Though they were one of the first so-called “grunge” bands to sign to a major label, Alice in Chains were something of an outlier in the late ‘80s/early ‘90s Seattle scene. They didn’t fall directly into the punk camp, or the hair metal camp, and even the true metalheads thought they weren’t hardcore enough. This became painfully evident when the band opened a tour for Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax, and were hazed, spat on, and booed. Alice’s lead singer, Layne Staley, could take the criticism. He had a prankster’s spirit, not to mention a rock ‘n roll attitude that paired well with his killer rock ‘n roll voice. But newfound fame was overwhelming, as was the destructive addiction to heroin Layne developed to deal with it all. Soon Layne Staley found himself lost in a jungle of his own making, not unlike the jungle that he sang so convincingly about in one of Alice in Chains’ most endearing songs.

This episode was originally published on March 28, 2024.

Which Seattle artist or band hits you the hardest? Why? Let Jake know at 617-906-6638, [email protected], or on socials @disgracelandpod.

To listen to Disgraceland ad free and get access to weekly bonus content and more, become a Disgraceland All Access member at ⁠disgracelandpod.com/membership⁠.

Sign up for our newsletter and get the inside dirt on events, merch and other awesomeness - ⁠GET THE NEWSLETTER⁠

Follow Jake and DISGRACELAND:

⁠Instagram⁠

⁠YouTube⁠

⁠X⁠ (formerly Twitter) 

⁠Facebook Fan Group⁠

⁠TikTok

To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices