Essential Alice In Chains Songs

10. "Rainier Fog" (Rainier Fog)
The new album from Alice In Chains, released last summer, is my favorite among the 3 from the revived line-up with William DuVall. Phase 2 of the band seems a little uneven for me, maybe my expectations are always too high, but Rainer Fog is the band firing on all cylinders.

9. "Bleed The Freak" (Facelift)
I remember it quite well- my buddy Luke turned 18 just at the start of our senior year, so he was able to land a coveted job at Co-Op Records in East Peoria. Sometimes I'd stop in just to talk to him, and one time I traded in 'Alice for Alice', as I had their hits CD The Best Of The Box and another one- but I wanted Music Bank; 3 full discs of Alice In Chains! The songs on Disc 1 featured their first album, Facelift, and that seemed to always be my soundtrack while playing Duke Nukem on Playstation. It was extremely hard to narrow it down to just 1 track from Facelift, but I had to go with "Bleed The Freak." Nothing says blasting bad guys like that one!

8. "No Excuses" (Jar Of Flies)
I dig this song for Sean Kinney's drumming- always seemed pretty breezy and laid back, especially for a heavy, dark band like these guys.

7. "Got Me Wrong" (Sap)
From the band's first EP, Sap, this seems to forward the direction they'd take on their next EP, Jar Of Flies and even their turn on MTV Unplugged. Maybe I'm just to their lighter side more than the heavy stuff.

6. "Them Bones" (Dirt)
This a great two minute metal song, like Black Sabbath's "Paranoid"; it's to the point and really exemplifies the band's sound. And it's hard to get that screaming refrain out of my head... "Ahhhhhh!"

5. "Down In A Hole" (Dirt)
Always liked this song, and noticed it has a weird "vrooom!" guitar song. I asked my friend Brent how that sound was made and he said it was from running a pick up the guitar. So now I get a little excited for that part.

4. "I Stay Away" (Jar Of Flies)
Stand out track for the vocal harmonies and also the added strings section. Its a bit deceiving since the song appears lighter because of that, but the lyrics are still as depressing as anything else in their catalog.

3. "What The Hell Have I" (Last Action Hero Soundtrack)
From the awesome Last Action Hero soundtrack... which is probably a statement that's up for debate, but I stand by it. Can't go wrong with a soundtrack that has AC/DC, Megadeth, Queensryche, Tesla, and TWO songs from Alice in Chains. This one is my favorite of the two because of the twisty guitar sound in the intro.

2. "Nutshell" (Jar Of Flies)
A vert very very close 2nd... such a soothing yet haunting song.

1. "Heaven Beside You" (Alice In Chains)
Nothing beats this song. The mixing of acoustic and electric guitars, just like blending the vocals of Layne and Jerry, is a great combination. My favorite album from the band is Jar of Flies, and this song feels like an extension of that.