Reviews (page 9 of 14)
Not a genre I’m drawn too, but I can appreciate the musicianship. I’m not a professional critic, nor am I trying to be … so I’m just going to write about how this album made me feel rather than what *I think* it should make me feel. All that being said, I’m finding myself relating to this album way more than I thought I would. I was 3 when this album came out, so I never caught it while it was part of the nineties grunge scene it’s so integral to. I’m from Seattle and I’m a recovering addict, so I can’t deny that I feel a connection to this. I fuck with Sickman for obvious reasons. I’m in a depressed and down mood today and feeling like using (even with two years clean). I think this album was divine timing because it soothed me while also deterring me from making a horrible choice. Favorite songs: Rooster Junkhead Sickman
Some good bangers here but it gets tiring listening to it all at once. It's better in small doses. It's somewhere between 2 and 3 stars for me.
Never been a huge fan but I can see the appeal. There's something about the vocals that is off-putting.
This is not my preferred genre, but I definitely get why it’s considered a great album in the genre. Them Bones and Rooster stand out as the best songs. Impressive vocals - a bit abrasive for my taste but his voice is a great fit for this music. Lots of pain in his voice. The band is clearly talented; in particular, the drummer.
A standard rock experience that a lot of others paired to hit. It's good but it's a saturated market so sounds like I've heard it all before when in actual fact these guys made it first.
I enjoyed this one. Pretty run of the mill grunge.
I'm not much for grunge but the guitar work was great
It's nice. Nothing over the top but also not tragic. My kinda sounds
More on the metal side of the grunge spectrum. Really enjoyed Rooster.
I respect it, just not for me.
A great bridge between grunge and heavy metal for anyone who needs it. Growing up, alternative radio sort of jumped around between all of the various alternative/rock genres and I never fully appreciated where Alice In Chains fit into the big picture. I’m realizing that I’ve probably drastically underrated their influence on much of the music I listened to growing up - more than Nirvana, Alice In Chains feels like the wellspring of my early 00s CD case. At least four of these tracks were always in rotation on alternative rock radio in the 90s/00s ("Them Bones", "Down In A Hole", "Rooster", and "Would?"), so you're never very far from a familiar song on this album. After listening, I'm sure Alice In Chains was a gateway to heavy metal for a lot of kids in the early 90s and I'm glad I listened a little closer. All that said, will I revisit this very often? I kinda doubt it.
pretty standard grunge
On the surface, this should be an album I love. I'm a fan of metal and hard rock, and like quite a bit of grunge. And this record does have some absolute bangers with great riffs - among them "Down In A Hole" and "Rain When I Die". But there is something about some of the stylistic choice - among them the odd interval harmonies - that just grates. A poster child for everything I hate about this band is "Rooster", which is both ponderous and annoying. If you like this style of music, this is unequivocally a 5* record. But for me it just misses the mark.
You can't kill the rooster, motherfuckers.
Going in I thought I’d like it more. I think the heavy parts are cool and he’s got a decent voice. Problem is he sings so long. Like hurry up dude. Idk not my favourite. Light 3
Alice In Chains is decent, but not great. There is better Metal and there is better Grunge from the era.
I have never been a fan of AiC. Back in the day, I was told I had no taste in music because I didn't like this fucking band. I carry that bitterness with me to this day. It's been at least 25 years by now. I should move on but I won't. AiC aren't bad but they definitely wear thin after a few songs. 'Rooster' and 'Would?' are good songs. Staley was an interesting vocalist. RIP.
I enjoyed the guitar through out the album. Them bones and rooster hard favourites. May have been a more reminiscent album for me as enjoyed the songs when younger. But the heavy guitar and vocals were strong throughout. Good album
Great riffs on this thing, my only gripe is that the songs tend to run abit long for my liking, and I tend to lose attention. Them Bones is a standout
Cool grunge! Can’t believe I haven’t heard it
Better than one would think
Better and heavier than many grunge albums, but still the type of album that it’s hard to muster up much enthusiasm for. The tracks blend together in a homogenous sludge that makes it hard to sustain focus. Favorites: Rooster, Would?
Weird to get yet another early 90s album in a row, but I'll admit much nicer than the string of 80s albums from a bit ago. And of course I feel a bit of pride to have another hometown band show up, although I never really understood why Alice in Chains was as popular as they were back in the day. Layne Staley's voice is quite distinctive, though, and I'm sure that's part of it; a shame that the band and their music/lyrics weren't quite as distinctive or interesting, but it's hard to deny their popularity given that they managed five singles from the album (and one of them appropriately pulled from Cameron Crowe's film "Singles", whose popularity was equally baffling). Funny too to see this album (and band) described as both metal and grunge; they always seemed to me to be more metal- and guitar-oriented, and really more in a Guns-N-Roses orientation, but those all seem like meaningless distinctions 30 years later. The highlights for me off the album are a few of the singles: the opening track "Them bones" (despite the pretentious video), "Rooster" (also despite a disappointingly simplistic video about the Vietnam experience), "Dirt" (which along with "Sickman" are almost dead ringers for Soundgarten) and of course "Would?" (another disappointing video, sadly). (And while it wasn't a great track, I liked the "Untitled" bit that even included Slayer's Tom Araya, mainly because of how it included some riff by Cantrell that apparently annoyed the rest of the band and he promised to stop playing it if they could record it...) Very weird to read that the album was recorded in the midst of the 1992 LA riots, and kind of disappointing that none of the tracks reflect this piece of history. Sad too that heroin addiction played such a prominent role in yet another Seattle band in the early 90s.
Listened on August 8th. 6/10.
I owned an Alice In Chains “greatest hits” album in high school. I see now it was called “nothing safe - best of [a box set].” But they were always behind Nirvana and Pearl Jam, in my estimation. As an adult I’ve come to appreciate Layne Staley’s voice much more. And Jerry Cantrell’s, for that matter. That has elevated my appreciation of this band. The unrelenting gloom is still maybe a little much for me—just a thought, but maybe the 30-minute Jar of Flies EP would be a better intro to those who are unfamiliar with this band—but I like this. Also, they really have a knack for devastating final lines. See Would?, Nutshell.
Grittier than I’d like and not my personal taste, but I can see why others would like it.
Competent
3.5/5 - favorites were Rooster, God Smack and Hate to Feel
Pretty alright all things considered. Prefer the grunge side of the 90's Seattle music scene, but there are some solid tracks here worth the time to find.
El álbum tienen un comienzo muy sólido. Me gusta como trabajan con tipos de compases fuera del 4/4 en los primeros temas, pero con cierta sutileza, sin que esto llame demasiado la atención (como suelen hacer, aunque me guste también, bandas como Tool). Luego de los primeros temas el álbum se vuelve monótono y poco imaginativo, además de que los temas son un tanto largos. Hacia el final el álbum vuelve a cobrar vida, con riffs más notorios e interesantes. Si hubiesen descartado algunos temas el álbum tendría una mejor experiencia de escucha. Pero considero que, a menos que te guste este estilo grunge pesado, el álbum aburre un poco. Tiene un buen sonido, las letras son interesantes y genera momentos con mucho groove, por lo que el álbum está bueno, solo que no me pareció grandioso.
Another throwback to the college years. I definitely leaned more into punk/grunge than heavy metal/grunge, and, honestly, Alice in Chains was a band I knew and liked but never loved. Still, listening to all of "Dirt," I definitely heard a bit more I was drawn to than in my earlier years. I feel like "Would?" was always my favorite on this LP, but now I liked "Untitled" and "Angry Chair" a tad more, though "Would?" still holds up. Still, a like and not a love, but that's more personal preference. I completely respect what they brought to the grunge scene, but I was more a Nirvana and PJ kind of guy.
Not my thing
Powerful and angry
Heavy listening. Very minor key but good dynamics. Guitar good throughout but love solo in Hate to Feel. The cover reflected my listening experience. I enjoyed the album but I would need to be in a very specific mood to listen to this and this would be a mood I wouldn't frequent very often.
3/5
There are parts of this I like but I would never sit and listen to a full album of this for any reason but this list. 3 stars or C-.
I like the sound (mostly), but it gets a bit samey. Way too long of an album for how similar all the songs sound. None of them really stood out to me
I like grunge and have heard a lot of these songs before, but it’s not something I would listen to regularly.
Whaaaaaaa raaaummm de raaum raaum
Classic heavy 90s grunge. Layne Staley‘s voice pretty much defines the era for me.
Alice in Chains is a lot more proggy than I knew.
Just enough variation to keep it palatable, but the longer it goes the heavier it drags. Four songs? Four stars. Full album? The sludge becomes a slog
Decent but never rehit the heights of them bones
They're really almost a 4 for me. Unfortunately, they struggle to keep my attention it seems? There keeps being songs I almost like more, but then they all blend together into a similar if enjoyable sound.
This one caught me off guard. I'm normally not a fan of "metal" (and yeah I know it's a wide genre !), but the heaviness never felt overbearing here. Instead we got some intense almost-leading bass guitar and some really fun vocal harmonies that never felt like too much for me. This is teetering on a 4, and the only reason it doesn't quite hit that mark is because I don't really see myself returning to it. But very cool!
Highlights: ‘Rooster’
Noen hits. Ellers litt for mye grunge for min smak.
3.5 dad rock kinda cool
Favorite Track: Down In A Hole
'I feel so alone / Gonna end up a big ol' pile of them bones.' Sincerity does not certify aesthetic pleasure, or aesthetic success, but Layne Staley is so reliably upfront and naked in his truth that he does engender a palpable experience, even if, sonically, it's not my sort of heavy: 'Look at me now, a man who won't let himself be.' Like Jane's Addiction before them, Alice in Chains returns to Zeppelin, but w/ the same shortage of a bluesy register. It's more than just loud, but the persistence of melodies that aren't exactly melodic is tiresome, as is Staley's low-register howl, which is only slightly more soulful than Eddie Vedder's monotone. Oscar Wilde said that all bad poetry is sincere. This is sincere, and tho it's not bad, it's not great either.
Not my style but pretty catchy.
Iconic but not “great”
A little heavy for my liking. Brings me back to 90's grunge phase, maybe 15 year old.
I don't really like grunge and I thought this would be the same as Nirvana, but somehow it was even better
Kings of CHUNKY Guitar. Would and Rooster are their best songs and it's not even close past that. My hot take of this era is that Alice In Chains is overrated. The album is fine, but there are plenty of others in this vein that are MUCH better.
Sounds just like Alice in chains
Good album, some fantastic songs some filler
The sonic assault begins with the first track (Them Bones) with all the early 90's grunge swagger and dirty delivery you could hope for. This is a high energy album, but one dealing with somber subjects: death, addiction and war among them. It was literally recorded during the LA riots of 1992 while the core of the band teetered on the edge of rehab. So be ready for the darkness and your descent into it. 1-800-273-TALK(8255) is the US national hotline if you need help dealing with your feelings. The album feels like a triumph over the darkness, and the members treated the songs like a purge of poison.
Not bad. Enjoyed it. Metal/grunge
These guys always sat in an uncanny valley of heavy music for me, in a similar area where nu metal ended up. There's some great heavy parts but the vocals yank me out of it. I'm not saying buddy wasn't a great singer, or even that his style doesn't suit the music. I just don't like the way it all comes together. That said, they're way better than all the other shit that was going around in the early 90s, the Pearl jams and the Nirvanas and all that other slop. And of course, better than Radiohead.
This grunge works a bit, but doesn’t grab me near as much as Pearl Jam. Damn that river is probably the strongest.
Poor Alice, being in chains.. but apart from that, overall not too bad of an album, pretty chill for what I always thought was a pretty harsh-sounding band. It was nice having it in the background and although it wasn't super chill, it sounded pretty nicely.
Dec
No cóż. To jest kawałek porządnego, ciężkiego rocka. Nie jest to moja muzyka, ale doceniam. Niestety, nie jestem w stanie się wczuć w te kawałki. Może dlatego, że jednak wychowałam się tylko na Nirvanie a teraz jest już we mnie za mało buntu, aby się zakochać. 6.5/10 równane w dół.
Not the biggest fans of hard rocks songs
Esse foi um breve mergulho de volta à minha adolescência. Acho que o disco tem hits óbvios e não é tão consistente de cabo a rabo quanto eu achava na adolescência, mas ainda assim, um ótimo disco.
Just not great. Maybe I don’t like the distortion?
Lowkey reminds me of OTH.
Almost gave it a 4. I see this as more of a grunge album and not a metal and maybe that’s why it’s a 3 and not a 2 star :). The subject matter of the songs was what kept me from giving it a 4. I don’t come to music to get depressed
I appreciate this as being iconic for many and I did enjoy a few of the songs but was generally outside of my preference - both for genres as well as outlet for
grunge, op zich niet slecht van muziek, maar zang is meestal waar het fout loopt... zo ook hier
this was ok. i listened to it in a heatwave on a sunday with a headcold after a really difficult week and it sort of made sense in that context.
I wanted to give this a five and say it's made me re-evaluate my opinion of grunge and I was regretful for not being an Alice in Chains fan before. Unfortunately, I just thought it was OK. I love the way the record sounds; but I don't love a lot of the songs. The song lengths feel quite bloated, with little development over five or six minutes.
Heuuuree come da ROOOSTUUUUUHHHH
A classic for the era, but way too dark & heavy for my taste.
I only knew one of their songs beforehand - but I assumed I would like this based off similar bands It was ok. I enjoyed the guitars, but a lot of this just seemed a bit bland. I found it lacking something 3 ⭐️
Aldri falt meg inn å høre på dette bandet, men absolutt verdt å lytte gjennom dette albumet. Mange gode riff med god tyngde, og Layne Staley gjør en praktfull jobb med å levere overraskende gode sangtekster. En snau time blir dog litt for langt for min smak. Det kunne nærmet seg fireren om skiva hadde lengden til en vanlig LP.
An actual heavy metal band! The voice keeps up a very monotonous pace and sound, so most songs get boring fast. Some are really nice, but that doesn't make the others less boring.
Noh, ihan ok. Hiukan alitti odotuksia, kun ei oikein tarjonnut tunnettujen biisien jälkeen muuta ihmeellistä. Perus hyvää hard rokkia, mutta ei omaan makuun erikoista. Parhaat: Them Bones, Down In A Hole, Angry Chair, Would?
What a way to open album: “AAAAUUHHHH!” Some decent riffs, but pretty repetitive.
This is immediately familiar to me. I would be I have heard this album before sometime in my childhood- this is exactly the stuff my dad listened to, and the the kind of music that was heavily influencing the music his band was making at the time. It all kinda sounds the same until Down In a Hole. Really like the drum intro to Sickman. Really like the drums overall in this song, and the changes in timing. Rooster is classic. Everyone knows this. I get why: it has the most texture and diversity of sound from everything else on the album. I love this genre, but this album wasn’t for me.
I am an Alice In Chains fan but unfortunately I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with the album Dirt. The songs on here that I like, I really like. That is about half the album. And the songs I don’t like on Dirt, I really don’t like. In further contrast, Would is my favorite AIC song while Sickman is my least favorite song. I’m speaking only of the Layne era here. (However I do like some of the albums post Layne as well.) Listening to Dirt for this project didn’t change my mind on this feeling. Even a few of the songs I like just hit different now that Layne is no longer with us. Feels weird actually. Especially with Them Bones and Rain When I Die. My biggest struggle with AIC has always been the despair and drug references. When done well, like Down In a Hole for example, it works for me. But a song like Junkhead or Hate To Feel misses the mark. Overall I have to give Dirt a 3 rating. I’ll keep listening to the songs I like but a full album play just won’t happen. 3/5
Only knew the hits going into this. Good & grungy. Vocals get whiny sounding at times, but when they hit, they hit.
A well known and acclaimed album from the grunge era. The music recalls the early 70's hard rock/metal era with similarities that make it sound familiar. It's good and definitely listenable, but really it's nothing special and doesn't offer anything new. The audience for this band is the next generation (20 years later) from the original era this is influenced by and I would suggest they have a listen to the band's influences. This is not innovative music, but it's well performed and accessible.
Нормальный альбом, средней тяжести рок
Rock is not my genre, could not understand most of what they are saying Enjoyed some tracks tho 3/5
need to listen again on headphones. listened to this in the background while working but a friend of mine said it was a very depressing album.
The lessest of the Seattle grunge bands. Absolutely has some standout tracks, but a bit uneven overall. Really a 3.49. I would've given it 3.5 and rounded up buy Layne Staley's chin ponytail and wraparound shades STILL annoy the shit out of me.
probably the darkest grunge album, with a lot of classic songs, I hear a lot of Sabbath in the music as well. high 3.5
its alr, better than 2nd, not as good as oasis quite mcr core icl
It's not bad, but I couldn't get charmed by it, a bit on one note, and it doesn't feel too special either.
Epic album loved it
Mediocre grunge music which eventually sounds like the same song over, and over. I will say it goes well as background music while shooting pool in a public. Favorite Track: "Rooster".
Was ok, very like pearl jam and difficult to tell the difference between songs. I do have nirvana stuck in my head now today
Another sub-Nevermind grunge album. Nothing much wrong with it, but it doesn't really stand out.
Rocky Docky Whatever
I don't need this in my life, but it's not bad. I'd say it's a 3.5.
Not really grunge in my opinion, far too metal sounding. Standard screeching singer. Having said that wasn't as bad as I thought. Thought Rooster was pretty good
Liked this more than I thought - interesting metal/grunge hybrid - some good harmonizing, original guitar sounds, visceral lyrics. A Mood! Did think the 2nd half dropped off but some bangers on the 1st half.
I was a freshman in high school when this album came out, and I was the perfect angsty age for grunge. I don't know, then, why Alice in Chains never clicked for me. I used to actively dislike it. Upon this listen, I've softened that stance, but I'm still not a fan. It's solid, though, and I can see why most people vibe with it. 3 stars.
Better than I expected. Always placed Alice In Chains as a 'bottom-of-the-barrel' grunge band, but they're certainly above average. grunge in general just isn't that good.
This album is good has some classic songs on it, but the songs start to blend together. Would need more listens to really hear the difference. Maybe.
Was good music, but wasn't exceptional
90s classic. The style is very distinctive and very similar across all bends from that period. This feels a lot more repetetive and bit... boring?
Them Bones on Guitar Hero. Surprising number of songs that survived to modern radio era.
Great classic grunge album.
Some good stuff. But not really for me.
Not exactly cheerful. But a solid album and I can see the argument for some grunge albums to be on the list. Made me wonder what made all these Seattle lead singers decide to sing in the same way. Most of the songs were too long Clearly they have an excellent guitarist.
this is a pretty cool nirvana album I want to like it. At times it's entertaining and holds my attention, but the album loses my attention just as quickly. I didn't care for "Nevermind" or "In Utero" either, so maybe I just don't like grunge? Maybe I just don't get it? Maybe I wasn't in the right mood while listening to this? This album has been a breaking point for me. I wrote up a whole rant about how I've enjoyed a mere 6 of the 28 albums I've listened to so far, but I deleted it. I'm taking a break from this website, who knows when or if I'll be back.
rewarding when it caught my attention but too samey overall
good but i would probably like it more if my head hurt a little less
Alice in chains was never my favorite band from this era but this is a pretty good album -- If I could I would probably give it more of a 3.5 but it is what it is....
Its ok.
Solid 3.5 but won’t let me do halves
Ok
Mid
I thought this was much later in the 90s than 92. It's not really my style and if it was about twenty minutes shorter, I probably would have liked it more.
"Rooster" [++] "Would" [++] "Them Bones" [+]
Multiple hits from the 90s grunge era. This one is a tweener for me...rounding down because on the whole I don't find it to be an enjoyable listen.
I've never been a fan of Dirt compare to "heavier" albums like the three legged dog one or Black Gives Way To Blue, but I didn't dislike this. I just think most of the songs sound the same and didn't move me much. But it's still a cool sound.
Didn't really do anything for me, sorry.
Decent, not my style. Some songs I really enjoyed
I was born in '87. Mostly Christian music in the house. Every now and then I'd get glimpses of my dad's taste in Led Zeppelin and hair metal. I grew up listening to Christian and local punk bands. My sister was the one who introduced me to cool music, like Portishead and Smashing Pumpkins. By the time I had developed my own music life I gravitated toward post-hardcore and indie rock. All that to say, I kinda missed the 90s grunge era. Looking backwards, its tricky for me to appreciate bands like Pearl Jam, STP, Alice in Chains, Metallica. Feels like the nu metal lineage, like aesthetically closer to Slipknot or Creed. Kinda trashy. Not super relatable to me. It's not the worst though.
Just background noise on an airport run nothing really grabbed me.
Lieblingssongs: Dam that River, Down in a Hole, Hate to Feel, Would? Mag das Album generell schon, doch manchmal ist es so geballt auch ein bisschen viel, zu viele ähnliche Sounds und man muss in der Stimmung sein für den Gesangsstil.
His voice is whiney
Is this a grunge, huh?
I have often listened to Alice in Chains but never really been a fan. Their albums are ok but have not really convinced me.
Not my favourite genre … but wasn’t bad.
Started off feeling pretty dated... I don't know if I just got used to it or that it got better, but it jumped from a 2 to a 3 for me about half way through. Still sounded dated regardless.
Like if Metallica listened to Nirvana and SoaD. Not bad as it is, but also one of my least favorite parts of 90s rock.
this was fine but certainly not good
6/10 Best track: "Rooster“
Llevo con el álbum en bucle lo menos tres horas y no me llamó la atención ni una sola canción, de hecho, me está empezando a rayar vivo, pero me mola, yo diría que más que Nirvana, pero simplemente no me parece memorable. Igual lo vuelvo a escuchar otro día y me vuelve loco así que me lo guardo, pero meh.
Another bit of rock that feels rather slow and casual. Perhaps I'm not a big fan of classic rock in general.
Mixed feelings. Deze site zet me wel aan het denken, dat ik grunge hoger heb zitten dan ik dacht. De esthetiek, de vocalen, en vooral de metal gitaren zijn niet echt mijn pakkie an over het algemeen, maar de verscheidene grungey acts die wel al hebben mogen beoordelen bekleden allemaal wel echt hun eigen niche. Dat had ik niet gedacht. Ik had in mijn hoofd dat bands gedurende die tijdspanne van een jaar of 3/4 allemaal om en nabij hetzelfde produceerden. Alice In Chains heeft net als een Smashing Pumpkins echt een eigen geluid. En waar Nirvana veel les trekt uit noise en punk, is AIC voor een groot deel geworteld in metal, en dan vooral Black Sabbath. Het jaren 70 werk van de band uit Birmingham druipt uit alle poriën van deze plaat. En alhoewel ik toch wel een (gematigd) fan ben van het werk van Black Sabbath, is een heel album aan metal-achtige riffs en doomsday vocalen wel een beetje veel. Ik kende de knallers van deze plaat ('Down In A Hole', 'Rooster' en 'Would?'), en dat zijn wel echt Knallers met de hoofdletter K, maar daarmee was voor mij het verhaal van deze plaat wel verteld. De rest was niet slecht, maar gewoon te langdradig voor iemand die toch snel overprikkeld raakt door deze muziek. De stem van Layne Staley is wel echt monumentaal wat mij betreft, net als 'Would?', wat misschien wel de beste album-afsluiter is van de jaren 90. 6,5/10 Highlights: Rooster Would?
I can hear why Nirvana were the big breakthrough act from the grunge era. There is a sense of melody that the others lack, and of course Kurt’s voice bring something extra that the likes of Layne Staley just didn’t have. It’s all a bit dirge like and samey to my ears. Next
It has some good songs
Would (?) I listen again? Maybe. Would? Is probably my favourite song from this album.
I have spent the last 35 years thinking Alice In Chains was probably a knockoff Nirvana that I didn’t need to hear. It turns out they around much more like a knockoff Metallica, but in the best way. Huge guitars, huge drums, huge riffs, great frontman. I enjoyed it, tho I don’t need to repeat.
Dont think I have ever listened to them on purpose but this was actually pretty good. Its a 3 because I probably wont come back but its very close to being a 4.
I've tried to get into grunge before as it feels like something I should like, but it never clicked for me. However, I enjoyed this once I got into the vocals. Three stars as it could lose 3-4 songs and I'm not sure I'll go back to it, but it has definitely made me rethink my position on grunge - I'm looking forward to hearing Soundgarden and Pearl Jam who are inevitably on this list somewhere
not bad not my thing but didn't mind it
such anguish
This one had a ton of acolytes back in the day, but I wasn’t one of them, because I figured, well, yeah, it rocks, but so did a lot of other things at the time, and I couldn’t really see what it was doing to distinguish itself. In retrospect, it’s better than I thought, because the highlights are truly high. And yet, many of the tracks hit the same vibe and riff, so I still find it a bit middle of the pack.
That INTRO hits so hard. Way to grab your attention in the first three seconds. I do find Layne Staley's voice a little whiney and nasaley though.
I didn't hate it. I was only familiar with the first track (Them Bones). Favorite track: Down in a hole. It's giving sad girl. I lied, I know the "Rooster" which is a fun song. Will I listen to this again? probably not. But this was my first full grunge album (don't come at me Seattle.I just moved here.) "Dirt" actually slapped tho. "You, you are so special You have the talent to make me feel like dirt" Correction.. I didn't know "would?" was alice in chains. Okay I might give this album another go.
Listened to this, and Superunknown, and Ten, when I was 13. Have not listened much since. It's pretty good, but overlong and the grunge guitars blur into each other as the album drags on. Tough to imagine revisiting much, but it's clearly accomplished.
This is a kind of sound I feel obligated to like simply because of the instrumentation. The roaring guitars, including the thickly distorted bass and drum sound, is done fairly convincingly here. And yet... something feels missing to me. Maybe it's the variation in mood, which is pretty much nonexistent. In other words, every song sounds very grungily similar to the last, and that's especially sinful for a consistently high-energy album (and one that covers nearly an hour of runtime). As another reviewer correctly pointed out: "The grungy sameness of it all makes for difficult listening." Another reviewer, giving the album a 5, conceded that Alice In Chains creates disorientation through their weird time signatures and near-atonal sound. And sure, pushing the boundaries of music is fun - but at some point you have to concede that music sounds better when it's, well, musical. Dirt gets about halfway there. 3/5 Key tracks: Them Bones, Down In A Hole, Rooster
-pretty cool! very intense and interesting, sort of reminiscent of Nine Inch Nails. surprised I haven’t heard anything by them up until now -It wasn’t really holding my full attention by the end in the same way the opening songs gripped me. holy shit those first few songs though, insane -Favorites are Them Bones, Dam That River, and Down In A Hole
Gotta love grunge
Some really catchy tunes I like some of it, other stuff is not really for me I think. Mixed feelings on this one
Grunge är inte helt min grej. Kanske de klickar ordentligt nån dag. Bästa låten: Would?
- That's grunge, all right.
Never was a huge AiC fan but Would, Hate to Feel and especially Rooster were very good tracks upon relisten. The rest not as much for me.
Definitely more accessible/commercial than I was expecting, and since grunge is really not my favorite genre that means it was better than I was expecting as well... 5/10
I’ve listened to this album 1001 times when I was a teenager.
This record is filled with heavy guitar riffs, solid vocals, and cool solos. Many of the songs go on for too long though, and there’s quite a lot of repetition.
Had never knowingly listened before and I have to admit I enjoyed! A great Monday album to get you going. Reading the accompanying notes, it seems they are a lot bigger than I imagined and the album seems pretty well crafted. A strong 3+
Bit of a fan back in the day! Maybe not stood the test of time all that well, but there's a handful of great tunes on there.
This…has not aged as well for me as I would have liked. That said, there are still four or five really great songs that don’t just make me say, “ugh, boring old grunge” in my head. That doesn’t really sound very complimentary, but Alice In Chains is pretty much the only grunge band I’ve ever been able to listen to at all, so that’s saying…something, right? 3/5
Grungy. They were never my faves from the era, but a good listen.
7/10 Consistent, great listen, but missing stand out songs. Highlights: Them Bones Would Sickman Rooster
Down the hole song was kinda fun :D I'll give you a 3
Felt like high school, because it was. It’s good. Nothing stand out to me.
3.37⭐️
3 stars. It was alright, just a decent metal album. Could’ve even gave this a two
Dad rock to the max. Like, I literally think my dad likes this music. Mix is great though, let's be real. But I'm feeling butt rock vibes right now. I may even move my own butt. Help...
Not something I’d listened to before and probably won’t again, however, appreciate it is a decent body of work and some songs I’ll put on again such as Rooster and Would
Dirt has a heavy, raw sound that I mostly enjoyed. For me the standout tracks were Them Bones, Rooster and Would
Var overrasket over hvor mange sanger jeg har hørt før her! Det er mye digge tunge riff her. Aller kulest er det når det er skikkelig seigt og treigt, som på Dirt og Hate to Feel. Nesten en sludge/doom metal type greie. Det jeg ikke liker er sikkert det mange grudge-fans digger: hele greia virker skrevet og sunget av en skikkelig sint, deprimert drittsekk. Vil ikke ha den negative auraen i livet mitt
Don’t like nearly as much as their contemporaries, some good moments tho.
Back in the 20th century, when record companies roamed the earth and influenced music trends, there would be a cyclical nature to the "next new thing" - a different sounding artist or genre would emerge, and the labels would plunder the land to find "their" version of whatever the trend dictated. This was not more explicitly demonstrated in the aftermath of the early 90s grunge revolution. Suddenly you couldn't swing a cat and not hit a band draped in flannel, with dark themes and darker guitar grooves. Alice In Chains was one of those bands who benefited to great success. Hearing Dirt now, 33 years after its release, it's easy to fall into the nostalgia of the era and praise their music more than it ultimately deserves. That said, its the quieter moments that hold up the strongest, in particularly "Rooster" and "Would?"
Some of it's great, but ultimately, it's all really dark and depressing. And while absolutely a distinctive sound, there's not a ton of variation track to track. A whole album is not good for my brain.
3.7 liked it more than i expected i would. them bones is pretty great. would return for a few songs
A little disappointing, to be honest. Not as diverse as I’d like.
I have not listened to Alice in Chains before and couldn't name a single song from them. The album sounded like a decent metal album and quite accessible actually even for non-metal fans. Maybe it was a little bit "all too similar" as I struggle to point out any specific tracks after listening to it.
There are some great uses of alternative time signatures on this album. There's great musicianship on Dirt too. Jerry Cantrell stands out on guitar (and the drummer's good too). Although I do appreciate this Alice In Chains album, I'm just not into it.
I was never a big Alice In Chains fan. 30 years later, my opinion hasn't changed. The music is fine and the guitar work is interesting but overall the lyrics are just too damn depressing for me to get into.
These guys feel like Metallica and Ozzy blended together. A lot of it sounds the same to me, and kind of meh. The guitar rocking is cool though. And I do like Rooster and Would?, those were big hits back in the day and still fun listens. Overall, it was fine and a solid 3, but not a band I'll explore more, unless of course they come up in the project again!
Pretty decent, not my usual stuff as I’m a big fan of lyrics and especially softer stuff atm but it definitely wasn’t bad- I wouldn’t switch it off if it came on and if I was in the right mood I might even put it on
Surprised at how much I actually liked this. Not normally a grunge rock type of guy. Probably my least favorite song was Rooster, probably their most famous. Dam that River was really solid though. Them Bones too. Really depressing album though. Hits hard.
I like some of Alice, but nothing on this album really grabbed my attention.
downloaded 3,11,12 and 13. have listened before
Thankfully, this was all I was expecting it to be. Some dirty (!), angry and groovy grunge. I’d dislike Staley’s vocals on paper - I’ve never been able to fully get behind that stretched, nasal nature of his and of similar grunge vocalists. But this time, they were the perfect fit for the consistently large instrumentation - it’s probably because this is the first time I’ve really given grunge a chance. I think I’d just likened it too much to other, more intense metal-derived genres. As for the album structure, lyricism, flow, et cetera - yeah, it works. Not to the supersonic degree that some people make out (although I can certainly see where they’re coming from) but to a satisfactory degree nonetheless. An hour well spent and another great discovery from the 1001 list.
Appreciate the grunge and started off enjoying the angry, disdainful mood but can’t listen to entire album of it.
This is grunge, as in sludgy, depressing, eerie, and, well, dirty. Highlights: "Them Bones" (explosive opener), "Down In a Hole" (passionate vocals), "Rooster" and "Would?" (epics), "Angry Chair" (foreboding, but melodic)
I like the guitar but not the vocals. Good for a metal album but not quite to my taste.
Grateful to be finally listening to some metal, that odd genre that is beloved by many. Usually I run as far away as I can from anything that even hints at being metal, but this album is decent (although the songs I like are less heavy lol) Down in A Hole Rooster are great! Low 3*, 2.6 would be more accurate.
Another one of those bands that was at the time the US and the UK were listening to different music and different artists. They never made it over in any meaningful way to the UK and this brand of grime/hardcore never took off. Musically there's something about this metal adjacent music that is really interesting - it cracks off in 7/8 time and there's plenty going on. It's ultimately not really quite my thing but there's another world where I was in my 20s but in the USA not the UK and I'd have lapped it up.
I never really enjoyed grunge, so always wrote these guys off as number three on the grunge totem pole but it’s definitely my favourite of what I’ve heard in that genre so far.
Layne, you're not yourself. Have a Snickers. As much as this album has never really been for me, by golly did I know every song from my youth. I think this is a staple of grunge music, and certainly an important album, but I don't tend to revisit this stuff too much.
Dirt's unwavering aura is both its asset and Achilles heel, proving Alice In Chains were capable hard rock metallurgists caught in grunge's suffocating undertow.
Another album that would be excellent if it didn’t shoot itself in the foot with its runtime. Cut the filler and I’d hail this as one of my favorite grunge albums. I love the bleakness and honesty, but I ended up with ear fatigue and impatience.
1 or 2 songs really scratch an itch, but an hour's worth gets me in the grave
The farther into the album I listened, the more I enjoyed this one.
Enjoyed the electric guitar, but didn't get a strong feeling one way or the other.
Some good tracks outside of Them Bones which is fantastic. Surprisingly bluesy which I didn't expect
Better than I remember. Spotify looped it three times and I didn't notice though, so that was interesting.
3.25 This album is very well loved and influential and important, and I like the hits from it! I will listen, and have listened to them, lots and lots. The rest of it doesn’t do a ton for me, gets a bit same-y, but all love to those who connect with this.
I'll give it a 3 for the guitars and general sound. It nearly lost all of them for the vocals.
Starts well, tails off quick
its good but not my genre
This just goes on forever! Starts off well, ends ok, middle is interminable.
overlong. tons of filler and a lot of noodling around. i listened under ideal conditions (high) and, even then, it took only a few tracks to feel exhausted "would?" is still great and there is a lot of satisfying guitar elsewhere on the record too. it's overall fine
My younger self would have really enjoyed this album. Now, it's a little hard to listen to at once. It's great rock and roll.
I've never really gotten super into Alice In Chains because their songs all kind of sound the same. This album has all of my least favorite hits like Rooster and Them Bones. I will say that Would? rocks though
Great old school grunge/heavy metal rock album
Another standard rock album. A bit less heavier than I imagined. "Junkhead" is my favourite on "Dirt". Tom Araya sounds a bit too similar to James Hetfield. Other than that, this album is pretty good. 3 stars for "Dirt".
nice album, but not perfect
2,90 Average Rooster 4xStar
There was this whole genre of rock bands that got lumped into grunge, that didn’t really fit. Really, those artists leaned more towards heavy metal. IMO, this is one of those bands. To me, they are closer to Metallica than Pearl Jam. This is another of those albums that was co-opted by 90s Midwest frat boys. It’s the kind of music that gets played in the background of a nasty hazing incident. It’s what the kids who destroyed Woodstock ‘99 would have listened to. That said, this band was never that bad. They were just alright. This does not qualify as required listening. It’s just sort of fine. Nothing to write home about. Angry, whiny white boys just get boring after a while.
This was pretty great, but didn't enjoy it quite as much as other grunge/alt metal albums from around this time, so 3* it is!
New to me, and enjoyed it for the most part as background music for work today! Made me realise how much what I’m doing while listening (as much as mood and nostalgia) impacts on how much I enjoy the music. I’m not sure I would have enjoyed this as much if I was in the office rather then out painting? I love a bit of grunge.
I’m pretty burned out on this album from the ‘90s, but back then, it was one of my favorites. The music shifts between mellow tracks and raw, gritty grunge. It’s easily one of the most iconic grunge albums, dealing with heavy themes like addiction and depression. Even though I don’t listen to it as much now, it definitely had its moment and deserves recognition for being such a defining part of the era.
3 - I did quite like the hits, but the deeper cuts were kind of boring.
Nostalgia factor definitely increased my rating!
# Album Name: Dirt # Artist: Alice in Chains # Rating: 3/5 # Comments: On a first listen it seems like pretty generic grunge to me. I was a big fan of nirvana which is more mainstream though. A few good songs on the album like them bones, down a hole and would. For now its a safe 3/5 # Top Tunes: them bones, down a hole and would. # Would I listen to it again? I'll come back for a second listen. There could be more to this album. Maybe its a grower. I'd like to find out.
I’m young enough to call this dad rock, but old enough to get mad if this was on the classic rock station. I don’t really like this kind of music, but I enjoyed the lyrics and technical aspects of it.
Not bad! Got a little samey though
Some grunge that grew in me toward end of album
3 - some good ones but I didn’t like most tbh
Good guitars but I don't like the vocals 7.1
I'd rate it higher if it was shorter. An hour of doom and gloom and monster riffs is a bit much.
Good shit
Me hizo dormir en el trabajo. No es malo pero se vuelve repetitivo después de 2 o 3 canciones.
Somewhere between pretty dope and too dark for me. I guess that's just grunge. I don't mind the occasional track about despair, suffering, or physical, emotional, or drug abuse, but the constant barrage and at times also musically very heavy and drawn out themes really pull me down. Throw out 3 or 4 of the more mediocre and doomish songs and this would have been an easy 4/5 stars, but as it is, it's just a 3.5 for me.
Didn't hate it.
This was just OK, I had heard Rooster since that was really popular, some of these tracks I had to skip because I really disliked them, but some weren't so bad, overall a 3 I think.
Cool riffs. Singer's voice is exhausting to listen to. Highlights for me: Them Bones, Sickman, Hate to Feel (HtF is uneven, but when it's on it's fantastic). Overall, 3 stars.
Alice In Chains es respetada como una de las mejores bandas del "Movimiento Grunge" de Seattle y con justa razón. Esta colección de duras canciones, con temáticas sumamente deprimentes, se extiende por cerca de 1 hora (quizás un poco mucho), acercándose más al metal que al rock alternativo. En mi opinión la mejor canción es The Rooster. Escúchelo.
Had some good songs, but nothing standout, scapes a 3.
Reminds me of my Iron Maiden period. Cool, but too bad I didn't listen to it back then.
Good ol, but that's it
Solid tracks
Nice to get some heavy grunge towards the end
About half of these songs will on heavy rotation when we finally got a rock station in my town. It was when I was graduating high school, well after the album released. These and all of the songs on that station at the time are ingrained in my memories - most of which are pretty depressing. So while I have appreciated the music in the past, it's hard for me to enjoy them now, after life has become so much better than it was then.
I only like 2 songs lol
I listened to this while angrily stomping around the city at sundown on the way to a dnd group. Short of lit outside a dive bar at gone 3am I think it’s a way the album is meant to be enjoyed. And I liked it. Arguably a bit too long and for me, a bit dark - I liked the single Dirt until I didn’t. Goes on the yeah I guess pile at a 3
Not bad, just not my thing. Not a fan of hard rock, even when mixed with other genres.
Some good some lame. 3 zone
Thought it was pretty dull initially - but there’s more to it. Down in a hole pretty good. Sickman not bed - gets interesting towards the end.
I know this is an unpopular opinion but I just can't get into Alice In Chains, they always feel like a budget version of other bands I really like so I would probably never choose to listen to them. I think it's the singing in particular. I do think their lyrics are well written though. Fave Track: Them Bones (probably due to Guitar Hero 2) Rating: 3
The songs are just kind of boring. The harder ones were cool, but got kind of meh.
Started off decent but became a slow, dull, angsty dirge by the end.
Solid album. Enjoyed it far more than Soundsgarden (which in hindsight is a 2 out of 5). Heavy chunky guitars and vocals ares great. It overstays its welcome a bit however with the lyric subject matter being quite a downer. The first three songs are a killer opener tho
3 out of 5. This album has some good hits like Would? and shows some heavy guitar that borders on metal. It does however get sludgy at times like grunge can be.
This was actually better then I thought. I still don’t like the voice but the rest was kind of ok.
dad rock, good thing I'm daddy 3/5
I can see why it is so famous, but not my genre
Surprisingly good. Didn’t get through all of it but like his voice and some good harmony. Guitar is rad too
Some interesting songs, but not really my thing 3/5
Having never really listened to Alice in Chains back in the 90s, I have zero nostalgia for this. I don't quite get the grunge label, it sounds like sludgy Sabbath-eqsue 70s metal mixed with a bit of 80s alt rock to me. It was a bit of a fatiguing listen but I think it picked up after the first few songs. Sickman and Rooster in particular felt like a much-needed shot in the arm.
Every song is basically the same but every song also fucks.
-A few good songs -Mainly the more tame ones hit better -A little too heavy for me -Can appreciate the art, not my favorite though -PRETTY GOOD GYM MUSIC
This album is not bad, but a little dirty, in my humble opinion.
This album is what the 90s smell like.
rooster, would, down in a hole
Not my style, but not terrible
Hits, aber auch einige Filler, obwohl es doch aus den 90ern ist, dem Jahrzehnt mit der objektiv besten Musik...
Great nineties hard rock album.
Got better
Very decent example of the genre. Doesn't grab me, but it was not bad music
I listened more to other A in C, particularly Unplugged. That was an Antho favorite. Not quite as much nostalgia on this album.
Decent alt rock and easy listening.
I love the harmonies they use in most of the songs. even though i am not a huge fan of the genre, i still liked listening to these songs. i kinda like the dark creepy vibes.
I've heard better.
While I love this era of rock, and there are a few tracks of AIC's that I love, I didn't find too much more on this album that I gravitated to outside of the tracks I already knew. Overall a good band, but I unfortunately wasn't wowed by this record. Notable Tracks: - Them Bones - Rain When I Die - Rooster - God Smack - Would? 6/10
I jammed out to this when it came out, but haven’t sought it out since then and was a time capsule looking into how hard some of the rock was that I used to listen to.
Pretty good especially rooster and would but idk I didn’t like it as much as Facelift
_Flashback to teenage years_ I was a 90s grunge fan stuck in the early/late 2000s as a teenager. Alice scratched to young + angry itch. That aspect has aged poorly. But the desperation and inner fear from a struggling addict leaves this a more haunted experience.
Favourite song - Rooster
Classic grunge. Somewhere between rock and metal. Very masculine.
A bit of nostalgia and it's certainly an interesting band but just a bit too dark for me. Maybe if the algorithm hadn't suggested on a Friday morning. Rooster is definitely a haunting song.
Gnarly grunge guitars Get lost in long banal wails, Flailing genre mix
Bit heavier than what I’m used to but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Lots of prog influences for sure; loads of time signature changes, key changes, odd chord progressions etc. Will definitely return to it in the future!
I had placed Alice in Chains more in the gothic area. I was probably wrong. In fact, the right genre is grunge. I hadn't noticed the album before, but I liked it. It won't be one of my top favorites. But it was good to have heard it. 3/5
Okay - probably a classic of its genre but only a couple of highlights for me
Sure whatever
Some decent tracks on this one, not quite my thing but thought it was enjoyable to listen to on some level
Pretty good. Too much of the album sounded too much alike, but there were some good songs that I was familiar with. 3/5 Might listen again
Honestly… much the same as yesterday! Enjoyed and appreciated it but wasn’t totally moved, though I could see their style growing on me.. maybe I’m just not a big grunge guy. Much prefer cleanliness
I quite enjoyed the sound of this and I could see myself really liking this but I’m just not always in the mood for this and some of the lyrics irked me. Will definitely return to this.
have never known the difference between this band and alexisonfire ... did enjoy this tho felt extremely 90s.. i liked the grunge and metal mix more than I thought i would!
Honestly more of a 3.5 than a full 3 but I cannot find it in my heart to bring it up to a 4. I really liked Dam That River, and Them Bones, Hate to Feel and and Dirt were okay. But the parts of the album I didn't like (eg Sickman) were so awful that while they did make the rest of the album seem better, they ensured I'll never do a full album listen of this again.
Very heavy, intense grunge. There's some cool stuff here a little too much for my own personal taste, but I liked it.
So far it's really good grunge album, they all have a familiar quality to them, like I have heard them before.
Good album, but once again another case with these grunge albums where I’m fatigued by the sound by the time we get half way through the album. Grunge can hit the spot for sure, but not when there’s no variation. Same vocal inflection and play style all the way through. Snooze. I would totally bump some of these tracks by themselves though.
This is very samey right like super similar to itself. It has like a mad max feel or a survival zombie game feel. I love how bass centered this is as well. This is not my typical style heavy and black sabbath inspired. I would 100% listen to this again and I think this is an important album to the culture and feels like it pushed this type of rock forward
Good songs,but couldn’t get into a decent chunk of it.
Pretty dark, grungy music. Fuzzy, repetitive guitar riffs bring an almost doom/sludge quality to it, while leads are often wahed and create a sort of psychedelic hard rock board wring on metal. Vocals are interesting here - sometimes they’re great and sometimes they can be a bit off putting. Some weird vocal harmonies that are cool. I like a lot of the components and there’s a few songs I really enjoyed (Them Bones, Rain When I Die, Sickman, God Smack), but the others don’t do much for me. Decent album but could never get majorly into this band, just not enough consistent enjoyment for me.
Favorite - God Smack
Good songs but was a bit too long for my liking
I enjoyed the start however it did wear on me a bit. Perhaps I was not in the mood for metal-grunge.
no lo mejor de alice in chains, ni alice in chains es lo mejor del grunge, pero cumple
2.5 /4 I really like would, down in a hole and angry chair
🤘🏻
Great lyrics
This album reminds me of college, and that while 90’s music was okay, it was nowhere as good as the music produced in the 80’s
Not bad, but all the songs kind of blended together in a muddy, indistinguishable glob.