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Title: Metal Gets A Facelift
Review: Alice In Chains debut album came along right as hair metal was dying and just before grunge was about to hit. As a result, it contains both of these elements and provides a hint at what this brilliant band was capable of. "We Die Young" starts off with grinding downtuned riff by guitarist Jerry Cantrell that would later become standard. "Man In The Box" features singer Layne Stayley wailing about censorship. Creepy, dissonant numbers like "Love,Hate,Love" and "Confusion" sound like Godsmack's primer. Stayley begins examining his heroin problem on the 80's metal-ish "Put You Down" and "Real Thing"(where he asks his rehab doctor if he can "borrow 50 bucks"). A decidedly dark affair that today sounds downright cheery compared to the band's later albums.
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