Alice in Chains was formed in 1987 by bassist Mike Starr, guitarist Jerry Cantrell, drummer Sean Kinney and Lane Staley. They gained popularity in the 1990s with the grunge movement and sold over 40 million albums worldwide during the decade. Their repertoire included both angry rock songs and mellow acoustic compositions. The band suffered a huge blow with the death of Layne Staley in 2002 but has gone on to reunite with vocalist William DuVall. Their first studio album, "Black Gives Way to Blue," was released on September 29, 2009.