August 2026 Featured Release - The Gateway Edition

Alice in Chains - Alice in Chains (Self Titled) (1995)

https://metal.academy/releases/143

While I quite like Alice in Chains' third full-length, I've never found it to be to the classic that most fans seem to regard it as. I admit that the idea of an even darker, drearier & druggier Alice does sound appealing on paper but the reality is that it took away a bit of their edge which left the album feeling a little flat in comparison to their other 90's releases. These days, I don't regard "Alice in Chains" as being an essential record for the band & have it sitting just ahead of 1992's "Sap" E.P. (3.5/5) at the bottom of their Layne Staley-era back catalogue. 3.5/5