10 Greatest Hard Rock Songs (Without Vocals)

Having an Alice in Chains song that doesn't feature vocals just feels wrong. Given that Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell's harmonies are a huge part of the group's overall sound, to have that kind of beauty stripped away almost feels like they're kneecapping themselves. On Whale and Wasp though, it turns out that all Jerry needs is his guitar to really tug on your heartstrings.

Across the EP Jar of Flies, most of the lyrical content revolves around Staley looking down his addiction and coming to terms with the losing battle he's fighting.

Though something like Nutshell is where you can hear Staley voice his pain, this one guitar line has all the inner turmoil you really need. As Cantrell slides up and down the fretboard, the chorus effect drapes this song in melancholy, with a foundation that feels just the slightest bit off.

The real killing blow of the song is the bends that happen halfway through, which actually sound like demons crying from down in Hell. Since Staley was already confined to his drug-addled state, it's almost as if these subtle guitar bends are screaming the pain that he can't really pull off. There's a lot of darkness surrounding this track, but sometimes you have to work through that pain in order to find the real beauty.