Staley sang in a very expressive, powerful and emotionally honest way. He was a guy plagued with drug addiction and slowly dying from it throughout the band's career, and his vocals convey that inner torment and mental and emotional chaos with a disturbing level of realism. His lyrics are not only clever but also a great window into his psychology, and you can find all kinds of introspection, soul-searching and 'cries for help' in them. Even though few of us are drug addicts, it's very easy to relate to Layne because his emotions are so very real and well-articulated. Add to that a great sense of melody, and I think you have a vocalist of the highest caliber in Layne.
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