Alice in Chains is widely heralded as the metal band of the early 90’s. Personally, I think that’s too facile of a title. As much as Alice in Chains was a metal/ grunge group, they ventured into new areas with their Unplugged (Live) album and Jar of Flies, which exclusively used acoustic instrumentation, giving a new dynamic to a band that, it seemed, had been accurately sized up. Facelift, however, is the best representation of how Alice in Chains got their reputation as a hard hitting metal band. Jerry Cantrell’s shredding, Layne Staley’s unmistakable singing, and pounding drums and bass make for an unapologetic, hard hitting album.
Considering the background knowledge I have on Alice in Chains, their inspiration both from Gregorian chants, gloomy punk, and 80’s metal, I went into Facelift prepared for some dark, heavy tunes. The opening track, We Die Young, gave me just that. A crunchy guitar riff shatters the preemptive silence, and Staley’s piercing voice reminds you just what you came for: a big helping of that nasty Seattle sound. The first track is followed by what is among one of the most commercially successful songs of Alice in Chains, Man in the Box. From the “wah” heavy opening guitar/ vocal synchronization, to the malice laden lyrics in the ever-catchy chorus, you’re delivered a song that may best represent Alice in Chains. Between the backup vocals of Jerry Cantrell in harmonization with Staley, a well orchestrated solo, and some hammering drums, you can’t get closer to a summary of the band’s creative process.
Sea of Sorrow, the following song, carries a nostalgic early grunge dynamic. Not entirely embracing a heavy metal or alternative base, it combines the two for a song that exemplifies those early trepidatious steps that the first on the Seattle scene took to create their unique sound. The fourth song of the album, Bleed the Freak, is just a stellar, catchy song. With a hook reminiscent of the Stone Temple Pilots and guitar that can only be attributed to Cantrell, it’s not difficult to appreciate it for what it is: a killer piece of work. I can’t remember is a perfect example of Alice in Chain’s Gregorian influence: it combines dissonant chords arpeggiated over thunderous bass, melding the smash of punk with the austere and malevolent natured voice of unique chord choice. Love, Hate, Love is a look into the scornful, borderline ironic, love lament of the 90’s. From the point of view of someone who’s an outcast and recognizes the darkness in the yearnings, it movingly portrays the acceptance that the infatuation is never meant to be. The next two songs on the album pass, more standard to Alice in Chains heavy roots than anything else, rife with the vocal harmonization and hard riffing that personifies the group.
Put You Down, the next track, picks up the pace a bit with a faster tempo than the preceding songs. Were it not for the distortion, the pseudo-bluesy riff is a nice break from the constant bashing found in a lot of the other tunes on the album. This isn’t to say that it doesn’t carry that bite the other songs have, but it certainly changes it up. It also manages to exemplify the oft overlooked bass prowess of the recently, and tragically, deceased Mike Starr, as it seems their song Would? only does aside. Confusion, the tenth composition on the album, takes the latter half of the pieces in a darker direction. A wailing and emotional song that doesn’t fail to capture the ever effervent smash part and parson with Alice in Chains, it boasts impressive vocal work from Staley and what may be the best orchestrated guitar solo on the album. The second to last song on the album reflects Staley’s infatuation with funk more than any Alice in Chains song I’ve listened to before. Between some grooving bass bits and a guitar intro that does everything but tell you “jump, jive, and wail”, the song effectively combines funk and metal, which is something entirely new to me. The final track, Real Thing, is Alice in Chains doing what they do best. Mean guitar and contemptuously sung vocals that practically spit in your face remind you who you’re listening to, and for me, at least, it’s something I won’t soon forget.
On the whole, Facelift gets an 8/10 from me. It’s a perfect example of Alice in Chains as a band, but while it does explore some new ground, it’s lack of variety through the tracks leaves me wanting something more. All the same, there’s very little like Alice in Chains to get one’s blood pumping, and if you’ve got an itch that needs not only scratching, but a hard left to the cleft palate, then Facelift is the album for you.
