The day five hard-rock groups released heartbreaking albums

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For Alice in Chains, their first album facelift represented an introduction to rock fans around the world. The group cut their teeth in Seattle, hosting house parties and local clubs as part of the burgeoning grunge movement. The band’s distinct sound caught the attention of Columbia Records, who quickly signed a recording contract with Alice in Chains.

A first EP, We die young, was released in July 1990 and generated a lot of buzz. For this reason, the label has increased faceliftthe release date of. However, the album was not an instant success. The LP sold less than 40,000 copies in the first six months of its release and seemed destined to fall apart. The band’s fortunes changed when MTV added the regularly-rotating “Man in the Box” video. The track became a hit, pushing Alice in Chains to a mainstream audience.

“It’s loosely based on media censorship,” singer Layne Staley explained of the group’s groundbreaking success in an early ’90s interview with a Canadian television station. MuchMusic. “But only my theory. Not a fact or a statement. Plus, I was really stoned when I wrote it, so it meant something really different back then.

Staley added that the clearly dreary tones of his group reflected the individual feelings of the members. “Not that we’re gloomy or depressed – as much as anyone else,” Staley explained. “Other groups choose to write about things they don’t know anything about. Like girls and cars, parties, outings and fights on a Saturday night. All that bullshit.

Watch the video “Man in the Box” by Alice in Chains

facelift ultimately sold over 2 million copies, while also earning the group its first Grammy nomination. The LP was produced by Dave Jerden, who also directed Jane’s Addiction second album, Ritual of the usual.

“Of all the albums I’ve done, this is by far my favorite,” the producer noted of Ritual during a 2013 maintenance. “There is such a great atmosphere. Interestingly, Perry Farrell was in a really dark place when we did it – the whole group, too. A lot of things stand out in music. It’s sad and weird, but somehow really cool and wonderful.

The nine songs featured on Ritual of the usual were taken from a demo created by the band in the late ’80s. The subject was heavy, with tracks inspired by Farrell’s girlfriend’s heroin overdose, as well as the shared heartbreak that Farrell and the guitarist Dave Navarro lived by losing their mother at a young age.

Despite such important topics, the songs were gripping and exhibited a melodic force that instantly grabbed listeners. Ritual of the usual sold over 500,000 albums in its first month of release, on track to double platinum certification. The singles “Been Caught Stealing” and “Stop!” became alt-rock radio hits, elevating the group to the elite of the genre.

Watch the video “Been Caught Stealing” by Jane’s Addiction

Persistence of time didn’t reach the same commercial highs as the albums Alice in Chains and Jane’s Addiction, but it continued Anthrax’s winning streak. The LP marked the third of four consecutive gold records for the Metal Giants.

The creation of Persistence of time started under bad auspices. During the recording, a structural fire destroyed more than $ 100,000 of equipment in the band’s rehearsal studio. “It’s the worst phone call you can ever get in the morning,” bassist Frank Bello remembered years later. “See your bass go up in flames. And see your gear that you’ve been on the road and you’ve been through the touring war, all that. … You are ready to run. It is sacred to us. And see Scott [Ian’s] Marshalls who played on great records. It just broke our hearts.

Still, Anthrax managed to persevere, compiling 11 tracks for Persistence of time, including a cover of “Got the Time” by Joe Jackson, as well as the singles “In My World” and “Belly of the Beast”. This would be Anthrax’s last full LP with singer Joey Belladonna until 2011. Worship music.

Watch Anthrax’s ‘Got the Time’ Video

Ratt Detonator was also a kind of farewell. The LP was the last of the group to include guitarist Robbin Crosby, who left the group in 1991. He died in 2002.

The group used the services of songwriter Desmond Child for much of Detonator, a decision that led to a more pop-metal sound on the album. Elsewhere, Jon Bon Jovi has contributed vocals to “Heads I Win, Tails You Lose”. Despite outside help, Detonator failed to hit the commercial highs of Ratt’s previous four albums, all of which went platinum. The LP sold around 500,000 copies and marked the first stages of the group’s commercial decline.

Listen to “Heads I Win, Tails You Lose” by Ratt

FireHouse’s self-titled debut album took the band from an unknown band in North Carolina to national stars. Two of the LP’s singles went on to go top 20: “Don’t Treat Me Bad,” an upbeat rocker on an unhealthy relationship, and “Love of a Lifetime,” a hugely popular power ballad that peaked at No.5 .

“When I wrote that, shoot, man, I was playing little solo gigs, playing piano in a bar and singing,” frontman CJ Snare called back later of “The love of a lifetime”. “I went down after hours and wrote this song, and I didn’t think it would be a wedding song or so popular. Who knows when you do these things? Just like an artist, you create.

FireHouse sold over 2 million copies, helping the group to claim the title of Favorite New Heavy Metal / Hard Rock Artist at the American Music Awards, beating competition from Nirvana and Alice in Chains, among others.

Watch the “Love of a Lifetime” video from FireHouse

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