Alice in Chains (album)

Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains
Studio album by Alice in Chains
Released	October 31, 1995
Recorded	April–August 1995
Studio	Bad Animals, Seattle, Washington
Genre	Grunge; hard rock; sludge metal; doom metal;
Length	64:47
Label	Columbia
Producer	Toby Wright; Alice in Chains;
Alice in Chains chronology
Singles from Alice in Chains
	"Grind"; Released: October 6, 1995; "Heaven Beside You"; Released: January 29, 1996; "Again"; Released: February 1996;

Alice in Chains (sometimes informally referred to as the Dog Album or Tripod) is the third studio album by American rock band Alice in Chains. It was released on October 31, 1995, by Columbia Records, and was the full-length follow-up to the group's commercial breakthrough Dirt (1992). This is the band's first studio album to feature bassist Mike Inez, their last to feature original lead vocalist Layne Staley, and their final studio album to be released through Columbia.

For a year and a half, Alice in Chains did not play any live shows due to Staley's health issues. In the meantime, Staley joined supergroup Mad Season and recorded the album Above (1995), leaving the future of Alice in Chains in question. In addition, Staley's growing heroin addiction led to growing rumors of his death. Shortly after the release of Above, Alice in Chains set out to create their third album, with the intention of putting an end to the gossip surrounding the band.

Recorded at Seattle's Bad Animals Studio with Toby Wright, the album's songs focus on heavy emotional content and subject matter such as drug addiction, depression, spirituality, broken relationships, and the internal tensions within the band that were being fueled by Staley's substance abuse. The album's music relies less on heavy metal riffs and more on melody and texturally varied arrangements, some integrating some of the acoustic moods of their EPs, and others introducing late 1960s and early 1970s rock influences.

Alice in Chains was released in the twilight of the grunge era. The band remained largely unable to tour for the album due to Staley's addiction, performing live only on televised events and opening for Kiss. Nevertheless, the album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart and stayed on the chart for nearly a year. The tracks "Grind", "Heaven Beside You", and "Again" were released as singles. "Grind" and "Again" were nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance. The album was certified double platinum by the RIAA and has sold over three million copies worldwide. The album was the band's last for almost 14 years; Staley died from a drug overdose in 2002, which caused the band to dissolve. The band eventually emerged with Black Gives Way to Blue in 2009 with new co-vocalist William DuVall.