My 100 Favorite Albums: #97 Alice in Chains’ “Facelift”
When I think of this album, I think of “Man in the Box.” “Man in the Box” is an anthemic song, with crunching guitars, the memorable droning chants and the intense layered vocals. Everything about this song is right and next to everybody will be able to recognize. It brings a solid and heavy riff to the forfront along with the almost chanting vocals ala Black Sabbath's Black Sabbath. Then it brings that ultra harmonized chorus, which is just a wall of sound.
I like to think of Alice in Chains as a great link that reconcilizes much of my music taste. Thinking about them, I have a hard time placing their genre. They share a great deal in common with punk rock, as does nearly any "grunge" band, but even more so with doom/sludge metal. Thinking about this album, bands like Black Sabbathand Crowbar come to mind thanks to their sonic landscapes of despair. Alice in Chains create this same atmosphere, albeit with a more upbeat tempo.
The instrumentals on this album are top notch, as well as the production value. For a scene that was so stripped down, the vocal harmonies greatly stand out here. To top it off, Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell make a great team of vocal/guitar. It saddens me that Aaliyah's death so outshined Layne Staley's.
Another favorite of mine is “Sea of Sorrow”. This is the big song, with its hanging riffs and the vocals right up front. Lyrically, it is among the bands best, topped by few others. And not to be out of character, its easy to sing along to or find yourself humming.
As a final point, this album is a great album, meaning it works well as a whole product. I don't know why, but it seems like a unit to me. One sludgey track to the next. I liek that I have to listen to the whole thing and not pick songs apart.
Favorite Track: Sea of Sorrow
I like to think of Alice in Chains as a great link that reconcilizes much of my music taste. Thinking about them, I have a hard time placing their genre. They share a great deal in common with punk rock, as does nearly any "grunge" band, but even more so with doom/sludge metal. Thinking about this album, bands like Black Sabbathand Crowbar come to mind thanks to their sonic landscapes of despair. Alice in Chains create this same atmosphere, albeit with a more upbeat tempo.
The instrumentals on this album are top notch, as well as the production value. For a scene that was so stripped down, the vocal harmonies greatly stand out here. To top it off, Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell make a great team of vocal/guitar. It saddens me that Aaliyah's death so outshined Layne Staley's.
Another favorite of mine is “Sea of Sorrow”. This is the big song, with its hanging riffs and the vocals right up front. Lyrically, it is among the bands best, topped by few others. And not to be out of character, its easy to sing along to or find yourself humming.
As a final point, this album is a great album, meaning it works well as a whole product. I don't know why, but it seems like a unit to me. One sludgey track to the next. I liek that I have to listen to the whole thing and not pick songs apart.
Favorite Track: Sea of Sorrow