Columbia Records/Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, is abuzz with the announcement of a multi-format 30th-anniversary reissue of ALICE IN CHAINS‘ acclaimed “Jar Of Flies”. Released exactly 30 years ago today (January 25, 1994),the EP made history as the first of its format to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in its first week of sales.
In addition to a standard black 12″ vinyl release available from all retailers, the band’s official webstore will offer a number of D2C variants of “Jar Of Flies”, including tri-colored vinyl, cassette, a clear variant with “flies” embedded in the vinyl, and a deluxe box set featuring the EP on tri-colored vinyl, a logo-embossed jar with touch-activated red LED and faux flies, a 60-page hardcover book, and a double-sided poster, all housed in a screen-printed, UV coated shadowbox. Additionally, an exclusive merch capsule collection is available now, featuring limited edition apparel, a poker set, a skate deck in collaboration with Welcome Skateboards, and a “Whale & Wasp” plush toy.
Following an exhausting and transformative tour in support of the group’s sophomore album “Dirt” (1992),“Jar Of Flies” offered the Seattle grunge icons a chance to record music in a more relaxed environment and intimate, acoustic style. For the first time in the studio, singer Layne Staley, guitarist Jerry Cantrell and drummer Sean Kinney were joined by bassist Mike Inez, who joined ALICE IN CHAINS midway through their 1993 tour.
“After playing loud music for a year, we’d come home and the last thing we wanted to do was crank up the amps right away,” Kinney later told Guitar World about the sessions that became “Jar Of Flies”. “We just went into the studio with no songs written, to check out the chemistry. It all fell into place…We thought it would be a waste not to put that material out.”
The independently produced EP acted as a spiritual sequel to the group’s last EP “Sap” (1992),which also featured a more acoustic-driven sound. Tracks like “I Stay Away”, “No Excuses” and “Don’t Follow” showcased the range of ALICE IN CHAINS, further establishing them as one of the most unique and engaging rock bands of the decade. It garnered the group two Grammy Award nominations for “Best Hard Rock Performance” (“I Stay Away”) and “Best Recording Package”. “Jar Of Flies” made retrospective year-end lists from both Rolling Stone and Guitar World, and in 2022 was certified four times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
In a 2023 interview with Terrie Carr of the Morristown, New Jersey radio station 105.5 WDHA, ALICE IN CHAINS singer William DuVall was asked about a possible follow-up to the band’s “Rainier Fog” album, which came out in August 2018. He said: “I would suppose [there will be new music coming soon]. There’s no plans in the offing right now, because we’re all kind of doing other things. But inevitably it seems to kind of circle back. [Laughs]”
DuVall also reflected on his 17-year stint as the ALICE IN CHAINS frontman, saying: “In some ways it feels like seven minutes, and in other ways it feels like 37 years. [Laughs] It’s really interesting — time, your perceptions of time. But, yeah, there are certain memories that feel like three lifetimes ago, and then there are certain things that happened maybe 15 years ago but it feels like yesterday. It’s really weird. But it’s great. And I’m really proud of everything that we’ve been able to accomplish in that time.”
Prior to joining ALICE IN CHAINS in 2006, DuVall was a member of punk rock bands AWARENESS VOID OF CHAOS, NEON CHRIST, BL’AST! and FINAL OFFERING. DuVall‘s long musical history also includes COMES WITH THE FALL and ALICE IN CHAINS guitarist Jerry Cantrell‘s solo work.
Cantrell befriended the members of COMES WITH THE FALL in the early 2000s, playing shows with the band on the West Coast, then enlisting the musicians to tour with him as both opening act and backing group in support of his album “Degradation Trip”.
DuVall appears on the last three ALICE IN CHAINS albums: 2009’s “Black Gives Way To Blue”, 2013’s “The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here” and “Rainier Fog”.
To commemorate 30 years of #JarOfFlies, the #JOF30 limited edition box set is available now for pre-order – including tri-color vinyl, 3D lenticular cover art, a double-sided poster, and a 60-page hardcover book with never-before-seen photos. Grab the box set, exclusive merch,… pic.twitter.com/XYI3jmJ1GP
— Alice in Chains (@AliceInChains) January 25, 2024
