Alice in Chains

Alice in Chains formed in Seattle in 1987 around vocalist Layne Staley, guitarist Jerry Cantrell, bassist Mike Starr and drummer Sean Kinney, taking their name from Staley's earlier band. Though they rose alongside Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden, their roots lie in heavy metal, and their calling card is the harmonised vocals shared by Staley and Cantrell.

"Man in the Box" from Facelift (1990) broke them on MTV and rock radio, and Dirt (1992) brought "Rooster" and "Would?". Mike Inez took over on bass in 1993, and the self-titled 1995 album followed Jar of Flies in topping the US chart. After Staley's death in 2002, the band reunited, with William DuVall sharing vocals from 2006. Black Gives Way to Blue (2009) opened that second chapter.