10 Best Grunge Bands Of All Time
3. Alice in Chains
Grunge was always a different stripe of music than metal. Even though a lot of acts coming from Seattle were definitely heavy, there was always a distinction between their sound and the sounds of bands like Metallica or Slayer. It wasn't until Alice in Chains came along that grunge had an authentic metal tinge to its sound.
When it comes to heaviness, AOC's riffs are some of the most gargantuan musical passages to come from the Seattle scene. Guitarist Jerry Cantrell would tune his guitar down extremely low to get a more gutteral sound out of his instrument, which resulted in songs that felt like you were working your way through a swamp.
On the other end of the spectrum, the band had a tremendous gift for melody, with Layne Staley and Cantrell perfectly complimenting each other with vocal harmonies. Instead of just coming off as a doom-and-gloom metal act, these harmonious passages brought a subtle glimmer of beauty to the band's sounds, which worked wonders on their mellow acoustic passages. In a time that was in need of musical change, Alice in Chains combined all of their different influences to create a unique sound that seemed to bend both genres and cultures. It's beautiful to listen to but also heavy enough to headbang to at the same time.