The Seattle grunge movement of the late eighties spawned many a
band, and Alice In Chains was one of the most well-known, as well
as one of the more traditionally metallic, more so than they are
given credit for.
Their crooning harmony vocal style was unique for the time and has been
imitated by many bands over the years, certainly enough to
qualify them as an influential band.
Well-publicized drug problems, mostly centering around Layne Staley,
surfaced as early as the Dirt era, making in rather plain that the
band was probably not going to survive long term, and sadly
Staley did succumb to those problems, passing away in April of 2002.
The band was quiet for several years though never officially disbanded,
before the surviving trio came together, first for a 2005 benefit concert
for Asian tsunami victims (featuring several guest vocalists), followed
by more reunion dates, where the band recruited William DuVall as their
new singer.
Since then, it has been reported that work is underway for a 2009
album.
