It was 30 years ago when ALICE IN CHAINS released their eponymous, third studio album through Columbia Records (an album commonly referred to as “Tripod,” because of the three-legged dog on the cover), and like it ever so often just happens to be the case with these eponymous affairs that are not debut albums, this selection, too, proved to be one the band’s best, most mature, and sonically balanced endeavor altogether. Its detailed production did marvellous justice to the intricately layered grunge sound, with some nice, acoustic flourishes that no doubt had rubbed off from the previous EPs, “Jar of Flies” and “Sap.” Then, of course, what makes your bodily hair stand on end is Layne Staley‘s compelling vocal delivery, dealing with the dark themes of pain, despair, and perseverance, as we now know he was struggling with his heroin addiction during the recording sessions. This album was also the first to feature the band’s new bassist, Mike Inez, since their original bass player, Mike Starr, had departed because of “differences of priorities,” which, in reality, had a lot to do with his drug habit. So, these were dark and stormy times for the band, and they most certainly seeped into the very fiber of this record. Hence, this bleak and heavy nature of the music might call for a specific mental state for these songs not to feel too heavy, even for the band’s most devoted fans; you would be hard-pressed to find much optimism here, plus, the album does not exactly boast such instant melodic hooks as 1992’s “Dirt” did. Musically, most of the album hits pretty hard. At the time of its release, it was hailed as one of the most powerful releases of the year. In retrospect, it has been somewhat overshadowed by the haunting, otherworldly greatness of its predecessor, but this eponymous affair is a true grunge masterpiece in its own right. Sadly, this album also marked the end of an era for the band.
According to the band’s manager, Susan Silver, the recording sessions were extremely excruciating because the album took so long to complete due to Staley‘s relapses into his old heroin habit. Perhaps it was due to his being either late or absent, but right off the bat, you cannot help but notice how guitarist Jerry Cantrell steps up with more lead-vocal duties. That said, even with Staley merely sticking to harmonizing the lead vocals in the opener, “Grind,” his snarling howls in this somewhat limited role are very critical to the song’s appeal. Driven by an almost BLACK SABBATH-esque riff, the song sets a nicely darkened and brooding tone for the album.
After the somewhat classic AIC riffer, “Brushed Away,” the band steps out of their comfort zone, big time. “Sludge Factory” is one of the band’s absolute longest songs, with its 7-minute length. The band’s brothers-in-arms, SOUNDGARDEN, used the long-form song template to their advantage quite a few times, but those epics were basically prog songs with some added grunge flavor. ALICE IN CHAINS never leaned that much into progressive rock in the 1990s, few odd-meter riffathons maybe notwithstanding. In my opinion, these Seattle gloomsters were more like experimental sludge-metal rogues with vocal harmonies lifted from THE BEATLES – and this approach seemed to work best with relatively short songs. The chorus does a lot in salvaging this deliciously bleak grunge epistle from collapsing under its slow-crushing inertia.
Along with the album’s haunting closer, “Heaven Beside You” harkens back to the acoustic realm of those previous two EPs, although the lyrics in this particular track resonate with a tad more poignant edge – the topic of being in a destructive relationship tempts us to view the song as Cantrell‘s personal commentary on the band’s troubled frontman. Now, 30 years later, these two acoustic songs hit even harder. Staley‘s tragic predicament sure charged the music with an extra layer of darkness throughout the album, ranging from the slow-crushing depression of “Shame in You” to the angry and bitter mood in “God Am.” Some fans have even dubbed “Head Creeps” the musical portrait of heroin withdrawal.
If there is one song that does stagnate a little, it is the ridiculously long and hazy “Frogs.” It is nigh impossible to avoid reflecting on the album’s cover art, with that three-legged dog – this foggy grunge marathon feels as though the band is trying to run with one leg missing and, thus, running out of steam halfway through. Staley‘s words, “Are you like me, confused?” resonate with an eerie air of truth, to be honest. Yes, when I first heard this song, I was confused to a remarkable degree – this is ALICE IN CHAINS, for fuck’s sake! Now, the passing of time has changed something, of course. While the song still does not count as one of the band’s finest moments, there is still something weirdly attractive in its brooding atmosphere.
The absolute gut-punch is the acoustic closer, “Over Now,” for very obvious reasons; first, the title was eerily foreboding as this was the very last song Staley ever recorded before his untimely death in 2002. Hence, in retrospect, it is hard not to feel a lump in your throat when Cantrell sings, “Yeah, it’s over now, but I can breathe somehow / when it’s all worn out, I’d rather go without.” The band stared into the abyss for inspiration, and the abyss gazed back with repercussions I’m sure they wouldn’t have ever bargained for if they knew… How ALICE IN CHAINS managed to create poignant music of this caliber amidst such terrible darkness is a mystery. This album debuted at number one, but due to the drugs, burnout, and whatnot, the band never toured this endeavor, and it remains the last ALICE IN CHAINS album to feature Layne Staley. The overall feel of this album is very dark, but as such, it sure remains a haunting testament to the band’s unique ability to channel chaos into light.
Written by Jani Lehtinen
Tracklist
- Grind
- Brushed Away
- Sludge Factory
- Heaven Beside You
- Head Creeps
- Again
- Shame in You
- God Am
- So Close
- Nothing Song
- Frogs
- Over Now
Lineup
Jerry Cantrell – guitars, vocals
Layne Staley – lead vocals, rhythm guitars
Mike Inez – bass
Sean Kinney – drums
Label
Columbia Records
