Alice in Chains is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987. The band's lineup since 2006 has consisted of vocalist and guitarist Jerry Cantrell, vocalist and guitarist William DuVall, bassist Mike Inez, and drummer Sean Kinney. Original vocalist Layne Staley died in 2002, while original bassist Mike Starr left the band in 1993 and died in 2011. Alice in Chains is commonly associated with the grunge movement, although its music incorporates elements of heavy metal, hard rock, and alternative rock. The band is known for its vocal harmonies, particularly those performed by Staley and Cantrell and, later, Cantrell and DuVall.
The original lineup consisted of Cantrell, Kinney, Staley, and Starr. The band took its name from Staley's previous group, Alice N' Chains. Alice in Chains became internationally known during the early 1990s as part of the Seattle grunge movement, alongside Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden. The band gained exposure through MTV and rock radio with "Man in the Box", the lead single from its 1990 debut album "Facelift". After releasing the EP "Sap" in 1992, the band achieved further commercial success with its second studio album, "Dirt", later that year. The album included the singles "Rooster" and "Would?", among others. Starr left the band in 1993 and was replaced by Inez. The EP "Jar of Flies" and the album "Alice in Chains", released in 1994 and 1995 respectively, both reached number one on the US Billboard 200. They also produced several successful singles, including "No Excuses", "Heaven Beside You" and "Grind", and received multiple Grammy Award nominations.
Alice in Chains experienced periods of inactivity from the mid-1990s, largely as a result of Staley's struggles with substance addiction. Staley died in 2002, after which the band remained inactive for several years. The surviving members reunited for performances in 2005 and began performing with DuVall in 2006. The reformed band subsequently released the albums "Black Gives Way to Blue" in 2009, "The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here" in 2013, and "Rainier Fog" in 2018.
In the United States, Alice in Chains has received multiple multi-platinum certifications from the Recording Industry Association of America. The band has had numerous songs reach the top 10 of the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart and has received 11 Grammy Award nominations. It has also appeared on various rankings of notable rock and hard rock artists.
In 1984, Layne Staley, who was then a drummer, began performing as a vocalist after auditioning for the Seattle-area glam metal band Sleze. The group underwent several lineup changes, eventually featuring Nick Pollock as guitarist and Johnny Bacolas as bassist. During this period, the members considered changing the band's name to Alice in Chains, inspired by a conversation between Bacolas and Russ Klatt, the singer of Slaughter Haus 5. Because of concerns about the name's association with bondage, the group instead adopted the name Alice N' Chains.
Staley met guitarist Jerry Cantrell in Seattle in 1987. Cantrell had previously seen Alice N' Chains perform and was impressed by Staley's voice. After Alice N' Chains disbanded, Staley joined a funk band, while Cantrell's band Diamond Lie also dissolved. Cantrell subsequently began assembling a new group with drummer Sean Kinney and bassist Mike Starr. Staley eventually joined Cantrell, Kinney, and Starr as their lead vocalist. The group initially performed under various names, including Diamond Lie and "Fuck", before adopting the name Alice in Chains, with permission from members of Staley's former band.
The band performed throughout the Pacific Northwest and recorded an early demo known as "The Treehouse Tapes" in 1988. The demo reached music managers Kelly Curtis and Susan Silver, who subsequently passed it to Columbia Records A&R representative Nick Terzo. Terzo arranged a meeting with Columbia president Don Ienner, and Alice in Chains signed with Columbia in 1989.
The band's first official recording for Columbia was the promotional EP "We Die Young", released in July 1990. Its title track received airplay on metal radio. The band's debut studio album, "Facelift", was produced by Dave Jerden and released on August 21, 1990. It initially sold modestly, but its commercial performance improved after MTV began regularly broadcasting the video for "Man in the Box". The song reached number 18 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart, while "Sea of Sorrow" reached number 27. "Facelift" eventually received triple-platinum certification from the RIAA.
Alice in Chains toured with artists including Iggy Pop, Van Halen, Poison, and Extreme. In 1991, the band performed on the Clash of the Titans tour with Anthrax, Megadeth, and Slayer. The band received its first Grammy Award nomination in 1992 for Best Hard Rock Performance for "Man in the Box".
While preparing material for its second studio album, the band recorded a series of acoustic songs that became the EP "Sap". Released on February 4, 1992, "Sap" featured Cantrell on lead vocals on "Brother" and guest appearances by Ann Wilson, Mark Arm, and Chris Cornell. Wilson contributed vocals to "Brother" and "Am I Inside", while Arm and Cornell performed with Staley and Cantrell on "Right Turn", which was credited to Alice Mudgarden.
Alice in Chains appeared in the 1992 film "Singles", performing "It Ain't Like That" as an unnamed bar band. The band also contributed "Would?" to the film's soundtrack. The song's music video received the MTV Video Music Award for Best Video from a Film in 1993.
Alice in Chains began recording its second studio album in March 1992. The resulting album, "Dirt", was released on September 29, 1992. It reached number six on the Billboard 200 and subsequently received five-times platinum certification from the RIAA. Five singles from the album, "Would?", "Rooster", "Them Bones", "Angry Chair", and "Down in a Hole", reached the top 30 of the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.
The band toured with Ozzy Osbourne's No More Tours tour. Shortly before the tour began, Staley broke his foot in an all-terrain vehicle accident and performed using crutches.
Starr left Alice in Chains after the release of "Dirt". Staley later attributed the departure to differences in priorities, while Starr subsequently said that his drug addiction had contributed to his departure. Mike Inez, who had been performing with Osbourne, replaced Starr. Inez played his first concert with Alice in Chains on January 27, 1993, in London.
In April 1993, Alice in Chains recorded "What the Hell Have I" and "A Little Bitter" for the soundtrack to the film "Last Action Hero". The band subsequently toured with Lollapalooza during the summer of 1993, marking its last major tour with Staley.
Following the tour, Alice in Chains recorded its second EP, "Jar of Flies", in approximately one week. Columbia released the EP on January 25, 1994. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, making it the first EP to reach the top of the chart. "Jar of Flies" included "No Excuses", which became the band's first number-one single on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. "I Stay Away" reached number 10 and "Don't Follow" reached number 25. The EP was subsequently certified triple platinum by the RIAA and received two Grammy Award nominations.
After the release of "Jar of Flies", Staley entered rehabilitation for heroin addiction. Alice in Chains was scheduled to tour with Metallica, Suicidal Tendencies, Danzig, and Fight and to appear at Woodstock '94, but Staley resumed using heroin during rehearsals. The band cancelled its scheduled performances and entered a period of inactivity.
During 1995, Staley joined the Seattle-based band Mad Season, which also included Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready, bassist John Baker Saunders, and Screaming Trees drummer Barrett Martin. Mad Season released its only studio album, "Above", on which Staley provided lead vocals and artwork.
Alice in Chains began recording its third studio album in April 1995 with producer Toby Wright. The self-titled album, "Alice in Chains", was released on November 7, 1995, and debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. It was subsequently certified triple platinum by the RIAA. Its singles included "Grind", "Again", "Over Now", and "Heaven Beside You". Cantrell provided lead vocals on three of the four singles.
The band did not tour in support of "Alice in Chains". In 1996, it performed an acoustic set for the television programme "MTV Unplugged". The performance included "Rooster", "Down in a Hole", "Heaven Beside You", "No Excuses", and "Would?", as well as the previously unreleased song "Killer Is Me". Scott Olson joined the band as a second guitarist for the performance. A live album and home video of the performance were subsequently released.
Alice in Chains also performed on "The Late Show with David Letterman" in May 1996 and played four concerts supporting the reunited original lineup of Kiss. The final live appearance of Staley took place on July 3, 1996, in Kansas City, Missouri. Shortly afterwards, Staley experienced a heroin overdose and the band entered another period of inactivity.
Although Alice in Chains did not formally disband, Staley increasingly withdrew from public life following the death of his former fiancée Demri Parrott in 1996. Cantrell began pursuing a solo career and released his first solo album, "Boggy Depot", in 1998, with appearances by Kinney and Inez.
In 1998, Staley reunited with Alice in Chains to record "Get Born Again" and "Died". The songs were subsequently released in 1999 as part of the box set "Music Bank". The band also released the compilation "Nothing Safe: Best of the Box" in 1999, the live album "Live" in 2000, and the compilation "Greatest Hits" in 2001.
Staley recorded a cover of Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall" with the group Class of '99 in 1998. The recording appeared on the soundtrack to the film "The Faculty".
Kinney and Chris DeGarmo formed Spys4Darwin in 1998, with Inez and vocalist Vin Dombroski also joining the group. Spys4Darwin released the EP "Microfish" in 2001. Inez also performed with Black Label Society during portions of 2001 and 2003.
Cantrell's second solo album, "Degradation Trip", was released in June 2002. Cantrell had written much of the material in 1998, and the album addressed his perspective on Alice in Chains' inactivity.
Staley died in his Seattle condominium on April 5, 2002, from an overdose involving heroin and cocaine. His body was discovered on April 19. Cantrell dedicated "Degradation Trip" to Staley.
Following Staley's death, Inez performed and recorded with Heart from 2002 to 2006. Cantrell also worked with various musicians, including members of Heart, Ozzy Osbourne, and Damageplan. In 2004, he formed Cardboard Vampyres with members of The Cult and Mötley Crüe. Sony BMG ended its contract with Alice in Chains in October 2004.
In 2005, Kinney proposed a benefit concert for victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. Cantrell, Inez, and Kinney reunited for the first time in nine years at the K-Rock Tsunami Continued Care Relief Concert in Seattle on February 18, 2005. The performance featured Pat Lachman, Maynard James Keenan, Wes Scantlin, and Ann Wilson.
The surviving members subsequently decided to resume performing as Alice in Chains. They performed at VH1's "Decades Rock Live!" concert in March 2006, where they were joined by Phil Anselmo, Duff McKagan, William DuVall, and Ann Wilson. The band then undertook a series of concerts in the United States, Europe, and Japan.
DuVall became involved with the band through his previous work with Comes with the Fall, which had toured with Cantrell in 2001 and 2002. DuVall joined Alice in Chains as vocalist and rhythm guitarist in 2006, sharing lead vocal duties with Cantrell. The band's reunion performances marked the first time it had performed without Staley.
Alice in Chains subsequently toured extensively. In 2007, the band performed at a benefit concert at Benaroya Hall in Seattle, where it performed original material and a cover of Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir" with the Northwest Symphony Orchestra and Northwest Girlchoir. The band began writing and recording new material with DuVall in 2007 and entered the studio with producer Nick Raskulinecz in 2008.
Alice in Chains recorded its fourth studio album at Studio 606 in Los Angeles. The album was financed by Cantrell and Kinney and was subsequently released by Virgin/EMI. "Black Gives Way to Blue" was released on September 29, 2009. Elton John performed piano on the title track, which Cantrell wrote in tribute to Staley.
The album marked the first Alice in Chains studio release to feature DuVall. Cantrell performed most of the lead vocals, with DuVall sharing vocal duties and providing lead vocals on "Last of My Kind". The album's singles included "A Looking in View", "Check My Brain", "Your Decision", and "Lesson Learned". "Check My Brain" became the band's first number-one song on Billboard's Alternative Songs chart and also reached number one on the Mainstream Rock chart.
"Black Gives Way to Blue" debuted at number five on the Billboard 200 and was certified gold by the RIAA. Alice in Chains toured extensively in support of the album, including the Blackdiamondskye tour with Mastodon and Deftones in 2010.
Mike Starr died on March 8, 2011, at his home in Salt Lake City, Utah, at the age of 44. A public memorial was held in Seattle later that month.
Alice in Chains began working on its fifth studio album in 2011. Recording was delayed after Cantrell underwent surgery on both shoulders. The band returned to live performance in August 2011. In 2012, Alice in Chains performed an acoustic set at the MusiCares MAP Fund Benefit Concert honouring Cantrell.
The band's fifth studio album, "The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here", was completed in 2012 and released on May 28, 2013. It debuted at number two on the Billboard 200. The album produced the singles "Hollow", "Stone", and "Voices", all of which reached the upper positions of the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.
Alice in Chains toured extensively in North America and Europe in 2013 and 2014. In 2015 and 2016, the band continued to perform live, including appearances as an opening act for Guns N' Roses during the Not in This Lifetime... Tour. In November 2016, Alice in Chains released a cover of Rush's "Tears" as part of the 40th-anniversary edition of the album "2112".
In 2017, Alice in Chains began recording its sixth studio album at Studio X in Seattle. Nick Raskulinecz returned as producer. Recording also took place in Nashville and Los Angeles. In April 2018, the band announced that it had signed with BMG and completed work on the album.
Alice in Chains returned to live performance in April 2018. The band subsequently performed at several festivals and began a European tour. During a performance at Rock on the Range in May 2018, the band paid tribute to Chris Cornell by performing two Soundgarden songs, "Hunted Down" and "Boot Camp".
The album's first single, "The One You Know", was released on May 3, 2018. "So Far Under" followed in June, while "Never Fade" was released in August. The album, "Rainier Fog", was released on August 24, 2018. Its title refers to Mount Rainier and the Seattle music scene. "Rainier Fog" debuted at number 12 on the Billboard 200 and reached number one on the Top Rock Albums, Alternative Albums, and Hard Rock Albums charts. It also became the band's first album to reach the top 10 of the UK Albums Chart.
The band developed a series of music videos for the album that were connected to a film project directed by Adam Mason. The resulting film, "Black Antenna", was accompanied by a 10-part web series corresponding to the album's songs. The episodes were released throughout 2019.
In December 2020, Alice in Chains received the Founders Award from Seattle's Museum of Pop Culture. The associated benefit concert featured performances by artists including Ann Wilson, Korn, Metallica, Billy Corgan, and members of Soundgarden and Pearl Jam.
In 2022, DuVall said that Alice in Chains was expected to begin work on a seventh studio album later that year. In 2023, however, he stated that there were no plans for new Alice in Chains music at that time.
In February 2025, Alice in Chains announced appearances at several festivals and additional performances. The planned tour was cancelled after Kinney experienced a medical emergency during soundcheck at Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut on May 8, 2025. The band described the condition as non-life-threatening and stated that Kinney required immediate medical attention. The remaining tour dates were subsequently cancelled, with the band saying that his long-term prognosis was positive.
In September 2025, Cantrell said that Alice in Chains had originally planned additional touring that year but that the plans had been cancelled. He stated that the band would reassess its plans in early 2026, including the possibility of touring, recording a new studio album, or doing both.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_in_Chains
Studio albums
Facelift (1990)
Dirt (1992)
Alice in Chains (1995)
Black Gives Way to Blue (2009)
The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here (2013)
Rainier Fog (2018)
Live albums
MTV Unplugged (1996)
Live (2000)
Live Facelift (2017)
Extended plays
We Die Young (1990)
Sap (1992)
Jar of Flies (1994)
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…shrink me down again