I apologize for my ignorance to the rules or whatever on this website as I happen to be a new member, but can anybody please explain why Alice in Chains and Soundgarden are on this website? Both bands are great but they are both more associated with grunge label and grunge is like a sub-genre of alternative rock. All I know is that you guys don't accept alternative, punk or whatever's not metal, like Nirvana, Jane's Addiction, The Offspring or Red Hot Chili Peppers, who all have nothing to do with metal, and I don't understand why Alice in Chains and Soundgarden were accepted here.

Both have metal albums early on their careers. We don't remove bands if they decide to start off metal and then go an entirely different direction. The same is true if a band starts off non-metal and then eventually has a metal album.

Yeah, I see that. I was just curious about Alice in Chains and Soundgarden being on this website because I know both of those bands have been labeled as grunge rather than metal. I always thought grunge is a sub-genre of alternative. Like I said earlier, I'm a new member here. (oh, in case you didn't know, I'm SuicidalFreak's nephew, he's the one that told me what Metal Archives is)

I don't think it's even a case of "early on" for AIC. Granted, I've only heard like one Alice in Chains album in full and it's Black Gives Way to Blue, but it seems pretty solidly based in heavy/doom metal riffs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvGFkPfRxr4

I'm a fan of both bands and own all the releases from both. I'd never lump Soundgarden into metal, however their first few albums are borderline stoner, so I can see the inclusion here. I definitely could go either way with them though.

Alice In Chains belong here though. Although Dirt was labeled as grunge because it was close enough and that sold records, personally I think that's sludge/stoner/doom-ish more than alternative. To me, AIC is a much more clear cut entry here than Soundgarden.

I'll back up Mutant on this, AIC is most definitely metal. I have listened to parts of Facelift, the entirety of Dirt, and the entirety of Alice in Chains, and in all honesty, they are closer to Crowbar or Acid Bath in sound than Nirvana or Pearl Jam. As for Soundgarden, I'm not too well-versed in their stuff, but they are at least as heavy as Led Zeppelin in sound from what I've heard of them.

EDIT: I see what you mean about Soundgarden theunrelentingattack, they are somewhat of a borderline case. I would speculate that they are here because of their influence on stoner metal and the like.

Grunge is more like NWOBHM than a real definite genre anyway. It was influenced by punk, metal, alternative rock, classic rock. Some band are heavier than others like AiC, Soundgarden (both bands are really influenced by Sabbath) or the Melvins.

My dear nephew, it doesn't matter who's metal or not. There are a few reasons why AiC and Soundgarden are in the archive. Not only did both bands start before the grunge scene in 1991, but they had some metal-influenced albums like Louder Than Love, Badmotorfinger and Facelift. Another reason they're in the archive is that many musical critics, especially users on Metal Archives, agree that they're metal. BNR Metal Pages also has pages for AiC and Soundgarden, and the owner of that website happens to agree that they're metal too. AiC's page on the archives also states that they're not just grunge.

Wow no Tool but Soundgarden fair enough though Alice in Chains however I agree should be labeled as metal

Tool's certainly heavy but they aren't metal. Simply because their riffing style is dubious. I think industrial prog rock is a fitting term for them. As for AiC and Soundgarden, both have more Black Sabbath than Ramones in their sound. Soundgarden may have shifted to a more non-metal direction later in their career but as MutantClannFear and theunrelentingattack have pointed out Alice in Chains remained pretty much heavy/doom metal (with occasional blues/acoustic goodness) to this day.

Who cares what they are labeled as both bands deserve to be here. Listen to Facelift and Badmotorfinger. Both are metal albums and both are more than enough to include these bands.