FACELIFT

Track Listing

1. We Die Young

2. Man in the Box

3. Sea Of Sorrow

4. Bleed The Freak

5. I Can’t Remember

6. Love, Hate, Love

7. It Ain’t Like That

8. Sunshine

9. Put You Down

10. Confusion

11. I Know Somethin (Bout You)

12. Real Thing

My Rating
8/10

Average Critic Rating
7/10

Overview
‘Facelift’ takes solid Metal foundations and twists them into something with a darker, stranger personality. There’s a freshness to the sound that still comes through, helped enormously by the sheer force of the incredible Layne Staley’s voice - raspy, powerful and capable of making almost any line sound enormous, he’s outstanding throughout. Jerry Cantrell is just as commanding, throwing out wild riffs that grind, lurch and groove with a proper punch. The way his guitar riffs locks in with Staley’s vocals is a huge part of what makes this record so exciting, while their harmonies add that unmistakably eerie edge. There’s darkness here, but also plenty of swagger and a sense that the band know they were making something good here. A confident debut with both the menace and the tunes to make an immediate impression.

Recommended for the Grungey Metalheads with far too much confidence in their Layne Staley impression.

Featured Song
Man in the Box

Most Streamed
Man in the Box

Least Streamed
Real Thing

Underrated
Sunshine

TVV Top 3 Songs
We Die Young | Man in the Box | Bleed The Freak

Singles
We Die Young | Man in the Box

TVV Top 3 Non-Singles
Sea Of Sorrow | Bleed The Freak | Love, Hate, Love

Listen to Again?
Yes

No-Skip Album?
No

Album Artwork Rating
8.5/10

It just screams 90s, doesn’t it? It’s eye-catching, and that colour palette captures the essence of the era so well. Throw in the classic Alice In Chains logo and a guy having some sort of facelift… it’s near perfect.

Genre
Grunge

RL
Columbia Records

Recording Studio
Capitol Studios (Los Angeles, California) | London Bridge Studio (Shoreline, Washington)