Hear a Darker + Heavier Version of Alice in Chains’ ‘Dirt’ Album

A darker, heavier version of Alice In Chains’ Dirt is what we never knew we needed.

A recently uploaded YouTube video offers an alternative take on the grunge legends’ 1992 album by changing the guitar tuning. The result is a much darker mood to some of the band’s best work, which was really already pretty dark in some areas.

What Is drop B Tuning?

Drop B tuning involves tuning your guitar in a way to create a low-range sound that tends to be dark and heavy. The tuning is most often found in metal and hard rock songs.

Guitar-maker Fender says the sound can be traced back to the early days of the doom metal group Pentagram. As far back as the 1970s, guitarist Victor Griffin leaned heavily into drop B tuning.

“Drop B tuning is fairly easy to master, and it gives you the ability to play power chords with one finger while opening up a new lower range on the guitar,” Fender tells readers in its online tutorial for drop B tuning.

What Tuning Did Alice in Chains Use On Dirt?

For the most part, Alice in Chains used heavy drop D tuned guitars when recording Dirt.

MusicRadar.com did a walk-thru of every song on the iconic grunge album in honor of it’s 30th anniversary in 2022. The outlet noted the guitar sound on Dirt can be difficult to replicate for a couple reasons.

First, MusicRadar noted the pulverizing guitar sound is a mix of at least three amps being combined into one. Second, Jerry Cantrell would tune his guitar a half-step down for most songs on the album.

That’s what makes this video of Dirt with drop B tuning even more remarkable. Not only is the sound recreated, but it’s done so in a way that makes Alice in Chains sound even more powerful.

Alice In Chains, Dirt (Tuned Lower)