This is such a great album. This is often labeled as grunge, but this record sounds like nothing else from that period, it is so unique in it's style it should have it's own genre.
This album is dark, melancholy, depressing and heavy and the overall musicianship is much better than you would expect from a "grunge" band. Jerry Cantrell is such a great but underrated guitar player, his riffing is excellent and his solos always have that unique twist that make him so special. Layne Staley had that special voice and the harmonies with Cantrell are kind of a AiC trademark.
There are so many great songs: Them Bones, Dam That River, Rain When I Die (my personal favorite), Rooster, Dirt, Down In A Hole, Would?. And the rest ain't shabby either.
And because this is a DT forum: DT used Rooster for some concerts I've been to as introduction. The song was played over the PA and when the whole band sets in, the lights went out, DT entered the stage and when Rooster was finished they started their set.