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When you think of what became lovingly known as the Seattle Sound, certain sonic trademarks likely come to mind. And that’s perfectly fair: There’s no denying the growling vocals, sludgy guitars coming through walls of distortion, and disparate dynamics of grunge. As we explore in Episode 2 of the new season of The Opus, however, Alice in Chains’ Dirt occupied a unique space in this musical landscape.
Alice in Chains didn’t ease its fans into Dirt. The opening notes of “Them Bones” jolt you directly into the album’s aggressive energy and there’s barely room to catch your breath over the next 57 minutes and 37 seconds. But at the heart of this sensory assault lies an intricate web of virtuoso musicianship and dynamic vocal harmonies. The chunky, muscular guitar riffs and multi-layered vocals created a sound that spurred a generation of imitators.
On this episode of the music history podcast The Opus: Alice in Chains’ Dirt, host Adam Unze dives into the unique backstory of the album’s composition and discovers why its particular brand of musical alchemy set it so far apart from the grunge scene’s other monster hits. Joining him on the journey are Baroness’ Gina Gleason, Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante, City and Colour musician Dallas Green, Layne Ulrich of Taipei Houston (and son of Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich), and Goon’s Kenny Becker and Andy Polito.
Listen to Episode 2 of The Opus: Alice in Chains’ Dirt above. Don’t forget to like, review, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts to be notified of each new episode of Season 18. Also, check out the Consequence Podcast Network for information on all our shows.
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