Alice in Chains

Formed in Seattle in 1987 by guitarist Jerry Cantrell and singer Layne Staley, Alice in Chains brought the heaviest, most metal-rooted sound of the major grunge bands. Their close, dissonant vocal harmonies and slow, crushing riffs set them apart from the scene's punkier acts. Albums like "Facelift" (1990) and "Dirt" (1992) pulled grunge toward darkness and dread.