Review of Alice In Chains: Music Bank

Introduction

Alice In Chains is (or, maybe, was) an interesting band. Probably the most lyrically honest and open of the grunge/hard rock crew, they worked mainly in a heavy, grungy style. However, they occasionally strayed into more acoustic - almost delicate - territory. This is how I came across them. At the start of their career, they seemed to alternate between full albums of standard grungy rock and more thoughtful, acoustic EPs, like the excellent "Jar Of Flies".

To my knowledge, the band has never formally broken up but since they released their last album of new material in 1995, it is unlikely they will be returning.

Which is a shame. Because, while they were undoubtedly trouble (largely by addiction of one form or another) they were never whiny; never blaming others for their problems. This came across clearly in their confessional lyrics which took responsibility for their own actions, sometimes to the point of self-loathing. Their music was downbeat, but more melancholy than morbid (although the "Dirt" album was relentlessly bleak).

This DVD pulls together most of their videos intercut with some home movie footage and a short documentary from the start of their career.

Video

Visually, the 4:3 image could never be called eye-candy. AIC tend to aim for a lo-fi grungy aesthetic and, to their credit, consistently achieve it. Much of what is on display here is uncomfortable viewing but always interesting.

The best videos are Mark (Arlington Road) Pellington`s visceral `Nam epic "Rooster" and the impressionistic "Heaven Beside You".

Audio

The DD 5.1 soundtrack is excellent. While not particularly heavy at the low end, it is powerful and expansive, pulling significantly more detail from the music than the grossly inferior PCM mix.

The tracks are mostly studio performances and sound excellent. I prefer AIC in their more acoustic moments, like on "Over Now", "Heaven Beside You" and especially "I Stay Away" but even their harder material should be palatable to most ears.

Good stuff.

Features

Other than a basic discography, none.

Conclusion

Alice In Chains never broke through to the same extent as Nirvana, say, but were arguably more deserving. This DVD is a well deserved retrospective and will please their fan base. The sound of the disk is excellent and, for that alone, deserves a wider audience. And, it might just win them some new fans.

Worth investigating.