Alice In Chains
Facelift

Instinctive.

This is the first adjective that comes to mind when I think of Facelift, the debut album by Alice In Chains, released in 1990. Jerry Cantrell's guitar and Layne Staley's voice, which in my opinion is at its peak here, strike and leave the listener stunned like a punch to the nose.

The album opens with the legendary distorted riff of "We Die Young," which contrary to what one might think, is not a prophetic vision of Layne: it was composed and written by Jerry Cantrell at the sight of a child drug dealer. Another standout track is "Man In The Box" with that jackhammer guitar and a chorus sung by a Layne in a state of total grace, a song with corrosive and lacerating strength. "Sea Of Sorrow" is more elaborate and less destructive, a bit more melodic, while still being an anthem with impressive force. The slow intro of "Bleed The Freak" is brilliant, causing a dip in tension before the sarcastic and fiery outburst of Jerry & Layne. A stall phase with the slow and tormented "I Can't Remember," but the level rises steeply with the dark and desperate "Love, Hate, Love," six intense minutes that truly give you chills, with a truly superhuman Layne Staley. "It Ain't Like That" is a more classic grunge metal piece, followed by the fantastic semi-unknown gem called "Sunshine," which mixes more metal parts with even funky/semi-rapped sections, leading to a wonderful, very melodic, almost liberating chorus. "Put You Down" is a piece that's really not very AIC: a nice hard rock that despite its atypical nature does not look out of place at all, on the contrary, it turns out to be a pleasant surprise. "Confusion" is perhaps the least immediate track on the album, alternating sweet parts with more tormented ones but doesn't hit as the previous ones do. Truly stunning, however, are the last ones. "I Know Somethin 'Bout You" stands out for its beautiful singing that is almost bluesy at times and the truly intoxicating riff, while "Real Thing" is a magnificently pissed-off chant, with Layne as the absolute protagonist, leading to a rhythmic, catchy, and engaging chorus.

This album represents the less sick and sometimes ironic side of Alice In Chains, an essential record to own at all costs.