10 Grunge Albums You Need To Hear Before You Die
5. Dirt - Alice in Chains
Most of the grunge aficionados didn't really have time for the metallic side of the spectrum once things started to get going. Once you got a whiff of something like Smells Like Teen Spirit for the first time, why the hell would want to listen to the macho posturing of something like Metallica or Megadeth ever again? As much as they seemed at odds throughout the decade, Dirt by Alice in Chains shows where the heavier side of alt rock could mix.
Having as much to do with the drug habits of the band members as the actual music, most of this record was a detailing of Layne Staley's nefarious heroin habit that was going on during the recording of the album. Though most of the songs are draped behind a character concept, you can still hear that sadness as Staley tries to make peace with his demons, only to come crawling back to them every single time.
Aside from the actual lyrics, the music meets Staley's level of intensity, as Jerry Cantrell makes the same kind of sludgy riffs that would have made Tony Iommi proud back in the day. While Staley shuffled off this mortal coil with his demons back in the 2002, Dirt still gives us a peek into the junkie's experience without having to put a needle in your vein. Forget AC/DC, this album right here is the true highway down to hell.