Get unlimited access to everything VICE has to offer.

Turn off all ads on VICE.com

Exclusive New VICE Documentaries

Member Exclusive Features & Columns

Turn off all ads on VICE.com

Exclusive New VICE Documentaries

Member Exclusive Features & Columns

Turn off all ads on VICE.com

Exclusive New VICE Documentaries

Member Exclusive Features & Columns

4 Magazines Delivered to Your Door

34 Years Ago Today, a Breakthrough Album Recorded Amid Los Angeles Riots Changed Grunge Music Forever

Alice in Chains released their sophomore album, “Dirt”, on Sept. 29, 1992, marking a heavy new direction for grunge music.

By Stephen Andrew Galiher

Share on X (Opens in new window)X

Share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Facebook

Share using Native toolsShareCopied to clipboard

It has been 34 years to the day since one of grunge’s biggest bands released a breakout album that changed the genre forever. And, fascinatingly, they recorded it during the Los Angeles riots.

On Sept. 29, 1992, Alice in Chains unveiled Dirt, their sophomore album. Two singles heralded the record, “Would?” and “Them Bones”. Four more major tracks followed: “Angry Chair”, “Rooster”, and “Down in a Hole”. Each track carved out its own space in the legacy of grunge music. And that’s not even to mention other important tracks from the album, like “Rain When I Die” or “God Smack”.

What also really stands out, as noted, is........

© Vice