Layne Staley first played in a band called Sleze which consisted of Shorewood High School students as well as future members of the bands The Dehumanizers and Second Coming. The band morphed into Alice 'N Chains in 1986 and mostly played cover versions of Slayer and Armored Saint songs. Alice 'N Chains disbanded and Staley joined a funk band afterwards. The band needed a guitarist so Staley asked Jerry Cantrell to be a sideman for the band. Cantrell agreed but only if Staley joined his band. After the funk band disbanded, Staley joined Cantrell's band full-time and they renamed the band Alice in Chains.