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ALICE IN CHAINS Jerry Cantrell - guitars/vocals Sean Kinney - drums Mike Inez - bass William DuVall - guitars/vocals The new Alice In Chains album Black Gives Way To Blue is the sound of a new beginning of a legendary band returning to life. Right from the album's powerful and deeply meaningful opener "All Secrets Known" through its redemptive closing title track, Black Gives Way To Blue-the first new Alice In Chains album in more than 14 years-is not just another rock reunion, but something far more inspiring. Alice In Chains in the present tense. No replacements. No substitutions. It does no disrespect to the enduring memory of Alice In Chains' late, great lead singer Layne Staley, to say that for all that he brought to the group's music in his lifetime, Alice In Chains always was-and always will be-very much a band. So after taking a more than respectful break to mourn the loss of their brother and band mate-to heal and explore music individually-the surviving members of Alice In Chains-Cantrell, drummer Sean Kinney and bassist Mike Inez-gradually began to make music again. The band came together for the first time in 2005 to take part in a benefit for the victims of the tsunami in Indonesia. The following year, Cantrell, Kinney and Inez decided that the time was right for Alice In Chains to reclaim its legacy again on tour. They did so with the help of a new guitarist and vocalist William DuVall, a gifted singer and player in his own right from Atlanta who previously worked with Neon Christ, Comes with the Fall, and as part of Jerry Cantrell's touring band. As live audiences discovered, DuVall brings a sound and stage presence all his own. Yet when DuVall and Cantrell blend their voices-as Cantrell and Staley did so often-there could be little doubt that the spirit of Alice In Chains was once again alive and well. Black Gives Way To Blue is the next step for a group that over the course of their career earned multiple Grammy nominations and sold more than 19 million albums worldwide and achieved 11 Top Ten singles. At the same time, the album offers the full, bracing impact of Alice In Chains-a band that kept heavy rock exciting at the dawn of the Nineties and helped set the stage for an even grungier Seattle sound-still clearly firing on all cylinders. Recording on Black Gives Way To Blue began in October of 2008 at Dave Grohl's Studio 606 in Northridge and finished at Henson Studios in Hollywood. The band produced the album with Nick Raskulinecz, whose past credits include Foo Fighters and Rush. Black Gives Way To Blue combines some classic Alice In Chain textures with a renewed sense of energy and possibility,from the epic and fantastically electric rocker "A Looking In View" to the exquisite and romantic ballad "Your Decision" to the album's stunning first single "Check My Brain," a throbbing rocker in which a band associated with the Pacific Northwest makes a wry and witty observation on working and living in California. Through Black Gives Way To Blue, there is a deep sense of the unique life that this band haslived, of "Lesson Learned," to borrow the title of another standout track. In the end, the album offers a kind of shared group autobiography by a band that has survived so much. Together, they are in a way "Last Of My Kind," to use the title of another album highlight penned by Jerry Cantrell-long a dominant songwriter within Alice In Chains-with lyrics from DuVall. "Imitations are pale," DuVall and Cantrell sing together on "Black Gives Way To Blue," a brand new Alice In Chain classic that really has it all-the brooding hurt, the brute force and the beautiful introspection. Listen closely to Black Gives Way To Blue, and you'll know right away this is Alice In Chains.
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Reviews:
Don't put lipstick on a pig and call "Alice"
Not that this album is a pig per se, but it is another Jerry Cantrell solo album not Alice in Chains. As a Jerry Cantrell solo album I would definitely give it 3 stars (maybe even 4-I'll have to see if it grows on me like Tripod or just fades). It's a decent effort for Cantrell, but calling it Alice in Chains is disrespectful. Believe me, I was psyched to see them live with Duvall. They pulled it off. But this isn't an AIC album. Not without Layne. Duvall doesn't fill that void by any means.
You can't just replace the man with the most distinct and unique vocals of any front man in the "grudge" era. Staley had an incredibly passionate and powerful singing style and great vocal range. By comparison Duvall is good, but kind of mediocre. I listened to this album and thought "this is a great JC Solo album". Then I listen to Would? A song penned by Cantrell, but the way Layne sang it sent shivers down my spine. He had IT. He could deliver. He could take you there. He could take it over the top.
Jerry needed Layne's edge in vocals and writing contributions to make the songs and albums really great. If he didn't, then he could write music and release it under any name and people would buy it, because it would be so good, stand alone. Unfortunately, he needs the element that Staley brought to the table.
I think they should've done what Kinney wanted to do and record under a different name. Something similar like "Alice Unchained", "Alice and Chains", or "Ann B. Davis in Chains". Those are close enough so they could play the classics live. It would catch the AIC fan's attention. People don't read that closely. The people who bought this album because it says AIC and didn't buy JC's solo albums, because they didn't say AIC wouldn't notice, I'm sure.
Simple equations:
Cantrell + Staley = Alice In Chains
Alice In Chains - Staley = Jerry Cantrell Solo album Real Rock is Back!!!
This album is incredible! I have been a long time fan of Alice in Chains and I'm glad to have them back. While I miss Layne, I feel that William really fits well with the band and he is an awesome singer/guitarist! I bought this album the day it came out and I have already listened to it over 20 times and I just can't get enough. My favorites are Black gives way to blue, Last of my kind, Your decision, and Private hell. I think that all the true fans will love this album and will celebrate the second coming of AIC! Real rock is back and here to stay! Grammys here they come!
The best from AIC yet! The passing of charismatic lead singer Staley clearly went to the core of the remaining members and simmered, producing an introspective, consistent album full of insightful lyrics and rich layers along with a new bandmate who makes a seamless transition. Be at Peace, Layne! Your boys are carrying it forward. Alice in Chains at full-strength
Fans of the band who heard the pre-release tracks "A Looking in View" and "Check My Brain" knew that this album would contain much of the signature sound that many bands have imitated since the 1990 "Facelift." But I think it would have been hard to predict that the rest of the album would be so uniformly strong. With BGWTB, Alice in Chains have created the kind of crunchy, chainsaw-esque guitar riff-ery not heard since "Dirt."
Even if one trusted that it would be good, that didn't necessarily guarantee that it would be as raw, nor as emotional, nor as musically well-rounded as BGWTB proves to be. But make no doubt about it: it's easily their heaviest album, by all definitions of the word. Mike Inez's bass, Sean Kinney's drums, and the now-two-prongued guitar attack of Cantrell and DuVall combine to lay down some of the heaviest riffs in the band's catalog. But more impressive is the emotional content, of a band clearly reeling in the experience of going back into the studio without a beloved member taken too soon and not trying to pretend the void isn't there.
Layne Staley is missed in lyrical content, and the eulogistic title track at the end of the album is impossible to listen to without a lump forming in one's throat. But given the ferocious punch this album packs, one has to imagine that Staley is proud, wherever he may be. If you didn't know what kind of void Alice in Chains left when they disappeared from the musical landscape circa 1999, BGWTB both informs us of what we've been missing and makes us grateful that void is filled again. Satisfaction Gauranteed!
If you have ever been a fan of Alice in Chains then you will love this album. It brilliantly displays all the musical chemistry they were known for in the 90's before the loss of their original singer. The music is dark and heavy with lots of guitar layers. The vocals are full of excellent harmonies which are often identical to the original sound produced by the band on their early masterpieces. The entire album is consistently strong and is a great step forward for the band. At the very least it's a great addition to their legacy and certainly hasn't tarnished their reputation or the memory of Layne Staley. Highly recommended to all Alice in Chains fans. |
Keyword: Music,
Description: Black Gives Way To Blue
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