It has been almost 10 years since the band Alice in Chains was last heard from. The contributing inventors to Seattle’s grunge-metal music have rebounded to pay tribute to their fallen lead-singer, Layne Staley.
The album ‘Black Gives Way to Blue’ is the first LP-length recording by the band in over 14 years and you cannot tell that they ever stopped their art! The roaring screams, intricate harmonies, bleeding guitars and subtle acoustics bring Alice in Chains back into the limelight as surreal and innovative rock artists.
Layne Staley and guitarist/vocalist/lyricist Jerry Cantrell formed Alice in Chains in 1987 and helped spurn the hair-band metal of the 80’s by pushing the underground music of the Seattle grunge scene into the main stream. Fierce rock and legitimate music, reemerged.
Staley’s drug abuse took a heavy toll on the artist though and after a legendary performance on ‘MTV’s Unplugged,’ which gave birth to a phenomenal album made from the recorded show, he fell out of the public eye for some five years. Staley passed away in 2002, from a mixture of heroin and cocaine, a deadly concoction dubbed a ‘speedball.’
As half of the creative force behind the band, and the infamous owner of one of the world’s most unique singing voices, Alice in Chains would not be revived until they adopted William DuVall to step in as lead singer and help Jerry Cantrell shoulder the band.
The new singer, DuVall, is unmistakably Layne Staley-like in his voice and delivery on this album. ‘Black Gives Way to Blue’ is a remarkable fusion of catchy harmonies and guitar, while words peruse through emotional work and tight drums.
This is no mere hard rock album. The all-acoustic ‘When the Sun Rose Again’ tune is incredibly wrapped about bongos, poetic quips and singing that lingers. When Cantrell slices a precise overdub of his electric ax subtly adding a scream, it does nothing but compliment the acoustic guitars and song.
For those who might consider Alice in Chains ‘MTV Unplugged’ album to be their greatest record, ‘Black Gives Way to Blue’ will not disappoint. For those who are only interested in the harder licks of the band, there is plenty on this collection to appeal as well.
There are acoustic moments on the title track where even the likes of Elton John contribute to the catchy ‘Black Gives Way to Blue.’ If you are not a fan of Elton John, listen to the song before you judge, because it is awesome!
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