top of page

★ Alice In Chains Essentials



I was hooked the first time I heard Man In The Box in a friend´s car. That tense-vocal chant in unison with the guitar riff, telling me how sick it was to be the dog who gets beat: say no more. No wonder why it´s one of the band´s signature songs. Incredible to think radio wasn’t so crazy over the voice of Alice In Chains´s late frontman Layne Stayley in the beginning, being his voice one of the most recognized in the rock scene.


Once you dive into Alice in Chains´ deep, dark sounds, you can’t help to feel through the lyrics all the suffering and personal struggle with addiction, depression, death… but such surrounding and immersive mood contrasts with captivating melodies and harmonies that can bring the hope to see light at the end of the tunnel. Pain never sounded so good.


"Yeah, it's fine. We'll walk down the line. Leave our rain, a cold trade for warm sunshine.

You my friend, I will defend. And if we change, well I love you anyway". - No Excuses.



Alice was of the first bands to break out in the grunge scene, back in the early 90´s when all eyes and ears turned to Seattle. The band was originally formed by Staley and Jerry Cantrell, who has been creative mind and sound crafter of the band with heavy-metal-influenced riffs, that combined with both Staley´s and Cantrell´s harmonic vocals created one of the darkest, yet most appealing and distinctive sounds of alternative rock.


Seattle's wretched aura, gave birth not only to new genres and styles, but saw the rise of many talents and bands such as The Big Four: Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Alice as well. Unfortunately, the heavy ambience and lifestyles led to losses of these talents, including AIC´s lead singer, who battled with drug addiction, intensified after the death of his fiancée. In 2002, he was found dead in his apartment weeks after his passing.


In 2005, the band reunited for a series of concerts with invited vocalists, including William Du Vall (Comes With The Fall), who to this day performs as vocalist of the reformed AIC, doing and incredible work to fill Layne Staley´s shoes. The new album Black Gives Way To Blue, featuring DuVall on vocals was released in 2009, and the following album The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here in 2013. Must-listen to follow but with the amazing musical masterpieces they put up in the past such as Facelift, Dirt or the latest Unplugged. I would love to have the opportunity sometime to see them perform live now that they reunited, though I must confess my heart belongs to Layne. Hopefully will all the new music they are making, we can do AIC Essentials: part two.


"Sitting on an angry chair, angry walls that steal the air. Stomach hurts and I don't care.

What do I see across the way?" - Angry Chair.



So, these pics?


I have a bunch of photographer friends. Many of them have been supportively documenting my career: capturing live shows and performances, collaborating together in fun shoots to create those cool photos I love sharing with you on Insta and supporting this website to always deliver high quality photography in every publication. I´m glad to see they are getting organized to create the first Professional Photographers Guild and I hope this formalization of artistic professions in general, keeps occurring naturally as our society continues to evolve and grow, including and validating art as an important aspect of our culture.


"We chase misprinted lies. We face the path of time. And yet I fight this battle all alone. No one to cry to, no place to call home". - Nutshell.



I will be collaborating with the recently formed Panamanian grunge band Calidonians for the Guild´s first official event: IMAGE 2016. This photoshoot happened during one of our rehearsals, playing with beautiful lab Maia (I hope my Benny Banjo doesn´t get jealous) y were captured by Alex Alba, also a member of the Calidonians band together with: Erik Martiz, Carlos Castrellón and Luis Torchía.


With this genre as an influence on the Calidonians sound design, AIC rapidly jumped into the conversation about our music styles and the planning of our performance together. So, for a change (since I usually perform different musical styles), we will be playing some of our favorites songs of this playlist at the show, as well as original songs from the Calidonians and myself. And expect new music soon, because the are already in the studio recording their songs!


Don't miss the event: #Image2016

Thursday, September 22nd, 2016 at El Apartamento. Live music, amazing prices and also Djs Adilana and Raphael playing great music before and after live show!



 

Quedé enganchada la primera vez que escuché Man In The Box en el carro de un amigo. Ese canto de tensión vocal al unísono con el riff de guitarra: no se diga más. No hay duda de por qué es una de las canciones más emblemáticas de la banda. Increíble pensar que al inicio la radio no era muy amante a la voz del difunto líder de Alice In Chains, Layne Staley, siendo su voz una de las más reconocidas en la escena rock.


Una vez te sumerges en los sonidos profundos y oscuros de Alice In Chains, no puedes evitar sentir todo el sufrimiento y la lucha personal con adicción, depresión, muerte... pero esos estados de ánimo tan envolventes contrastan con las melodías y harmonías cautivantes que también pueden transmitir la esperanza de ver la luz al final de túnel. El dolor nunca sonó tan bien.


"Bury me softly in this womb. I give this part of me for you. Sand rains down and here I sit, holding rare flowers in a tomb... in bloom". - Down In A Hole

Alice fue una de las primeras bandas emergentes en la escena grunge, a inicios de los años 90, cuando todas las miradas y oídos prestaban atención a Seattle. La banda fue formada originalmente por Stanley y Jerry Cantrell, quien ha sido mente creativa y artesano del sonido de la banda con riffs influenciados por el heavy metal. Combinado son ambas voces armoniosas de Stanley y Cantrell, crearon unos de los sonidos más oscuros, pero atractivos y distintivos del rock alternativo.


El aura de desdicha de Seattle, dio vida no solo a nuevo géneros y estilos, pero vio nacer a muchos talentos y bandas como a Los Cuatro Grandes: Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden y Alice también. Desafortunadamente, el ambiente y estilo de vida pesado condujeron a la pérdida de muchos de estos talentos, incluidos del vocalista de AIC, quien batalló contra adicción a drogas y se intensificó con la muerte de su prometida. En el 2002 fue encontrado muerto en su apartamento, semanas después de haber fallecido.



"Wife and kids household pet. Army green was no safe bet.

The bullets scream to me from somewhere". - Rooster

¿Y estas fotos?


Tengo un montón de amigos fotógrafos. Muchos de ellos han solidariamente documentado mi carrera: capturando shows en vivo y presentaciones, colaborando juntos en sesiones divertidas para crear esas fotos espectaculares que me encanta compartir con ustedes en Insta y apoyando este website para siempre entregarles alta calidad de fotografía en cada publicación. Me alegra ver que se están organizando para crear el primer Gremio de Fotógrafos Profesionales de Panamá

y espero que esta formalización de carreras artísticas en general siga ocurriendo naturalmente a medida que nuestra sociedad evoluciona y crece, incluyendo y validando el arte como un aspecto importante de nuestra cultura.


"Am I your reflection? Melting mirror smile? Am I worth the value? Do my love defile?" - Sunshine.



Estaré colaborando con la nueva banda panameña de grunge Calidonians, para el primer evento oficial del gremio: IMAGE 2016. Esta sesión de fotos sucedió un día de ensayo, jugando con esta bella labradora Maia (espero que mi Benny Banjo no se ponga celoso) y fueron capturadas por Alex Alba, también miembro de la banda Calidonians junto a: Erik Martiz, Carlos Castrellón y Luis Torchía.


Con este género como influencia en el diseño de sonido de los Calidonians, AIC rápidamente surgió en la conversación sobre nuestros estilos musicales y la planificación de nuestra presentación juntos. Así es que para un cambio (ya que suelo interpretar otro estilos musicales) vamos a estar interpretando algunas de nuestras canciones favoritas de este playlist en el show, al igual que canciones originales de los Calidonians y mías. ¡Y esperen material nuevo pronto!, ellos ya se encuentran en el estudio grabando nuevas canciones.


No se pierdan el evento: #Image2016

Jueves, 22 de septiembre, 2016 en El Apartamento. ¡Música en vivo, premios increíbles y los DJs Adilana y Raphael sonando buena música antes y después del show en vivo!

 

Alice In Chains Essentials: Spotify Playist

1. Nutshell (Unplugged)

2. Man In The Box

3. Would?

4. Dam That River

5. Rain When I Die

6. Junkhead

7. Angry Chair

8. Sunshine

9. Love, Hate, Love

10. Sea Of Sorrow

11. Down In A Hole

12. Rooster

13. Sludge Factory

14. We Die Young

15. No Excuses


Calidonians | Ig: @calidonians

Gremio de Fotógrafos Profesionales de Panamá | @gfppanama | gfppanama@gmail.com

Fotografía por Alex Alba en Alex Alba Studios | Ig: @alexalbaphoto | www.alexalbaphoto.com

Escrito, traducido y conceptualizado por Mayra Hurley | Ig: @mayrahurley

www.mayrahurley.com | Digital Marketing | Reviews | Interviews | Graphic Design

SaveSaveSave

SaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSave

SaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSave

SaveSaveSave

SaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSave

SaveSaveSave

SaveSaveSave

SaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSave

bottom of page