10 Best Hard Rock Album Covers Of All Time
7. Dirt - Alice In Chains
Alice in Chains almost didn't need images to show you their brand of sludge. Across each record, the band's music seeps over you until you are filled with a beautiful sense of dread. Since their sophomore release Dirt saw them going in a darker direction, they needed something that would feel more ominous.
After going through different ideas, the open desert seemed to be the most ideal setting for the band's tunes, which already sounded like they were taking place in a barren wasteland. The real finishing touch was the girl superimposed underneath the scorched earth, almost helplessly trying to move, which seemed to describe the band's personal struggles.
It's been widely publicized that the album was being made when singer Layne Staley was struggling with heroin addiction, and the girl seems to be a good representation of his sorry state. There's a sense of hopelessness about the girl, almost as if there's no point in trying to rise up if you're just going to end up succumbing to the desert once again. Much like the opener "Them Bones" discusses, this album cover shows that no matter how hard you may try, you're fate is always going to turn to dust in the end.