Alice in Chains – ‘Dirt’
At the start of the 1990s, music fans were just getting used to Alice in Chains’ brand of alternative music. Although grunge had just started to slip into mainstream consciousness, the number of people who knew the behind-the-scenes stories of the Seattle grunge scene still seemed few and far between. While Alice in Chains left an impression with Facelift, it was on Dirt that they let all their scars show.
Deep into their metallic phase, every single aspect of the album is coated in sonic mud, with Jerry Cantrell creating the heaviest riffs of the 1990s. Across songs like ‘Them Bones’, Cantrell is practically paying tribute to Tony Iommi, looking to make riffs that are designed to scare the listener to death from the moment they hear them, no doubt helped by Layne Staley’s agonised screams on the opener.
Although the band had been for playing to their strengths as heavy metal juggernauts, there are just as many pretty moments scattered throughout the record. Instead of the usual metal album that runs like a caustic thrill ride, certain pockets of Dirt break out the acoustic guitars, no doubt inspired by the band’s experiment on their EP Sap from a few months prior.
Going along with tracks like ‘Rain When I Die’, ‘Down in a Hole’ is a perfect companion piece, as if the listener is coming down from the music high they have just experienced. The best examples of the band working at their finest are when they refine both parts of that aesthetic, bridging the gap between soft and heavy on tracks like ‘Would?’ and ‘Rooster’.
While Cantrell may be responsible for helping create the solemn atmosphere, it’s impossible to look at Dirt without looking at the lyrics from Staley. Having been dabbling in the throes of drug addiction, every song showcases Staley crying out in pain as if he knows that the effects of heroin use are going to become the death of him.
Even though Staley uses the metaphor of “she” to describe his drug dependency, he isn’t exactly fooling anyone, with each track feeling like the result of coming down from a euphoric high that was anything but pleasant coming down from. Although Staley may be able to vent his frustration, the rest of the band does a stellar job of bringing emotional intensity to his voice.
Throughout the album, Sean Kinney and Mike Starr provide a solid foundation in the rhythm section, making every line hit like a punch in the face. Although Starr was nursing his narcotic habits, the sludgy sound of his bass ties even the prettiest melodies back to Earth, like the opening fanfare of ‘Rain When I Die’ or the twisted bassline working its way through ‘Dam That River’.
Instead of the usual heavy metal vocals, the greatest strength of the album is Staley and Cantrell singing in harmony with each other. As opposed to the doomy sounds of Ozzy Osbourne, the pair practically sound like fallen angels looking to atone for their sins through song, making songs like ‘Would?’ with even greater intensity as Staley asks the listener if they will have the strength to forgive him for all of the years of damage he has put on his body.
Despite the massive achievement, the few blemishes on the record come from songs that go on just a touch too long. By pairing down songs like ‘Rain When I Die’ from six minutes to four minutes and throwing out ‘Iron Gland’ entirely, the album would feel like a more compact experience by comparison. Then again, any of that kind of work could be doing a disservice to the haze the album puts the listener.
Rather than operate as a look at the Seattle sound, Alice in Chains creates a drug-addled pathway to Hell on Dirt, providing a cautionary tale for anyone who dares give in to the needle. Although the effects of heroin would ultimately claim the lives of both Staley and Starr, the amount of beauty that came of it will never be tarnished.
