For centuries it was not uncommon for an artist’s work to be almost unknown before his death. Often this type of art deforms or distorts something destructive or glorifies it, allowing it to stand out among its counterparts.
This month marked four years since the death of Layne Staley, who was perhaps best known as the lead singer for the heavy metal band Alice in Chains that made it popular in the early 90s.
Alice in Chains first formed in Seattle in 1987 with Layne Staley (lead vocals), Jerry Cantrell (lead guitar), Sean Kinney and Mike Starr, later replaced by Mike Inez (drums).
Despite the band’s frequent association with other grunge acts, Alice in Chains had a deeper, heavier and darker sound than many bands of the time, a group that was better suited to Billboard charts, selling more than 2 million copies.
The band also headlined Lollapalooza at i93. They won the “Best Song from a Movie”, the same year at the MTV Music Awards for the single “Would it?” off Singles soundtrack.
Caught up in the grunge movement of the ’90s, it was heavily mocked that Staley’s death shares an anniversary with the death of Nirvana front man Kurt. Cobain, only eight years ago.
Although there are differing opinions on what really happened to Cobain, Staley’s death was not a mystery.
The singer/songwriter overdosed on cocaine and heroin on April 5, 2002 after a long battle with addiction.
Fans flocked to the lyrics of songs like “Junkhead,” “Get Down” and “Feel the Hate” witnessed by Staley in the songs of Chick Dirt.
Lead guitarist Jerry Cantrell also touched on the subject of death within the lyrics of “Would You?” written in memory of Mother Love Bone Andrea Wood, a friend who also died of a heroin dose.
The band Jar of Flies decided not to go on a long-term engagement, as many worried about the seriousness of addiction.
In 1996, Staley confirmed his beliefs in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine and said “I’m scared to death, especially my own death by hand
Staley agreed to perform on the MTV series Unplugged in 1996, one of his last appearances with Alice in Chains.
it is a result of being handed over to oblivion. The album peaked at No. 3 and went platinum in its first month.
After Staley’s girlfriend died due to heroin use in 1996, Staley withdrew from public life, working only briefly with music. side project, Mad Season, and to perform for the last time with Alice in Chains, on tour with Kiss.
Six years later, Staley died of an overdose.
It was interesting that hardly anything was written about Layne’s passing,” quotes author/musician Henry Rollins. Really talented. It’s sad that he was calmed.
Charles Cross, the author of Kurt Cobain’s biography Heavier Heaven, also spoke about the possibility of writing something about Staley.
“I loved Layne. He had a heart and an idle spirit,” Cross says. “But I’m not sure if I’m ready for a lot of darkness personally. I may write about Layne in the future, but I probably couldn’t spend four years in that box.”
Others, however, attribute the lack of coverage on Staley to the fear of his death.
Many believe that if Layne had passed away in the nineties, when grunge was still a major part of music and culture, his death would likely have been more publicized.
Despite his lack of attention in the public eye, many musicians still remember and appreciate Staley through his music.
Staind’s song “Layne” from the album 14 Shades of Grey, and the Pearl-Jam hidden track ” 4/20/02″ found on the Lost Dogs album, written by Staley, when former band member Jerry Cantrell gave his solo album, Degradation Trip, in memory of Laney.
In an interview with MTV, Maynard James Keenan of the group and The Perfect Circle also mentioned his relationship with Staley when asked, where he discussed his ideas for songs about drug recovery.
I don’t know what drug addiction is like. I drew on the experiences of friends who went through recovery, and friends who never went through recovery, Keenan says. “Being friends with someone like Layne, it’s really kind of over your head. I don’t understand. But I want to help people who are on that border.
Perhaps because Alice in Chains wasn’t the only bandits at the time to sing about issues like medicine, loneliness, and depression, it was easy for many to tag them as grunge on the other hand.
Anyone who was around for the wave of Seattle grunge rock in the 90s would know the hand fit perfectly into this form of angst.
But the lyrics, the melody, and the overall sound remain unique to them only because the material in their songs did not serve to define or excite the generation; but it was used to explore the darker aspects of one’s own experience.
Staley’s lyrics appeared more direct and literal than Cobain’s, but they were no less poetic. His vocal ability alone soared above many of his contemporaries, while the raw, emotional intensity with which he used his vibrato remains a rare quality that many artists have tried to emulate to this day.
The music seemed to be one of the only outlets where Staley allowed his emotions to surface without being overcome by them.
Said critic Jon Wiederhorn: “If Nirvana were about the joy of destruction, Alice in Chains embodies a form of corruption.”
