On Monday night grunge pioneers Alice in Chains serenaded an Orlando crowd with the melancholic soundtrack they perfected. The deep droning guitars, pounding drums, and ferocious vocals associated with the band since its inception 28 years ago pummeled Hard Rock Live for a solid two hours, with no encore, only letting up a couple times for softer fare.
An eerie feeling pervades Alice in Chains concerts, partly due to the band’s dark tone and partly because everything from the songs’ subject matter to singer William DuVall’s voice recalls the tragic life of the band’s original vocalist, the late Layne Staley. The Seattle quartet kicked off the show with the pro-drug anthem “Junkhead” and closed with “We Die Young,” a reminder of cause and effect.
The heaviest songs from Alice in Chains’ catalog were favored, especially those from the Staley era. Two of Facelift’s deep cuts, Jerry Cantrell’s blues-metal riffing in “Sunshine” and the deep string bends of “It Ain’t Like That Anymore,” were unexpected highlights. Crowd-favorite “Would” brought the most intensity into the venue, particularly the song’s iconic final line, with DuVall imitating Staley as he snarled “if-I-could-would-you” in unison with the explosive riff.
True to form, however, even the band’s most brutal moments were offset by beautiful melodies in the form of vocal harmonies and intertwining guitars. The head-banger “Grind” saw Cantrell ripping through blistering guitar solos, the brooding wah-wah effect weaving around DuVall’s stomping palm-muted chords. DuVall will likely always be considered a Staley impersonator, but he is a good one. Aside from drummer Sean Kinney, DuVall had the most dynamic presence onstage. “Nutshell” provided a brief respite from the onslaught of groaning distortion, Cantrell showing off his underrated soloing chops, his notes soaring over DuVall’s soft acoustic strumming.
The band’s greatest performance came in the song that exemplifies Alice in Chains more than any other, Dirt’s “Down in a Hole.” An equal mix of melodic arpeggios, distorted riffing, crooning verses, and shouted chorus, the song called upon all of the band’s strengths. Richly layered vocal harmonies took center stage throughout, particularly in the lovely morose final verse, with Cantrell singing the main line (“Bury me softly in this tomb…”), while DuVall sang the secondary lines (“Oh, I want to be inside of you…”). The powerful chorus reached its climax as the two vocalists traded the final lines, Cantrell growling in his throaty baritone, “I’d like to fly,” interrupted by DuVall screaming, “But my wings have been so denied.”
Those moments, often copied to less success by lesser bands, show why Alice in Chains was one of the most influential bands of the 90’s and why their current lineup still has something to offer.
2 Responses
The lyrics to Down In A Hole are actually “Bury me softly in this womb….” (not “tomb”).
Yup, you’re right. My mistake!