Dirt

Interesting solo in down in a hole - very bluesy. Dam that river was good. God Smack was good. The rest is quite repetitive. 2 tracks left to listen to

Not really my thing. I've listened a few times and this all blurs into a mess of quasi-grunge rock.

Like how every space is filled with sound, but it does drone.

bueno si igual me chupa un huevo. 7/10

Wow the album starts with no warning at all. I have heard “Them Bones” before, but didn’t realize it started so abruptly. I like the style. It feels “hard rock”, but is actually relatively slow and accessible most of the time. Some really strange “harmonies” though.

Early on during Covid when everyone was working remote, I went to go live with my friend Cotton for a few weeks. There wasn’t much to do except watch tv and play video games. So naturally, we brought out his old Wii and started playing Wii golf while drinking cheap beer and blasting 90s alternative music. Cotton has one hell of a playlist, so there’s almost 18 hours of music ranging from Toad the Wet Sprocket to Nine Inch Nails. Dirt is a critically acclaimed album from the legendary 90s rockers Alice In Chains, so of course there’s like five songs from this album on that playlist. And like I said, there wasn’t much going on in the world, so I’ve had my fair share of drunken attempts trying to hit the fairway on that stupid island shortcut par five and listened to more 90s alternative jams than a drug user living in Seattle in 1992. We’re four years removed from that, and things have upgraded a bit. We play Switch golf now, there’s a second tv so we can watch sports while I shoot an even par and still lose by ten strokes, and sometimes, I’ll drink cheap wine instead of Coors Light. But one thing remains the same. I only really want to frequently hear two songs on this album and the others I might as well say “ok Google, next song” to before I down the last swig of $9 rosé.

I can see why people like Alice In Chains, but they're not really for me. I'm giving them a three because I do like "Rooster".

Not exactly my genre, but there were some songs on here I enjoyed. Down in a Hole sounded the most interesting. Just gets a bit tiring after an hour of grunge; I think I prefer Nirvana overall.

Them bones is iconic to my upbringing. #madden10 Consistent sound, not my real cup of tea music-wise since I'm a 90s hater. Probably objectively better than 3 stars but I don't feel right giving it that much praise when I don't relate to it hardly at all.

Pretty hardcore and heavy 90's grunge that's classic but not resonating with me these days.

Not overly familiar with these guys. (I know Rooster” and that’s about it) I suppose they are early enough to be innovators of the genre, but not my favourite style. A bit too heavy for my taste. Mid 3

I walked into Dirt expecting to love it – grunge that teeters on the brink of alt-metal? Sign me up! – but in practice, it’s just the template for every post-grunge pseduo-sad but still masculine band from 2002 that got too much airplay on Hard Rock/Real Rock™️ radio throughout the 2000s, indirectly ruining radio as a whole. While AIC ekes out above those guys, it’s not by much. There’s cool tonal elements here and a couple excellent songs (“Them Bones,” “Dirt,” and “Would?” – all notably the opener, midpoint, and closer), but there’s a LOT more songs that are only “pretty good.” They play around so much with tempo and style changes that my ears can never really catch the groove, literally or figuratively, and a lot of the layered guitar work feels tacked on, especially for the solos. And boy, does it overstay its welcome. Not at all the record I expected, and frankly, while it’s perfectly fine, I’m left a bit saddened by how underwhelming this felt. If you want dark and grimy, listen to actual sludge metal, and if you want something more uptempo, listen to any other grunge band. You won’t regret listening to Dirt, sure, but you’d find more substance by listening to others instead. This is just trying to have too much of both lanes, and becomes a master of none as a result.

- Nicht schlecht, aber kein Song dabei, der sich für mich richtig hervorhebt. - - Zweite Hälfte fand ich nachher deutlich besser, eventuell würde das ganze Album jetzt von Anfang an ein wenig mehr Anklang bei mir finden.

Not my thing, but some great odd time signatures

Two very top Grunge songs - check that - two top songs period.

A couple good songs. A little heavy for me

Has its moments

Not bad, but I don't understand why it has so many listens. I guess you had to be there maybe

Good

Really good first half of the album, but disliked the second half.

This was my introduction to the album a day gambit. I was in the car with anthony and kerri and after 2 songs I was like can we please switch the music this has been PLENTY of alice in chains. I like it for a song or 2 but I can't do the vocal style for more than that. He sings like hes mocking himself if that makes sense lol. Favorite Song: Them Bones

Okay...I didn't hate this...I actually started out kind of into it. And then all of the songs started to sound too similar. 3/5

Very dark. Very depressing. Music can get a bit draggy but I can imagine angsty teenagers loving it.

some cool rock stuff

Clean métal album

Heavy Metal & Grunge fusionieren in diesem Album wobei Haevy Metall die Leitkultur bleibt. Einige Songs sind ok z.B „The Bones“, „Down In the Hole“, Would“ & „Rooster“ sind gute Genre Titel. Insgesamt ist mir das Album zu düster und zu sehr von Drogen inspiriert und hat leider einige schwache Titel.

Not my genre but I can see why it is popular.

Alice in chainsissa on jotain, mistä kovasti haluaisin tykätä, mutta se tuppaa ainakin albumillisena menevän liian narinaksi ja junnaavaksi. Johtuu grungesta. Pidän raskaista elementeistä, esim. metallimaiset rummut kivoja. Vähän lisää vimmaa ehkä? Sinkkuina parempia, tosin sais olla enemmän koukuttavia sinkkuja. Koko listan kontekstissa kaks puol.

Good record just not for me

some good grunge. 3

yup, that's quintessential 90s seattle grunge rock.

I feel like grunge resonated with me more when I was a depressed high schooler. The album felt a little one note, but I didn’t mind it all that much. 3 Fav songs: Them Bones Dam That River Would?

Ok - Not my bag, but can see the talent and scope of energy in the Musi world

So this is grunge. So two members killed themselves with their drug abuse, how cliche is that. Lyrics are sometimes interresting, music however is not.

I just wish the WEF introduced a wrestler named The Rooster, dressed as a rooster and used The Rooster as they’re into. Aside from that, I think Alice Im Chains is fine, they claim they were metal, they were far too slow to be metal. There are some good, sludgy grunge tunes here. Your drummer is not a metal drummer dudes, you’re playing metal in quick sand, you are too slow and that’s fine. 3.5 stars

I heard of them. I don't appreciate their music.

Listenable grunge nostalgia

A song I really liked sampled Down In A Hole Aside from that, I feel as if the amount of dogshit albums we usually get is inflating the ratings of all other albums I listen to. Had this popped up in the first 50 I probably wouldve given this a 2 but I am almost bordering on giving it a 4 just because of how decent it is relatively to the rest of the shit on this list I want to stay objective and distance myself from comparative reviews but its ridiculously hard and getting harder with each boomer rock album that shows up If a Beatles album showed up tomorrow, who knows, I might even... almost kind of like it? Horrowing thought to ponder.

classic rock ig? lyrics can come off as cringey but the vocals are amazing

Great album. Really gets to the anger and angst. I would have loved this as a teenager. Unfortunately, I wasn't exposed to it... Three stars because I will likely not listen to this album again.

I'm a little surprised to see this album pop up on this list, it's not one that I would have thought of including. The problem I always had with Alice in Chains is that Layne Staley's voice is just so aggressively irritating. It's like "dude you sound like you could actually sing, stop whining through every song." I get that he had a super sad life and demise but I wish he'd sing instead of complain. The music is a bit repetitive but the sounds are mostly decent, if that makes sense. I feel like the drum sound is lacking a little, they're sort of flat sounding and could use a little more depth. But guitars and bass sound good. There are definitely some good songs on this record, Down in a Hole and Would? are both great. Rooster gets played a lot but I think I've heard that one enough. I hadn't actually listened to this whole album in years. It's not bad, 3.25/5 I think, but I'd not really make a point to listen again and if most of the songs came up on a playlist I'd probably skip them. Rounding down to 3/5 because of the whining and the stupid, contrived cover.

Not really my thing and I probably won't revisit this. Pretty good at points, got a bit repetitive. Did have some good songs though and I get why other people like this.

Towards the end the songs could feel blended together but still a solid album

Not bad, but... eh.

3.5

Nothing much to say here. Was an alright album. Didn't blow me away though.

Interesting range of tempos between each song. Typically used to metal/grunge being fast paced. Honestly, this album is not my cup of tea.

It started off pretty good, but the further I got into it the more it dragged, and the more samey it felt. There's not really tons of variation across these songs. There's some nice guitars in places, but it was definitely way too much in one sitting. 2.5 rounded up

This sound has such a stamp on the early 90’s. Many strong driving hits. “Would?” Is probably my fav from this one. There are 5-6 really good songs on this one but the rest was largely forgettable to me. Solid signature representation of the time though. Struggle between a 3-3.5 so I’ll round down to a 3.

59/100 Them Bones 7/10 Dam That River 6/10 Rain When I Die 7/10 Down In A Hole 5/10 ⭐️ Sickman 8/10 Rooster 5/10 Junkhead 6/10 Dirt 4/10 ⭐️ God Smack 7/10 ⭐️ Hate To Feel 8/10 Angry Chair 5/10 Would? 3/10

Not for me. I do admit that the guitars and overall instrumentation is great from a technical point of view. Overall, the style of music is not something that I would go back to, it feels like that is is the beginning of butt rock.

Rain when I die Down in a Hole Rooster Would?

This album is surprisingly easy to listen to.

Obviously a powerful and passionate record. Not really my cup of tea, though.

It was nice but very samey

Metal and punk at the same time. Sometimes a little heavier than I prefer. This album didn’t have any of the songs I know from them, but still a good listen. I don’t think I have the angst to relate to this album.

Mainlining H in a gutter

placement. name (popularity) 1. Would? (1st) ---------------------- 2. Rooster (2nd) 3. Down In A Hole (4th) 4. Sickman (10th) 5. Junkhead (7th) 6. Angry Chair (8th) 7. Rain When I Die (6th) 8. Untitled (13th) 9. Hate To Feel (12th) 10. Dirt (9th) 11. Them Bones (3rd) 12. God Smack (11th) 13. Dam That River (5th)

Very 90s grunge, solid sound. 3* because I enjoy the sound, but nothing really blows my mind, no tracks really jump out at me.. Enjoyed: would?

i admittedly judged it before listening but was pleasantly surprised with how cool this album is. lots of neat time signatures, tempo changes, harmonies, weird scales… but also patently grunge

Not bad! A little repetitive and dated, but sweet riffs.

Interested to see what ibthink I’m in a weird spot where screaming trees made me want to listen to more stuff like this but I’m not sure how much I actually love this. It’s kinda cool ngl but i might need time with this guy

It was ok...

Actually a pretty good album from a band I'm not huge on generally.

It was ok

3,5. Góða gott. Lélegu léleg

So much memories from when I was a child. I remember listening to some tracks of this album and believing it was a great band that pictures perfectly my family town. Now I just think they are a pretty average band, but I’ll give it 3 stars because it is impossible to me, in this particular case, to be objective.

sickman, junkhead

Inoffensive grunge

Decent album, nothing highly memorable

Enjoyable.

The definition of hurnga durnga rock

I think each decade (give or take a few years) has its own flavour of butt rock. The one I’m most familiar with, because I was a kid getting a ride to school at the time, so I listened to the radio, is the butt rock that is during/post grunge. Eb tuning, Scott Stapp voice, etc etc. Sometimes hard to know where the line is between the butt rock and the real thing that influenced it. This one is certainly on the non-butt side of the line, but it sure sounds like the butt side took a lot from it. Anyway I liked it pretty good, as a thing on its own.

I never know how to rate an album like this. It has 3 or 4 songs I like or are pretty decent, but the rest…. I really dont like it. Like not even a little. I was never a big Alice fan. I thought they were too metal.

Very moody album. Probably one of the best grunge rock albums of all time. Formula stays the same pretty much through the entire album. Almost sounds like one large song. There wasn’t really any songs that stood out to me besides rooster. 3.30

Better than I thought it would be, but it begins to drag towards the back half of the album.

I went through an Alice In Chains phase in 2019-2020 and still consider them the best of the 90s grunge scene. I prefer the harmonies and heaviness of AIC’s music when compared to Nirvana’s general yelly-ness and omnipresence, but I admit needing to give Nirvana a more earnest chance. Soundgarden is also very good, but just listen to the guitars on this album—does it get any heavier than this!? The vocal style in the major/minor alternation here is fantastic. Talk about an album that plumbs some bone-deep issues with war, drugs, anxiety, self-esteem, etc. This is a heavy, dark album and serves as the band’s warning to all about the dangers of drug use. Good music, scary music, have listened to this album a few times. It takes a rare mood for me to be interested in listening to Alice In Chains, especially in full album format, just due to the emotional investment or dedication it takes. Was originally going to give four stars, but probably bringing this to 3.5.

With A in C making waves on the Seattle scene before the rise of Nirvana, it’s surprising to me how little I listen(ed) to this band. I was more a Screaming Trees fan. But…they definitely created their own style with the droney vocals and guitar stylings, and yet it’s those very things that had me struggling to get through this one. Most songs sound very much alike outside of the hits Rooster and Would? Due to its influence alone this one still gets a 3 from me.

AIC has never really been my favorite flavor of 90’s rock, just always felt too adjacent to some of the stuff from the 80’s I don’t care for. But definitely some familiar tunes on here and a pretty cohesive album for the genre.

pretty good.

Okay. I've not heard much of them, so this was a good primer.

great but old

Not my usual vibe but a few good tunes on here that I’ll listen to again

- God Smack - Angry Chair

Great singles but a bit of a slog otherwise.

Ein paar funky chords dabei. Ansonsten etwas zu flach

It is a good album with a couple of songs I enjoyed like Rooster.

Not my thing.

Pretty good

Not bad

Fine example of a category and era I'm not really interested in--a couple songs shred.

I really really wanted to like this album more but beside the big songs, i thought things were just good.

Was down with the metal guitars from the jump, but unfortunately I do not like Alice's voice. I feel like the chains may be holding him back.

It was fine. Just got bored of it halfway and feel asleep. 5/10

Incorrectly rated as a ‘top 5 grunge band’ AIC bear more similarities to Guns N Roses for me (hard rawk guitars, fiddly guitar solos etc). I liken this to Supermarket ‘own brand’ grunge. Yes the ingredients might be similar but the taste just isn’t the same! That said, ‘Would’ and ‘Them Bones’ are great songs

Didn't listen to all of it. Not my style of music.

A good listen for when you're feeling just a bit too cheery and need to take it down a notch or two.

I was aware of this band back in the day but never really explored properly. Quite enjoyed.

First time listening to these and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would, I liked the clear music and riffs and the lead singers vocals are pretty unique. Quite consistent sound across the whole album, some songs blended well from one to the next. 6/10

This is the music I have been looking for as a 15-year-old. Rough, intense, loud but thoughtful.

Too hard

The vocals crack me up. They sound like SNL characters. It’s not for me, but I get their significance. I didn’t know they harmonized so much. That was nice. 2.6

Listened to pieces of it. The harmonies and vocals are Alice in Chains, to me. Didn't realize how heavy the backing music is. Decent, but not my bag these days. 3.2

Ist ganz nett. Gehört ab sicher nicht zu meinen Favoriten.

Nicht meine Musik

Not a fan of Alice in Chains, still not a bad album.

Didn't like a lot of the songs, but there were some I enjoyed. The vocals aren't great, though.

Eh

My typa music. Honestly though this album is a great 90s rock classic. Alice in Chains just have that distinct sound that you know its their song and this album definitely exemplifies that. Jar Of Flies still a better album from them though. I don't want to let my personal bias get in the way, I'll give this one a 3 but Jar Of Flies is definitely a 5 for me

B- Them Bones 3 Dam That River 2 Rain When I Die 3 Down in a Hole[I] 3 Sickman 4 Rooster 4 Junkhead 3 Dirt 3 God Smack 3 Intro (Dream Sequence)/Iron Gland[II] (sometimes unlisted or listed as "Untitled") 3 Hate to Feel 3 Angry Chair 3 Would? 3 This took a little marination and some dirt in the eye, but I enjoyed it.

Some sick riffs in the first few songs but the album started to break down after a while. Stand-out: Dam That River

Unlike other 90's grunge rock, I only like this in small doses. Singer drawing out and holding notes for too long gets old quickly. The hits ("Rooster", "Down In A Hole", and "Would?") are good but the rest is forgettable.

Pretty similar sound throughout the songs. I understand the appeal, and the lyricism is quite meaningful, but I don't see myself coming back to any of these soon. Still a pretty good grunge album. Favorite tracks: Them Bones, Down In A Hole, Junkhead 3/5

Great grunge rock. The only drawback with this one is a lot of the songs sound too similar, which causes the backhalf to drag.

Way better than I thought but still not my genre

Loud and brash but not really doing much with the aggression. I didn't mind it but it didn't really rock me.

Decent grunge record which I'd never listened to in full before. Consistent from start to finish. Grunge is not my favourite genre but I can understand its appeal.

Good for what it is, but not for me at all.

Probably the best grunge riffs, but I don't love the chorus vocals Probably a little over long, I got a little bored a few times Overall its still a good listen though, 3 maybe 3.5 stars.

Kinda mid most of the songs on this album sound the same. 6/10

First track was good. The rest was a bit meh, the vocals it's not quite the mark for me. For this tempo I want it to be much heavier, or for this lightness I want it much faster.

Not my jam

So 90s, but not for me

Sounds like a pretty decent hard rock album. Couldnt help myself but think "man it would sound so much more exciting if it was like 20-30 BPM faster!". Overall, it was alright. Significant 18/46 Liked 7/46 Added 1/46 No, no, no

I had always understood Alice in Chains to be a grunge band, but listening to this it seems like they have one foot more firmly in the 80s hair metal hard rock and sludgy sounds and are just barely dipping their toes in what I would consider to be grunge. The vocalist honestly sounds like Axl Rose to me. Very ridiculous to say the least. This band definitely rocks, it would be foolheartedly to try to claim that it doesn't rock. People seem in to it and maybe you had to be there, nothing bad by any means, but not really speaking to me.

Ok I kind of get the headbanging appeal of this genre of music like this kinda slaps idk!!!!!!! his singing voice is a little weird a lot of the songs sound the same just yelling after yelling

The guitar there is pretty insane.

Them Bones good opener, some nice midpaced tracks (Sickman, Dirt).

Solid grungy feels

Tough follow up from Pearl Jam yesterday, but still pretty solid. Could use more eyyyyyuuuueeyyyyiiiiiuuuuhhhhsss

Idk if I might have rated this higher if I hadnt just listened to Pearl Jam but honestly my daily mental scale for ratings has been entirely inconsistent

Wake up honey, it’s time for your daily seattle grunge album ⏰ Not as solid as Ten but Layne Staley has some pipes on him. Must be something about fellas born in the Bellevue/Kirkland area that makes them destined to make it big 🤔 you and me Layne, equal levels of greatness

This album is alright, though it's really not my type of grunge music. I grew up loving Nirvana and Pearl Jam but never got into Alice In Chains. Their vibe just doesn't do a lot for me. They definitely have a few enjoyable tracks on here and I recognized the singles but could largely do without this album and I don't see myself ever coming back to it in full. That being said, giving it a middling score cause I don't strongly dislike it either. Standout Tracks: Dam That River, Rooster, Dirt, Would?

them bones is fun, I like the good guitar skills, but I don't like the vocals. rooster is cool, is a little more catchy than other songs here and has a good kicky guitar. starting to get tired of those winy and nasaly vocals, especially in God smack. I don't have much to say about this album, the songs all sound very similar and it's not really my type of music. points for good guitar though

This album is fine. It mostly blends together with samey guitar and subdued vocals. I guess that's the vibe but it's just a little bland for me. Standout tracks are Them Bones and Rooster.

Depressing grunge

i was so excited when i first heard the 2 songs on the album. i was jamming and having a great time. and then i listened to the rest of the album. im sure its good music for the people its for, but for me if you are doing this kind of genre of rock, it has to be high energy. if you drawl on i feel like im being musically held hostage sometimes. especially if your guitars arent doing anything particularly interesting either and are just there for texture. but there are some fun guitar parts. im sure these songs are much better for live performance than to be listened to by an anxiety riddled 20 yr old who has something to do and is mildly annoyed that the music is going nowhere. theres a mild redemption at track 8, and the subsequent songs that follow. Im sure anyone reading these reviews finds my opinions abhorrent. Faves: Them Bones, Down That River, <- two songs that are solidly going into the rotation, Dirt (this is much lower than the other two) Hate to Feel (a song w a nice use of some classic metal/rock music tropes) Angry Chair would i seek out alice in chains: if there are more songs like the first two on this album sure. this might also be my emotions. anyways this is like. 3.4

it’s okay, I don’t know what else to say. I need to revisit it and actually read the lyrics. I think my favorites were sickman and junkhead but if I’m being honest, all the songs started bleeding into each other around the 15 minute mark

maybe it's cause i was busy showering while listening to the first half but i found this sort of boring. the songs i did like made me think "i wish i was listening to deftones right now instead" faves: dirt, down in a hole, junkhead

Lots of great songs on here, but a little difficult to listen to back to back.

Prima grunge, paar vette nummers, maar ook niet geweldig

Took a bit but I started to enjoy it towards the middle

6.5/10, wel aardig

Was never a huge fan of alice in chains but they are pretty good

Not enough balance between noise and tenderness, but the noise is good.

Boring rock. To The cringe side. 2.5-3.

Not really my thing, but I thought this compilation of WWE Entrance songs was alright, 3/5. Favourite Track: Rooster

6.8/10 This album is played in rehab centres to remind people drugs make you scream real loud and sometimes invent grunge by accident. Some absolutely fucking INSANE guitar work from Jerry Cantrell, and Layne Staley's voice conveys the pain of addiction like no other. Haunting considering the context of his death. Rooster and Sickman are high points for me. Can come across as a touch one-note due to the 80s metal influences, but the grunge elements and Layne's vocals carry you through it.

things I like: -Down in a hole -Dirt -Hate to feel -Would? Things I hate: -people -society -my stupid dad because he didn't buy me an Xbox for my birthday In all seriousness, this album has some good songs but they are separated by a vast dry desert of dreary and repetitive music. Maybe I'm just not in the right mood to listen to this album today. Actually I hope I am never in the right mood to listen to this album. At the very least it is listenable, and I did enjoy the second half

Proper rock, but for me personally not going anywhere with this. It has its theme and it sticks with it.

Not bad

Not my style but liked some of the songs

Didn’t know Alice and chains was this heavy and never thought of grunge being this heavy but really cool found myself shaking my little ass cheeks a number of times during this album. Notable songs that had me shaking my shit: junkhead, godsmack, hate to feel and would?. My fave songs from the listen interestingly all came from the back half. Im gonna give this a 7.5/10 though I liked it and totally feel the appeal it just didn’t hit that itch for me and reminded me of a time in history with cringe goatees and horny chatrooms. I feel like once you’ve heard one song on here you’ve more of less heard them all. Would definitely give another listen but not sure if I’d buy a physical copy. Also album cover really grew on me they definitely captured the mood and it looks really cool 😎. -B

Seems like good music to listen to when your in your feels. I feel like it has alot of Guns N’ Roses influence, but not totally sure about the timeline so I could be wrong. Epitome of grunge. “Rain when I die” is a banger. “Rooster” is a banger…. Sick man is ass. The album has really cool harmonies and incredible guitar. Drums are also very cool, I hear a lot of Neil Peart/ Rush influences. Not necessarily my taste in music, some of the songs sound like a heroin addict made it in a strung out daze. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, especially given the genre and time period, just not something I would listen to on a regular basis.

Not my style of music but I enjoyed it. Very nice Halloween vibes

2.5-3.0

3.5/5

Very grungey with not a lot of variety. I did like Them Bones (which is a bit too short) and Rooster (which is a bit long), and Would? but overall the album was on the depressing side, especially knowing what happened to the singer later in life.

It’s a good album but it wasn’t my cup of tea.

Honestly didn't think I'd like this but forgot they were more grunge than heavy/harsh metal. Still not my favorite but I definitely respect it!

Hard charging as always but really dated nowadays - more so than most grunge.

I’d rate this 2.5 if I could. Not a fan of the vocals, production is solid. I find that I don’t really care for grunge save for soundgarden and nirvana

Not my favorite kind of music to listen to. A little too abrasive for my taste. that being said I cant deny the musicianship from this band, and enjoyed some of what I listened to. I'm sure with more listens this album would grow on me.

Tough going!

it was just alright I guess

A couple of strong tracks, but overall just a so-so album. This album feels very of its time, which I respect as an achievement even though this album is not quite my thing.

Solid slice of nineties grunge. Not necessarily my favorite thing, but I couldn’t help but think Sam would really like it, as it reminded me of Nirvana, Black Sabbath and Metallica in various places.

Pretty good

Litt heavy for min del

Ok

It’s all the same song

Cool record, great production. Unfortunately held back by its length and monotonous tempo choices.

This is classic 1992 grunge, or alt metal or whatever. I was always more of a Nirvana fan, also listened to Pearl Jam, or STP, or even Soundgarden (maybe?) more than Alice In Chains. Reminds me of the 90’s MTV, Beavis and Butthead, etc. The vocals never super appealed to me. First time hearing a lot of these songs, to be honest. Just was not an AIC fan. Rooster is by far my favorite. Them Bones is a good opener though. And Would? is a classic too. I really feel like this is a 3 for me.

-i have heard about alice in chains but never listened to them -THIS is real rock like yooooooo -the lyrics are the most hardcore rock out of all the rock bands i’ve heard -and the guitar is real intense which i LOVE -idk if i would listen to this again but i am enjoying it -the songs do sound a bit similar to each other -and for that, it will get 3 stars

Grunge! Metal! Recognized a few songs, and listened to the whole thing.

Not really my vibe, but it actually wasn’t bad. I like rooster, down in the hole, and a few others.

Knew some songs but hadn't listened to an AIC album before. More heavy metal-inspired than I'd expected, and I liked the droney sound and vocals. The album is a bit long overall but a few songs will go on my regular playlist.

It is a good album in and of itself, but not what the description in Apple Music promised me. I expected some next-level grunge record, but it mostly just sounds like Metallica in their hard rock era or even leans toward Aerosmith.

It was okay, but no song particularly stood out to me.

I’ve tried with Alice and Chains several times over the decades and just can’t get into it. It’s aggressively depressing in a self loathing way. The sound is strong and the message is clear, so I’ll give it three stars despite my lack of personal interest.

Better than I expected. It was interesting to read about the history of this band and of course it was heroin.

People act like Nirvana was depressing when Alice in Chains exist. Everything about this band is tuned to bum you out. They're super good at it, but by the end I'm desperate for a sunny melody.

Not my kind of music but still a good listen. Spiced up a particularly quiet Wednesday morning. The songs do sound a fair bit the same.

Not exactly my jam - a lot of songs sounded the same but there were a couple of standouts.

The sound of 90s grunge, rough voice that soars, the heavy riffs and that solid kick drum that keeps you nodding or atomping along through the entire album. A classic 90s sound. Never listened back in the day but will be adding it into rotation.

Not my kind of music but still a good listen. Spiced up a particularly quiet Wednesday morning. The songs do sound a fair bit the same.

16 years ago I probably would have rated this a 5.

Riff sont heavy à souhait vocals sonnent bien Wah wah cool dans rain when i die rien de révolutionnaire mais c’est de la bonne musique après 3 tounes je dirais 7/10

Listened to 3-4 songs

Classic sound, reminds me of childhood.

Some bangers

This mostly felt like background music; in most songs there were some really good vocal melodies which only lasted a short amount of time. I think in a better atmosphere I’d enjoy it more

First time I heard it I just thought it was loud and hard. Then I listened again and it was still loud and hard, but I really got into it. Some great tracks! 3.5

I prefer the grunge more than the metal. Some good songs in the mix. Just not my personal style of 90s music.

One of those grunge bands I never bothered listening to at the time, assuming they sounded like Soundgarden, maybe with some Guns'n'Roses and/or Metallica thrown in. How right I was! Turned out I did know the last track, thinking it was Soundgarden anyway. I don't hate this, as it's fairly melodic, but it's basically *grunt* *bass thump* *wibbly guitar* *heroin* for an hour

It's ok, but not really me

Didn’t age half as bad as I expected or even half as bad as it should. It’s definitely of its time but I was expecting to do a lot more cringing. Used to like these in school but half of this I’d forgotten which possibly explains a lot. It is a bit long. The highlights though are pretty much rock bar staples, and they’ve obviously influenced a lot that followed (particularly Audioslave / Stone Temple Pilots etc). Better than expected, but wont be back anytime soon

I think this album makes that the most eclectic week of music so far! Never actually listened to Alice in chains, thought they were vaguely grunge, maybe Soundgardeny. To me they sound like the unnecessary missing link between Metallica and Korn, with some songs clearly being the inspiration for nu metal. Probably deserve a 1 for that. I actually thought the album was okay, some nice riffs, just nothing interesting enough to take it past that. Won't listen again but glad to tick this one off.

Solid 3 stars for me - Them Bones is a classic, and the rest of the album listenable.

Had not listened to Alice In Chains before but I always have time for a bit of a grunge/heavy rock. The album opens with a banger but then goes through peaks and troughs. In the end a whole hour of misery was a bit much. Don't think I'd listen to the album again but will revisit a few of the tracks. Highlights: Them Bones Down In A Hole

This site and Wikipedia suggest this is grunge, but I wouldn't say it is at all really. More metal for me. Had heard of them, but don't think I've ever listened to them before. The lead singers story seems like a bit of a sad one. Reflected in the lyrics of the majority of this album. I'm sure I like a bit of misery more than most, but this was a bit much. I'm also not generally a metal fan, so this didn't do too much for me. Overall not bad. 2 feels overly harsh so 3 it is, but I probably won't be going back

du rock des année 90s

The hits are great. Most of the other songs are a little ho-hum. Not in love with grunge, but I like the heavy metal riffs. I don't know if it's intentional, but the singers voice keeps fluctuating from good to terrible as he sometimes just drones and moans when he isn't singing. Overall; the hits buoy this album for me. Wouldn't choose to listen to this one again, but I know I'll be listening to The Rooster for the rest of my life.

It's a good album, and I can hear a lot of influences - Soundgarden; Guns n Roses...epic guitar work, grunge.... Yeah, I would listen again. Three stars.

The vocals let this down really. Droney American grunge type. Lame. Listened with my rabbit and she fell asleep

I'd listen to Down in a Hole and Rooster again. The rest are pretty rough.

Dark, sludgy, heavy, dreary. Definitely on the more metal side of grunge. Solid riffs and rhythms throughout, though a few songs overstay their welcome (Sickman). There’s a definite style and mood that the album commits to and executes well, though it’s not one I especially enjoy. Best song: Rain When I Die

grungeeeee

Some greate tunes, outstandings songs with some plain good ones

I was never the biggest AiC fan, but this was pretty enjoyable.

It’s fine - I get why people would be into it but I’m just not. I’m also not in this type of mood right now.

Interesting

Grungey, greasy and… dirty

Just a really solid grunge album that fit firmly into the 90s. Lot of good guitar work here and I do agree with one comment I read about the disorientated, queasy nature of this album and the way the the reverbed, disorted guitars sound contributing a ton to the overall atmosphere here. A lot of the songs did blend into each other and sound similar, but it was an enjoyable listen on the whole.

Some decent songs on here, but you've got to be serious into the metal to truly appreciate this. Still better than a lot of other things on this list.

Nirvana if they were good

Better than I expected. It was interesting to read about the history of this band and of course it was heroin.

MERRY DIRTMAS EVERYONE!!! https://youtu.be/gRcj6CAhe7s 'them bones' is slam poetry about jerry cantrells hatred for dry bones from mario kart (that little dry bastard) 'rain when i die' grew on me, that riff is alright. 'rooster' is classic. leo showed me that when i was like 12. i felt too c o o l listening. these are songs that rock. the rest doesnt really do it for me but has a real consistency in its grit and rhythmic punch. this is music to grind your teeth too. this is music to rock too. you never know, on facelift 'man in a box' did nothing for me then it hit me - how did i miss this fucking belter of a tune?

Just not my style

3+

I should like this album a lot more than I do. It's supposed to be one of the best grunge albums. I love the singles but a lot of the songs in the middle of it just don't really grab me. I think it's aged a little bit poorly. The singing gets on my nerves sometimes. I can tell why people love it and that it's a good album but I just can't get super into it. Sorry to all the dirt lovers out there. Score: 70 Art: 70

It’s just not my sound. Apart from nirvana I never really liked grunge.

Not my thing

Ah! A chance to reappraise DIRT by Alice in Chains. A band that I disliked on principle alone at the time they arrived on the scene. Early 90s I'm in punk mode in the Northwest and certainly grungy bands start getting some attention but the ones that appealed to me were the least commercial, the weirder more indie and punker of the cohort. Even Nirvana for a brief moment wasn't the international sensation that shook the music industry. So when Alice in Chains and a few others started to also rise in popularity I (and I wasn't alone) saw this as a land grab for cash and record industry attention that was uncool. They seemed like a glammy hard rock/metal band trying to change their sound for fame and fortune and AS A PUNK I WAS AGAINST IT. Full stop. There certainly are some stylistic tells or trappings of their hard rock heritage on this record: slower beats, tremolo dives, wah effects, bombastic solos with deep bends and impressive runs, ballads with oohs, chorus effects, etc. And, this record is also long, too long for me personally. By now I guess they knew what their fans wanted and felt a confidence delivering it over and over and over again. If you are still reading this you might expect me to rate this at two stars, but I'll say there are also some songs on this record that are recognizably great. They seem to have integrated some of their influences and aspirations into a better version of themselves. Is it necessarily my thing that I'll go back to? Nope. But is it better than I initially gave it credit for? Yes.

Solid album.

In my memory this album was better. Most songs are longer than they should be. Some are great, some just drag along. I don’t like the vocal harmonies most of the time. Favorite song: would

I think I was expecting something a birt "dirtier" but maybe I was thinking of Nine Inch Nails. This album definitely doesn't sound like my kind of stuff, it's too mellow and just sounds like...well, just, music. That's all. Nothing remarkable.

Mukana pari entuudesta tuttua jonkin tason hittiä ja loput uusia tuttavuuksia. Varsin mukava pläjäys.

6/10. This was pretty good, and kind of nostalgic, but not exactly my thing either.

Has that very distinct 90s hard rock/grunge sound, still enjoyed this album.

First time listening to this album in full since about 2003. Forgot how heavy it opens. Significantly better than a lot of crap immitators it spawned. 3.5/5

It's got consistent tone throughout, and they definitely know when to jam, but I think it's carried by Them Bones and Would?

Le son, la voix me plaisent, mais je trouve l'ensemble un peu trop uniforme.

I've recently revised my stance on Alice In Chains. Back when I was younger, I couldn't escape them from the radio, and I was oversaturated. Now, listening in isolation, I've developed an appreciation for them. Still not my favorite, but Would? has made it onto various playlists.

Cock a doodle doo

Dirt is the second album by the American rock band Alice in Chains. This critically acclaimed album is certified 5x platinum (the band's best-selling) and is considered a classic of the grunge genre. The themes on this album are emotionally focused on depression, pain/anger, relationships, drug use, war, and ultimately death. This was my first time actually listening to any songs by Alice in Chains (I've heard lots about the band) and I loved the album. I can definitely see this being one of their best albums, because how can you get better than this? The tracks were the perfect amount of grunge while still maintaining a mainstream vibe that everyone can appreciate. I'll have to check out more songs from Alice in Chains.

Feeling lots of emotions listening to this album. These songs came to me during some tough times in my life. "Would" is a top-10 90s track for me; the first time I heard it was actually on the "Singles" soundtrack, which I think is a very underrated soundtrack. 13yr old Jesse would have given this album a 5/5, but hearing it again after all these years doesn't stir the same feelings.

Dark. Depressing. Heavy. Emotional. Beautiful.

The grungiest of the grunge. Not really my style of grunge, but Rooster is cool.

I can see the appeal even though I'm not sure I'd go out of my way to listen to any besides Them Bones in the future

Enjoyed more than expected on first listen. The opener is really good. Will give it another listen.

This one is sort of hard to rate. I feel like I’d probably really like it after re-listening, but I just haven’t yet. Favorite song: “Angry Chair”.

Solid album, pretty great riffs. Didn't completely grip me, maybe due to the topics of the lyrics or I could have just been too distracted while listening?

Certainly not the best grunge band (are they even grunge?) but they still have some bangers. I have always loved Would? but it is interesting that I prefer the unplugged versions of a lot of these tracks. 3.5/5

Como mierda vas a poner 15 temas de un disco de grunge que dura casi 1 hora al menos yes lo hacía con gracia(? Igual tiene muy buenos temas pero a la vez hay como 3 o 4 que para mí suenan exactamente igual ante mi oido inexperto no-grungy.

The soundtrack for every movie set in the 90s. I wasn't super into them then and I'm still not now. It sounds like every song is going to culminate in the Rooster chorus. Best track: Them Bones

A good grunge album but didn't give me that feeling that Pearl Jam or Janes addiction does so it falls a bit short of the mark for me.

Nice songs, with some great guitar riffs. Songs were a little too heavy and album lacked a bit of variation.

A lot heavier than expected for a grunge album. It has some sludge/stoner metal grooves which I liked.

Bit generic at times but not too bad

Very typical grunge album. Always feels like just a single emotion exists with this music which makes it a bit flat but it's nice for a few songs.

Maybe the darkest and, um, dirtiest grunge band/album? I'm not a fan of their blend of stoner/metal and hard rock that would eventually lead to an army of annoying post-grunge bands, but I have to admit that these guys done it right.

I think its good for what it is but just not my taste very heavy rock, bordering on metal

3,5

I didn't mind this album, it's not really something I would normally gravitate towards and I did think the songs sounded quite samey. But overall it was a decent album.

Brings back memories of the first day of high school, lookin so cool and jamming on my Nano. Even though there are aspects about it that aren’t really my taste anymore like the vocals (sorry, Lane!!), I still think some of the songs slap.

My dad went to high school with the lead singer and I’ve heard the story 137 times at this point…trying not to be biased. I actually like the grungy vocal style. You can feel the crushing heroin addiction seeping through your headphones. The guitars get old quickly on this album though. Too much nostalgia to not give it a 3

Decent heavy rock but I like others better

Alice is Chains is one of the bands I expected to fully appreciate from this list as I hadn’t really dove into them before. I liked some some songs on this but mostly just couldn’t vibe with the singer.

I listened to some of this album then forgot to listen to the rest. It's my birthday though, so I can do what I want. Most of the songs sounded too similar, except for Sickman, which I honestly thought was White Zombie, so that was weird. Actually, that was as far as I got. My friends got me drunk on my birthday, and I just want to see what my next album is.

Quite a generic rock album. May have to be judged more hermeneutically, but I wasn't invested enough to do so.

Brutalno

With each of their albums AiC seemed to slip further and further in to darkness and depression. Dirt finds them beyond their catchiest and most accessible, but not quite at their darkest yet, as that would come on the self-titled third (and imho their best) album. Still, there is plenty of top notch content here, and I could see the reason for choosing Dirt for this list, for nothing else than being their most critically and commercially successful work. A different album selection would have garnered a higher rating from me though. 3 empty, bottomless pits of despair out of 5

Not really my thing but still quite enjoyable

Listened to half was ok from what I heard personally not my taste but good from what I heard light 5

A good 90s grunge album. Hadn't listened to all of this, but had heard Jar of Flies before so had an idea what to expect. Don't think it has particularly aged well and since I wasn't a big AIC fan at the time (was big into Nirvana, Pumpkins, Pearl Jam and more besides however so unclear why not) I don't have the nostalgia factor. It's decent enough, but barring a couple of tracks I can't see me ever coming back to this. I have my favourites when it comes to grunge, nothing old/new is going to break into that now.

The big radio hits (Them Bones, Angry Chair, Would) are excellent, but so much of the rest is quite forgettable.

Man, this album is dark. No surprise about how Layne Staley's story ended, listening to this. The big songs were great, but a lot still felt like filler.

Not much notable.

-S Tier- Rooster Would? -A Tier- Them Bones Down in a Hole Junkhead -B Tier- Rain When I Die Dirt -C Tier- Dam That River Angry Chair -D Tier- Sickman God Smack Hate to Feel AVG SCORE: 2.9

Sometimes a bit flashy for my liking but undeniably groovy and heavy. Amazing tones. Gives me a dirty southern vibe. The vocal layers are great too. Good songwriting, kinda doomy.

I feel like this was executed well, the riffs were grabbing, production was top tier. But it seems a bit too one-dimensional. I really enjoyed some slower and more melodic songs like Down in a Hole. But most of the album went the angry violent way and I just couldn't really differentiate the songs looking back and I am unable to see them fitting for any mood.

why was it not just called Grunge

This is my first time listening to Alice In Chains. The songs fall on a spectrum of styles from thrashy heavy metal to more radio-friendly grunge. There are also some beautiful, slower moments. A number of songs made me think of Queens of the Stone Age. They’re one of my favorite current bands and I enjoyed listening to this album and hearing the influence Alice In Chains clearly had on QOTSA. By the end of the album, I was a little exhausted though. I respect the music but can’t fully embrace it — the songs are pretty bleak and tortured. Maybe not the best music to listen to on a sunny Friday afternoon 😂

This genre isn't for me but I didn't hate it, so they must have done it well! I could have done with a shorter album though

This one was weird for me. I tend to think I like Alice In Chains but I think what I learned is like them in small doses. Individual songs I liked but as a whole, I was sick of them by the end. It was still a good album but the vocals started to become a drag by the end.

A couple of good songs. The choruses tend to get good in most tracks, but verses and everything else is soooooo slow, and makes the vocals sound whiny.

Much more enjoyable, than I expected!

Not much of a Alice in Chains fan. I think this was probably their most popular album.

I always found this a bit dull. It's grown on me a bit but is still not that exciting. It's all a bit one dimensional. The best band of the era and the genre were the Afghan Whigs, so I wonder if anything ('Gentlemen'?) from them will pop up.

Always left me cold. Mad Season was much better.

A few good so gs

Not a huge fan. Better than I was expecting. Probably would like it more if I grew up during this time.

I loved this album when it came out. Listening to it years later, it kind drags on. There are a few songs that really sound great and others that are just sort of ok.

Good album Liked song where the vocal melody matched guitar Title track good too

i mean it was good for what it is, I'm just not a huge fan of what it is. I didn't really give it a proper listen if I'm honest

This album gave me road rage when I was driving to pick my lunch up from McDonalds. 3 stars.

One again, I'll ce back to it.

A classic of an era. A bit whiney in modern context.

Overall— pretty alright

there were low points and high points, i really enjoyed some of the songs whereas others became hard to listen to. i would give this album a solid 7/10, but it’s not a 4/5.

90s mild grunge rock

I consider this album too edgy for its own good. In my opinion, Alice in Chains peaked in the more toned down and far more melodic Jar of Flies a couple of years later.

1st August 2022 Listened throughout the day while working from home. Life admin and chill in the evening. I was initially gutted to see this as I thought it was going to be way heavier than it was, but I enjoyed it. Walks a fine line between grunge and metal.

I really like the a-side and have listened to it occasionally, but, as with so many other rock albums, it can get rather monotonous as a whole. I do like the vocal harmonies (a bit rare for grunge songs), occasional contrasts within a song (e.g. Sickman) and the fact that there's memorable melodies (in contrast to some other grunge songs that are basically made up of screams and meandering wailing and nothing else). Them Bones and Would are probably my favorites of the bunch.

Nice

There are several Alice in Chains songs in which the combination of melody and vocal quality are very compelling and I would say almost beautiful. These are qualities that offset the despair and hopelessness in the lyrics. With this album though, I got all the despair and hopelessness but very little of the beauty. I liked Rooster and Junkhead.

Here is yet another band and album from the 90s that I never got into. I like the vocal harmonies. The metal isn’t a dealbreaker for me. But the tempo and feel of these songs is really ponderous. Maybe appropriate for a lot of the lyrics. I’m ready for the next song well before the current one ends. I think I like my metal a little brighter with a bit more cheese. This album felt exhausting. Really made me want to take a nap. Even if I were in depression there are a lot of other things I would much rather wallow in than this. I can appreciate the quality of this music. Unfortunately I didn't appreciate the music itself.

Pretty good. Super heavy rock that reminds me of nirvana, soundgarden, pearl jam. You could have had me guess the decade and i could have told you within 5 seconds of the first song. Not that its a bad thing, but it doesnt sound like it could come out today. Rooster bangs. 6/10

3.5