum, enhanced by the band punching out a note as he says each word. Staley, chillingly, asks "If I could / Would you?" and the albums ends. 

While this is far from the most famous or acclaimed album of the grunge scene, it has always been my favorite. Cobain's story was nearly as dark as Staley's, yet the music never quite conveyed it. I truly believe that there has never been a more open record about drug use and the subsequent effects in the history of modern music than this one. The darkness of this album is overwhelming, and heroin permeates even the tracks that do not specifically mention drugs. Even the title is a reference to drug. This album remains a testament to the horror of heroin. Even songs like "Junkhead," which on the surface glorify the horrid habit of heroin use, are filled with subtle indications that the pride is just an act, a coping mechanism for the immense struggle inside. Every minute of this record is simultaneously heartbreaking and exhilarating, lethargic yet lethal, violent yet exhausted. There are not many records that can say they do that. 

HIGHPOINTS: "Junkhead" "Them Bones" "Rooster" "Hate to Feel" "Would" "Dirt" 

LOWPOINTS: "Angry Chair" "Iron Man" 

Recommended albums: Nevermind - Nirvana, In Utero - Nirvana, Core - Stone Temple Pilots, Badmotorfinger - Soundgarden, Superunknown - Soundgarden,  Ten - Pearl Jam