By Ryan Sexton, Staff Writer

While I was in diapers and the other Bush was sending bombs over the barren, oil-scarred Iraq of 1991, Alice in Chains was rocketing to the top of the billboard charts. Now, after the death of lead singer Layne Staley in 2002, Alice In Chains, one of the big four Seattle bands, released a new album on September 29th. The band currently consists of guitarist/singer Jerry Cantrell, new singer William Duvall, bassist Mike Inez and drummer Sean Kinney.

The album, “Black Gives Way to Blue” sounds a lot like the solo work of Cantrell made during Staley’s hiatus from 1996 up to his death in 2002. Duvall, the new singer brought in to replace Staley, is a formidable voice, and refreshingly different, but probably not strong enough.  Hence, the album sounds very Cantrell centric. Staley would have made new tracks like the Nickleback- esque yet beautiful “Your Decision” less square.  In addition, the album is so well produced, it squeaks when it is put onto record shelves. All of Alice in Chains albums were meticulously recorded in the past, but this one is a bit too “silicon,” and perhaps spent just a little too long in the edit room.

In terms of songwriting, the textures are good, and there are moments of beauty, but once the songs cohere those moments dissipate.     

Despite this, the title track is a must listen, a poignant tribute to the late Staley. Elton John was contracted to provide piano backing on the song, fitting, as Staley’s first concert, according to his stepfather, was an Elton John show.  As a whole, the album misses the primal and decaying dynamics of Alice in Chain’s early releases, but is punctuated with moments of genius that will remind you of the former dynasty they once had on 90s rock. In terms of this “almost there” quality, “When the Sun Rose Again,” “Acid Bubble” and “Lesson Learned” are good examples. You may even want to dust off the flannel to some of those songs.

The only tangible complaint with the album is that Duvall is turned down in the mix compared to Cantrell. In the early 90’s, conversely, Staley was, without question, always louder in the vocal mix. Cantrell and the gang should have taken a risk and cranked Duvall’s voice when they were tweaking the mixing board, if simply as a formality: he was hired to be the new lead vocalist, after all. 

Either way, this record sounds far less organic than say “Sap,” “Jar of Flies” or “Dirt,” regarded as Alice in Chain’s Magnus opus.  “Dirt” was a virtual heroin trip, “Jar of Flies,” felt like warm fall flannels and turning leaves, and the eponymous “Alice in Chains,” was like giving yourself a massage with a 2×4. “Black Gives Way to Blue,” lost its “feeling” quality somewhere along the line, whether it is because of attitude, songwriting approach, production methods or whatever. I applaud AIC for recording this one, but if you expect it to be the Frankenstein-like fermenting mass of brutal sound you discovered on your older brothers CD player, you’d be better off picking up 1992’s “Dirt” or 1995’s “Alice in Chains.”

(Photo Courtesy of beatcrave.com)