10 Best Metal Albums For Non-Metal Heads

When it comes down to comparing genres, metal and country seem like they are two opposite ends up the spectrum. Across each genre's sounds, the abrasive tones of something like Megadeth seems like the polar opposite of Merle Haggard or Johnny Cash. However, both of these styles of music do know a thing or two about heartache, which comes to a head on Jar of Flies.

At this point in Alice in Chains' career, they had already been through the ringer in terms of drug abuse, as Layne Staley started to slowly lose his battle with heroin. Instead of just going into the studio to make another record, this almost all-acoustic affair is one of the most raw pieces of music the metal genre has to offer, with pure pain in the place of where heavy distortion would have been. Whether it's the the smooth forgiveness on No Excuses or the sad lament on the opening track Rotten Apple, you can tell that Alice is trying to hold everything together, even when one of their members is at half capacity.

This is also one of the few metal records with beautiful vocal harmonies, as Jerry Cantrell clashes with Staley to create some of the most melancholy melodies over these tracks. For as much pain is on this record, it turns into an oddly uplifting experience by the end.