Is Jar of Flies a full-length album or an EP?

Jar of Flies is a seven-track EP, a shorter release than a traditional full-length album but conceived as a cohesive listening experience with its own distinct sound and mood.

What songs are included on this edition of Jar of Flies?

This edition features the classic seven-song sequence: Rotten Apple, Nutshell, I Stay Away, No Excuses, Whale & Wasp, Don’t Follow, and Swing on This.

Who will get the most from adding Jar of Flies to their collection?

It is especially rewarding for Alice in Chains fans, collectors of 1990s rock, and listeners who value acoustic-driven records that still carry emotional weight and intensity.

Vinyl Record

Alice in Chains - Jar of Flies

Name: Alice in Chains - Jar of Flies
Brand: Alice in Chains
SKU: SNY-196588003714
Price: 29.95 EUR
Availability: InStock

Alice in Chains - Jar of Flies on LP vinyl, released in 1994. Check price, stock, collection and delivery from Kilmorna in Listowel.

LP · 1994 · Columbia

Available from Kilmorna Collection in Listowel.

Buyer notes: 1994 LP on Columbia, currently available from the Kilmorna Collection vinyl shelf. Pay for pickup in Listowel, ship within Ireland from EUR 5.95 per record or outside Ireland from EUR 12.00 per record.

Alice in Chains make room for acoustic guitars, close harmonies and uncomfortable quiet on Jar of Flies. The weight remains, but it travels differently across these seven songs.

Jar of Flies is a seven-track EP by Alice in Chains that captures the band at a reflective, quietly intense moment in their story. Recorded after a period of upheaval, these songs trade distorted riffs for layered acoustic guitars, spacious arrangements, and some of the most vulnerable writing in the group’s catalogue. From the slow-blooming opener Rotten Apple through the stark intimacy of Nutshell and the soaring melodic lines of I Stay Away, the record balances melancholy with an almost fragile beauty. Rather than feeling like an acoustic detour, Jar of Flies plays as a fully formed statement with its own mood and arc. No Excuses brings a more upbeat groove without losing the emotional weight that runs through the EP, while instrumentals and quieter pieces like Whale & Wasp and Don’t Follow deepen the sense of atmosphere. Across just over half an hour, Alice in Chains reshapes their grunge-era heaviness into something more introspective, proving how much power they could summon with space, harmony, and restraint.

Jar of Flies is often cited as one of the defining acoustic-driven releases of the 1990s rock era, showing how a band associated with down-tuned riffs and darkness could thrive in a more delicate, textured setting. Its mix of vocal harmonies, lyrical honesty, and careful dynamics helped broaden what audiences expected from heavy guitar music at the time, influencing countless artists who followed. For listeners who know Alice in Chains primarily through their heavier albums, this EP reveals another side of their writing and vocal chemistry, particularly in the interplay between Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell. Owning it on vinyl highlights the EP’s natural ebb and flow, inviting full-play listening where each track builds on the last rather than functioning as isolated songs.

This edition is tied to the 30th anniversary celebration of Jar of Flies, aligned with modern reissues that bring the EP back to wax for a new generation of listeners. The track sequence follows the classic running order, starting with Rotten Apple and closing on Swing on This, preserving the pacing longtime fans will recognize. For collectors, Jar of Flies holds a special place as a concise, self-contained work that complements but doesn’t duplicate the band’s studio albums. It appeals both to fans filling out an Alice in Chains shelf and to anyone curating a focused set of 1990s alternative and grunge records that spotlight more acoustic, atmospheric sides of the era.

An intimate, mostly acoustic blend of grunge-rooted songwriting, close vocal harmonies, and spacious, melancholic arrangements with occasional electric edge.

Recommended for: Fans of Alice in Chains who want to explore the band’s more acoustic and introspective work; Collectors of 1990s alternative rock and grunge-era cornerstone releases; Listeners who appreciate melancholic songwriting with rich vocal harmonies and dynamic contrasts; Vinyl enthusiasts building a focused selection of essential EPs, not just full-length albums; Rock fans transitioning toward more atmospheric, songwriter-driven records without losing heaviness.