Discussion Music / AliceInChains

I moved this entry here because trope slashing (putting two tropes together with a /) isn't permitted, and I'm not sure ATM about how to write this up to port the entry specifically to either one, or to another trope entirely.

• Darker and Edgier/Lighter and Softer:
  • In the Staley era, their full-length studio albums are the former and their EPs are the latter. The LPs are all heavy metal-style albums that become gradually heavier.^note Their debut Facelift is heavy, but still very glam-inspired. Dirt is much darker and heavier than Facelift, and the self-titled album is by far the heaviest of the lot. The two acoustic EPs (Sap and Jar of Flies), on the other hand, are more folksy and blues-inspired.
  • Of course, the EPs are only light and soft as far as AiC music is concerned; compared to any other acoustic record, the two are still as heavy and dark in their own right as is possible for acoustic songs.
  • Strangely, Facelift alone manages to fit this description. The first half, "We Die Young" through "Love, Hate, Love", is the dark and heavy style familiar to AiC fans that was kept for their following albums. The second half, "It Ain't Like That" through "Real Thing", has an extremely noticeable glam sound left over from their predecessors Alice N Chainz^note Of course, the A-side still has a bit of glam in it; even "We Die Young".
  • It's also visible in the lyrics depending on which member is writing them. Layne's lyrics were by far the darkest, often being about hopelessness, depression, and suicide. Jerry's tend to be more about failed relationships and introspection. Duvall's, while not lighthearted by any stretch, seem to be more standard metal lyrics, full of Badass Boasts and the like.

Who thinks Nightmare Fuel should be added to the page? Most of their work is pretty terrifying. “Angry Chair”, “Nutshell”, “Frogs”, and also the music videos for “A Looking In View”, “Lesson Learned”, and “I Stay Away” could qualify.