10 Almost Perfect Grunge Albums With One Bad Song

Alice In Chains represented the heavier, darker side of the grunge scene. Indeed, after the release of their debut, they were offered a slot opening for metal bands Slayer, Megadeath and Anthrax. Although they weren't initially embraced by the thrash audience - with incidents of Layne Staley, getting into punch ups with the crowd - they soon found welcome in the metal community.

Over the next few years, their popularity soared, but so did the presence of heroin. In 1994 the group took a break while Staley struggled with his addiction. During this time he recorded an album with Pearl Jam's Mike McCready under the name Mad Season. McCready was fresh out of rehab, and the album acted as a cathartic coming to terms with addiction. It's unlike anything you've ever heard from the Alice in Chains frontman. With reflective, revealing and vulnerable lyrics, set to far more emotive music. It acted as the palate cleanser for Staley to get back in the studio with his own group.

Alice In Chain's self-titled next album was a return to form. They embraced their metal tendencies with a renewed energy. But it's uneasy, for all its brilliance, you can hear the tensions within the group reflected by harsh guitar tones, juxtaposed with the melodic choruses. It all becomes a bit oppressive around the mid-way point, with God Am: a track that hears Staley indulge in self-loathing, with non of the relief, even a half-decent guitar riff would bring.