CD Review:
There are four albums that represent the so called grunge scene in Seattle that defined the movement. How much you believe that grunge is an actual musical sub-genre of rock depends on your flexibility with labels, but the four are: Nevermind, Ten, Superunknown and this one.
None of these albums can really be considered as sounding very similar, but it is just like the press to label things in order to make writing and reference points easier to navigate; which then is more comprehensible for the reader.
Dirt is AIC only great album. Their first (Facelift (1990)) was an indication of things to come and after Dirt there was too much strife in the band to make anything as coherent and beautiful. Of the four albums already mentioned, this one is the most harrowing and gorgeous. Nevermind is coarse, Ten is polished, and Superunknown is the closest to pop, but Dirt is just plain beautiful. It has enough kick for the hard rock fan, but enough emotion to grab any listener who is willing to take the time and actually pay some attention to the lyrics.
The band, with the much publicized riff between Catrell and Staley, never reached this level again. But you don't necessarily need anything more to realize that Alice in Chains belong next to Nirvana or Pearl Jam as one of the great bands from the Northwest in the '90s.
Full Spectrum Staff
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