Formed in 1987 in Seattle, Washington by guitarist Jerry Cantrell and vocalist Layne Staley, Alice in Chains is an American rock band with a grunge music style that incorporates heavy metal and acoustic sounds. Their unique style and grunge name made them internationally famous in the early 90’s as part of the grunge movement, along with bands such as Nirvana and Pearl Jam. Their main distinction from other groups is their unique harmonized vocals of Staley and Cantrell.

Their success is apparent in their sales of over 17 million albums worldwide (14 million in the U.S. alone), producing two number one Billboard 200 albums, 11 top ten singles on the Mainstream Rock Tracks charts, and six Grammy Award nominations. Their fame and band activity slowed in 2002 when Layne Staley’s substance abuse took his life. In 2005, they reunited with new lead vocalist William DuVall and their newest album, “Black Gives Way to Blue” is set to be released on September 29, 2009.