Alice In Chains / Facelift (2LP/30th Anniversary)

Alice In Chains' debut studio album, Facelift, emerged from the rainy gloom of Seattle as a gritty harbinger of the grunge revolution, blending the sludge of Black Sabbath with the raw emotional howl of punk and the melodic heft of hard rock. Recorded in the spring of 1990 at London Bridge Studio in Seattle and Eldorado Recording Studios in Burbank, California, it introduced the world to the band's core lineup: vocalist Layne Staley, guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell, drummer Sean Kinney, and bassist Mike Starr. At a time when hair metal reigned supreme, Facelift carved a darker path, its sludgy riffs and haunting harmonies foreshadowing the band's signature sound of despair and defiance.