Genre: Grunge
Label Number: CK 46075
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© 1990 Columbia Records
AllMusic Review by Steve Huey
.FLAC via Florenfile
.AAC 256 kbps via Florenfile
© 1990 Columbia Records
AllMusic Review by Steve Huey
When Alice in Chains' debut album, Facelift, was released in 1990, about a year before Nirvana's Nevermind, the thriving Seattle scene barely registered on the national musical radar outside of underground circles (although Soundgarden's major-label debut, Louder Than Love,
was also released that year and brought them a Grammy nomination). That
started to change when MTV jumped all over the video for "Man in the
Box," giving the group a crucial boost and helping to pave the way for
grunge's popular explosion toward the end of 1991. Although their
dominant influences -- Black Sabbath, the Stooges -- were hardly unique on the Seattle scene, Alice in Chains
were arguably the most metallic of grunge bands, which gave them a
definite appeal outside the underground; all the same, the group's
sinister, brooding, suffocating sound resembled little else gaining wide
exposure on the 1990 hard rock scene. Neither hedonistic nor especially
technically accomplished, Alice in Chains'
songs were mostly slow, oppressive dirges with a sense of melody that
was undeniable, yet which crept along over the murky sludge of the
band's instrumental attack in a way that hardly fit accepted notions of
what made hard rock catchy and accessible. Although some parts of Facelift
sink into turgid, ponderous bombast (particularly over the erratic
second half), and the lyrics are sometimes immature, the overall effect
is fresh, exciting, and powerful. While Alice in Chains would go on to do better and more consistent work, Facelift
was one of the most important records in establishing an audience for
grunge and alternative rock among hard rock and heavy metal listeners,
and with its platinum sales certification, it also made Alice in Chains the first Seattle band to break through to a wider, less exclusively underground audience.
tags: alice in chains, facelift, 1990, flac,
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