Dirt

Dirt, released in 1992, is Alice in Chains' second studio album and a defining work in the grunge and alternative metal vein. It pairs down-tuned, sludgy guitar riffs and dense, brooding production with the distinct vocal interplay of Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell. Lyrically the album deals with addiction, suffering, and mortality, and the songs move between aggressive, riff-driven tracks and slower, melancholic pieces. The record is widely regarded as one of the band’s most influential statements from the early 1990s rock scene.