ALICE IN CHAINS · Jar Of Flies | BLACK LP

Black vinyl in standard cover.

Background information about 'Jar Of Flies'

There are EPs, and then there is "Jar of Flies" — a record so achingly beautiful, so hauntingly intimate, that it transcended every expectation placed upon a Seattle band known for crushing riffs and harrowing darkness. Released in 1994, this seven-track masterpiece from Alice In Chains arrived at the height of grunge's dominance and promptly did the unthinkable: it debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, the first EP in history to pull off that feat. And the moment you drop the needle on "Rotten Apple", with its mournful bassline and Layne Staley's ghostly, layered vocals floating through the mix like fog over water, you understand exactly why.

What makes "Jar of Flies" so devastating is its vulnerability. This isn't the sludgy, riff-driven assault of Dirt — this is a band peeling back every layer of armor and laying something raw and tender on the table. "Nutshell" remains one of the most heart-wrenching songs ever committed to tape, a stark acoustic meditation on isolation and mortality that hits even harder knowing what was to come. Jerry Cantrell's songwriting here is nothing short of sublime, weaving together folk-tinged melodies, bluesy slide guitar, and the kind of melodic sensibility that makes every chorus feel like a gut punch. Then there's "No Excuses", a track that practically swings with unexpected warmth, Sean Kinney's jazzy drumming dancing around Cantrell and Staley's intertwined harmonies. And can we talk about "Whale & Wasp"? A purely instrumental piece that feels like a conversation between Cantrell's guitar and a string section — delicate, cinematic, utterly spellbinding. The addition of Mike Inez on bass brought a new chemistry to the fold, and "Don't Follow" closes out the record with a country-tinged, harmonica-laced farewell that fades out like the last light of day. This is the sound of a band at their creative peak, channeling pain into something transcendent.

For fans of:
Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Mad Season, Stone Temple Pilots, Temple Of The Dog, Days Of The New

Track listing

A1. Rotten Apple
A2. Nutshell
A3. I Stay Away
A4. No Excuses
B5. Whale & Wasp
B6. Don't Follow
B7. Swing On This

Placer on the market according to GPSR: Four Flames GmbH & Co. KG, In der Garte 38, 49479 Ibbenbueren, Germany, Contact: fourflames.com