10 Underrated Metal Albums Of The 1990s

Alice in Chains were in a depressing state of affairs by the end of the 90's. While the band's track record on albums like Dirt and Facelift created some of the greatest tunes of the decade, the band seemed to be getting more and more hollow as Layne Staley was fading away due to drug addiction.

On the other hand, the band's self-titled album is actually a great record given its disastrous production development. Most of the tracks on here have a great stomp to them that reminds us all of just why the group was the metal counterpoint to the alt-rockisms of the day. Though most radio stations tend to just play the acoustic cuts like "Heaven Beside You," songs like "Sludge Factory" and "Grind" almost abandon the alternative bent altogether in favor of just raw metal ferocity.

Even though the band was coming off the tender acoustic EP Jar of Flies, this was them going back to their roots as an all-out metal band. Long before they hit it big, Alice in Chains certainly had heavier ambitions, even going so far as to play the Clash of the Titans tour with Megadeth, Anthrax, and Slayer. Once we heard the self-titled record, it felt like every trace of heaviness in this band had finally come full circle.