Jerry Cantrell, guitarist for Alice in Chains, had quite a challenge to name the band's follow-up to mega-monster Dirt. The name, Jar of Flies, is based on one of his high school experiments: two jars of flies: one with food, the other without. The flies without food ate each other. Cantrell's lifelong decision between music and entomology was settled on the spot.

Jar of Flies is the third EP from this band that has been around since 1987. Story has it, that at the end of the Lollapalooza Tour, the band members were evicted from their residence. Layne thought Jerry was going to pay the rent. Jerry though Sean would. Sean thought Mike would. They move into London Bridge Studios in Seattle, lonely, depressed, and bored. Then, over a seven-day period, AIC writes, produces, and records Jar of Flies. Rumor has it that the band rushed to release the EP so they can get their acoustic EP out. (I think they just mentioned that to be funny.)

Alice in Chains continues to hit modes of dream rock on this 7-songer. "Rotten Apple" is a six-minute piece of drone and manipulated instrumentation. The band takes a lonely and dark path in the acoustically crisp "Nutshell." There is an incredible sense of depth to this song as it sounds as if you are in the studio overlooking the production. The beginning roll of "I Stay Away" is really cool until the song runs into a weird tinge here and there. Appropriately or conceptually, "Whale & Wasp" is an interesting instrumental with whalesong. The song of the EP is not "No Excuses." It's "Don't Follow" with its gutter blues meets I'm pissed and don't care song halves. A harmonica is in tow here. The last cut, "Swing on This," is fun but forgettable.

Jar of Flies is an interesting mellow piece ttraveling from the fields of Nebraska hay stacks to the city somewhere. But there is no home. It embraces rock, twang, and sway with the impassioned farmer-tanned arms of an honest city boy...even though they are a Seattle band.

Reviewer:  Bonn Garrett, courtesy of Flash Magazine.