I really can't pinpoint the exact moment I got into the legendary Seattle rock band Alice In Chains. I just know that once I truly started listening to them, I was absolutely hooked. Many Alice In Chains fans consider their 1992 release, the dark, depressing Dirt to be the band's finest work, and I can't help but agree: from the eerie way that Layne Staley and guitarist Jerry Cantrell harmonize vocally to the amazing, incredibly depressing lyrics, there's nothing about Dirt that I don't feel just as strongly with every single listen to it.
Staley, who died of a heroin overdose in 2002, had an unbelievable gift of making listeners feel and understand his pain. Though I can't personally relate to all of the exact details of the agony Staley went through, everyone knows what it's like to feel less than perfect -- and during those gray, somber times, there is no better record to listen to than Dirt. There are very few singers with voices that can give me chills in any given song, but Staley definitely had that ability.
Dirt is much more musically versatile than a lot of people credit it for, with plenty of aggression, melody, and a whole lot of melancholy. Clearly, certain metalheads who shun any and all concepts of melody and harmony won't find much to like about Dirt -- one of this album's main focal points lies in the flawlessly creepy way that Staley and Cantrell croon together. It simply cannot be imitated. One will quickly realize this after just one listen to "Them Bones," a song that opens Dirt brilliantly; its fast pace, chugging guitars, and bleak lyrics set the tone really well ("Some say we're born into the grave" is just one example of a grim hypothesis that can be found here). And believe it or not, its sound is still quite accessible. Catchy, even.
"Them Bones" segues instantly into "Dam That River," another gritty, uptempo rocker with more of Cantrell's excellent guitar riffs and an especially strong vocal performance from Staley. Dirt's pace then slows, showcasing two of my personal favorite songs from the album, "Rain When I Die" and "Down In A Hole." Both songs are slow in pace and dreary in mood, creating a hollow, doomy atmosphere that I find absolutely delectable. "Rain When I Die" swims in Cantrell's smooth, hypnotic guitar melodies, while the extremely depressing "Down In A Hole" contains the most beautiful example of Cantrell/Staley harmonization, complete with some seriously stunning lyrics: "Bury me softly in this womb / I give this part of me for you / Sand rains down and here I sit...holding rare flowers in a tomb."
The perfection only continues. The soothing "Rooster" has a haunting, slow-building introduction, following up with some harmonized ooohhhs from Cantrell and Staley. The lyrics are top-notch, as usual, detailing events of the Vietnam War. "Dirt" is a beautiful, agonizingly personal title track; it has a really unique rhythm and the whole song just sways along exceptionally well. And to some, "God Smack" may come off as totally weird -- Staley sounds f*cking demonic with those trembly wails he works in here -- but I love the rapid changes in pace and the plain lunacy of it all.
Dirt's unbelievable finale "Would?" explores themes of blame and helplessness, and it also happens to be one of the band's biggest hits. It's really no wonder. "Would?" revs up with a solemn bass introduction, and once the guitars explode, you're in for one hell of an intense ride. This song's chorus may be Dirt's most instantly memorable: "Into the flood again / Same old trip it was back then / ...So I made a big mistake / Try to see it once my way!"
Just in case you haven't paid any attention whatsoever to all of the song descriptions before you, Dirt is by no means an album that will put people in a good mood. If you're looking for optimism and lyrics about a person's zest for life, look elsewhere. This is a rock music masterpiece, embodied by tortured lyrics and a dark, creepy sound. Layne Staley was, without a doubt, one of the most talented rock music vocalists to have ever walked the planet, and in Dirt lies his finest work. I highly recommend Dirt to any rock and metal fans, for I can guarantee listening to it will comprise 57 of the most chilling minutes of your life.
Great Music to Play While: It's raining. Listening to it while longing for death always works too.
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