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.
Besides the standard black 12″ vinyl release, which is widely accessible through various retailers, the official webstore of the band will present several direct-to-consumer (D2C) variations of the Jar Of Flies album. These variants include tri-colored vinyl, cassette, a clear version with embedded “flies” in the vinyl, and a deluxe box set. The deluxe box set comprises the EP on tri-colored vinyl, a jar with the band’s logo embossed on it and equipped with touch-activated red LED lights and imitation flies, a 60-page hardcover book, and a double-sided poster. All these items are meticulously housed in a screen-printed, UV-coated shadowbox. Furthermore, there is an exclusive merch capsule collection currently available, featuring limited edition apparel, a poker set, a skate deck created in collaboration with Welcome Skateboards, and a plush toy of “Whale & Wasp.”
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.
