ALICE IN CHAINS BLACK GIVES WAY TO BLUE LISTENING PARTY REPORT
Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009 at 11:30am by Vince Neilstein
Last night’s “listening party” in NYC for Alice in Chains’ new record Black Gives Way to Blue was one of the most bizarre such events I’ve ever attended. In the metal world, “listening party” usually means the label or PR firm invites us out to a divey bar where we all drink heavily and chat while the new record plays on repeat. Sometimes the band plays a few songs… sometimes there’s an open bar or drink tickets (aka a makeshift piece of paper that entitles the bearer to a free drink). But all in all, they’re pretty laid back affairs.
Not this one. The event was at a theater in the brand new New York Times building in Times Square. Attendees had to check in with someone at the door, then hand in any and all mobile phones / ipods / computers that could possibly be used as recording devices. Serious! Everyone gathered in a cavernous, wood-paneled lobby area where there were no fewer than 10 waiters in fancy black shirts walking around with platters of hour d’oeuvres — mini kobe beef burgers, samosas, and some other mysterious but delicious cooked treat — and as much wine or beer as our little hearts desired. A certain “Metal Insider” who shall remain nameless took full advantage of the free wine, and I’d imagine was in quite the right frame of mind for the album listening. Also striking: the makeup of the audience was at least 75% stripey-shirt dudes. Us normal shorts-and-t-shirt dudes felt kind of awkward in comparison — this was a listening party for ALICE IN FUCKING CHAINS???
At 7:30 we were all let into a big movie-style theater with speakers set up on the stage and a small screen across the middle that would later display images presumably from the album artwork. Jerry Cantrell and Sean Kinney came out for a quick speech, the lights dimmed, and the music began… LOUD.
Interestingly, I was the only person I could see that was taking notes with pen and paper, the good old-fashioned way. Rather than give you guys some faux mumbo-jumbo about what the album sounds like and what it represents in the evolution blah blah blah FUCK, I’d like to give you my notes. Having only heard the album once I don’t feel like I’m in a position to make any grand judgments, but what I wrote down was in the moment and what I was thinking at the time. My hope is that these notes give you some idea of what you’re in for. But I will say this… the new Alice in Chains record is heavy, deep, and it’s fucking GOOD.
My notes, track by track (sorta), minimally edited for clarity, after the jump.
1. Heavy as fuck. AIC is the band every modern hard rock band (Chevelle, Disturbed, etc) tries to be, but aren’t nearly as good.
2. Awesome, heavy, deep groove. “Check My Brain”? Dense vocal harmonies, inflection just like Layne. Depth.
3. Power grooves, bass present throughout.
4. Acoustic. First time you can hear Duvall’s voice upfront without all the layers of guitars and harmonies. Verse sounds like “Keep on Rockin’ in the Free World.” Multi-layer vocal harmony. very ’90s guitar — “Your Decision”?
5. “A Looking in View.” God damn this song is heavy. Track 1-3 were also as heavy as this. This album is slow, groovy. Slow heavy as opposed to fast heavy. Sometimes slow is heavier than fast. Fade out… no one really does fade-outs anymore.
6. Another acoustic song. Is this the Layne song? Kinney bongos. Electric solo great — shoulda been longer.
7. Slowest yet — heavy. Not going for poppy choruses on this record, just good songs and emotion. Part 2 — fastest section on the record yet. Back to part 1. This song is epic. Back to part 2!
8. mid-paced rocker — most like old AIC so far. Duvall’s voice really low, haunting. Pretty sweet chorus. Possible single.
9. Big, slower, but arena-rocky. Major key chorus. Reminds me of “Sea of Sorrow.” Short but fitting solo. Song still kinda slow and plodding (in a good way).
10. Really slow but still loud. Distorted guitars. AIC are the Crowbar of alt-metal/rock. Gigantic sounding guitars on this whole record. Another ace solo – Jerry not a guitar hero, just plays what’s right.
11. Quiet. piano + guitar + vocals. Layne song? melancholy. “Black Gives Way to Blue”? “I Remember You.”
So… things to take away from these scribblings: this album is fucking heavy. It is also slow… which seems to make it even heavier. The guitars are gigantic. The songs by and large have a really deep and intense groove to them, thanks to Kinney’s tasteful drumming, Mike Inez’s deep bass, and the overall tightness of the band. William Duvall sounds great, but his voice is often obfuscated by extremely dense vocal harmonies (natch). The bass is very present on the record. There are a couple of cool acoustic tracks. Cantrell takes some nice solos but nothing too flashy.
I can’t wait to listen to this record again. On first listen, it’s really, really fucking good.
-VN
What can I say, I’m George Costanza incarnate.
Jesus I’m jealous
Cool… cant wait..
Can’t wait for this. They’re back!
I really can’t wait for this record. I had a feeling it was gonna be a contender for album of the year
So fucking excited. AIC has been my soundtrack of the summer (well, them and Clutch)… So, so, so excited. I just can’t hide it.
Easily my favorite band from the 90s; I can’t think of a better birthday present than this album coming out. Fucking A!!!
Thanks for the report, Vince. Can’t fucking wait to hear it myself.
I went to the one in Los Angeles and we sat there for over an hour while the official video played on a loop. Then we found out that the live performance that was going to happen afterwards was just going to be 3-4 songs so we left.
That said, they had free In-N-Out and beer so at least we were fed :)
siiiiiiiiiiiiiick
So, so pumped for this. Awesome.
was there any blast beats?
Seems to be a trend in anything slightly metal related lately… I was kinda weirded out when I heard blasts on a Dream Theater song.
Didja guys know John Densmore from The Doors accidentally invented blast beats? Listen to ‘When The Music’s Over’ and during the quiet middle part before the buildup you’ll know what I mean. :3
I was really surprised by “Looking in View.” The short 30 second snipit on the site/videos seemed like it was going to be a nu-metal-sell-out piece of crap (loud guitars and drums rarely emit depth, but AIC has always defied standards), but when the single was released, I was glad that I kept the faith all these years. In a way, I think it is better than the “Get Born Again” single from ‘99, even with Layne’s vocals. It just seems like a deeper song. Can’t believe it’s been 10 years since the Music Bank was released…time is flying!
Using the AIC name is ridiculous, this guy fronting AIC? Joke of the year.
The next thing you see Krist Novoselic and Dave Grohl are reforming Nirvana!? WTF!
You’re gay.
it’s july 2009, get over it already.
In Nirvana Kurt wrote pretty much ALL the songs, right, so Dave And Krist restarting the band would be wrong.. yes right, well…
Guess who wrote 80% of EVERYTHING in AIC? And I mean lyrics, music, vocal harmonies, etc. – Jerry Cantrell.
On Dirt, their biggest album – Rooster, Would?, Dam that River, Down in a Hole ,Them Bones
ALL music and lyrics by Cantrell
As for the rest…
No Excuses, We Die Young, Sea of Sorrow, Bleed the Freak, Sunshine, It Ain’t like that, Over Now, etc. etc. ETC. – all the music and lyrics by Cantrell with the exception of other band members than Layne contributing on It Ain’t like that. And it goes on and on.
The album Layne had the biggest influence on, lyrically, where he wrote more than half the lyrics on, was the self-titled one in 95 of which the 2 biggest hits were Grind and Heaven Beside you – all lyrics and music by… Jerry Cantrell, who also sung the lead vocals on these tracks. Is he half the singer Layne is/was? Hell no, but the facts are still the facts.
Layne was a tremendous singer and talent, is my favorite singer, and yeah they wouldn’t have made it without his presence in the first place, true. But seriously, the musical muscle and driving force was always Cantrell. As great as Layne was, he died from his own choices and the rest of the band shouldn’t have to deny who they are and not be able to continue because of his self-imposed unfortunate downward spiral. And I’m saying this about my favorite singer. Layne was awesome, but he’s gone now. And so we move on.
If AIC was 80% Jerry, then surely a project that is 100% Jerry would be even better, right? That said, we have to wonder why Jerry’s solo albums did so poorly.
noooooooo….. Degradation trip 1 and 2, are damn good records
Having other people be an important part of composition, arrangement, and quality control is key to making quality music. It makes everything sound less two dimensional. When you’ve got good people to work with, especially in a band format, your music will likely come out better I would say.
Let’s not forget that Jerry is writing a solo record this time around…he knows that this material has got to live up to the standards that the name Alice in Chains immediately demands.
On Degradation trip you miss (besides Layne) Sean and Mike.
In particular the drums of Mike Bordin aren’t off added value in my opinion.
With Sean on drums, Degradation trip would have been better!
DEGREDATION TRIP WAS A MASTERPIECE
agree
“As great as Layne was, he died from his own choices and the rest of the band shouldn’t have to deny who they are and not be able to continue because of his self-imposed unfortunate downward spiral.”
Quoted for truth. We all miss Layne, but we also know he left the band long before he died. You can listen to S/T and it seems like he was already gone in a way.
I don’t understand why he’s regarded as the only piece of the puzzle that mattered, especially since he’s the one who pulled it all apart.
Im glad someone in this world has the same opinion as me. You rock and speak the truth.
I totally agree Tom. “Someone” mentioned that this would be like replacing Kurt Cobain and having Nirvana release a new album. Kurt is and was Nirvana. No denying that.
Alice in Chains is a complete band with 1 bigger piece….Jerry Cantrell, but not the complete piece. Layne was not the bigger piece….yes, he had the voice, which by the way could not have been a more perfect fit with Jerry’s voice. Truly the song writing was mostly Jerry and the end even his voice became more of the bigger picture as Layne slipped further in his drug decay. Look at Layne at his Mtv unplugged performance, He was a hurting unit.
Yes, Jerry couldn’t make it totally on his own. That is why you can’t say Jerry is AIC. But as of today, Jerry is still that larger piece of Alice and by adding DuVall helps complete it all and that is all good for us. I am sorry for those of you who think that DuVall is a poser. If he didn’t sound like Layne, it would be totally off with Jerry’s voice, “would” it not? And from what I have heard so far, DuVall is a better fit than Phil Anselmo, who has been going down the same drug infested tour of life as Layne. We don’t need to go through that again.
I’m completely with ya, man. it’s really time to move on. and the info about the band you provided is accurate, whether other people want to admit it or not… and I too absolutely loved Layne. always will. But after seeing these guys @ Epicenter ‘09 in SoCal, i was convinced: AiC IS BACK, and with a vengeance!!!
You might change your mind when you hear the album – I was at the London event last night. It’s unreal. Layne and William are channeling the same shared force.
Besides, to quote Jerry, “Why stick with the name? Because it’s OUR FUCKING BAND.”
This album is incredible.
It’s their band – their decision.
And the album puts any doubts to rest in my opinion – it’s fantastic.
Like I have said here before, Alice In Chains will never be the same without Layne. This won’t be another case of Ac/dc and Pink Floyd (who replaced lead singers who ‘checked out’). Those were different situations. As for using the name, I don’t think they should. Only 2 members of the original are left after all. Will Alice go on and make good records? sure. Jerry is talented, but he seems to forget the personality that all good front-men bring to a great band. Not only was Layne one hell of a unique vocal talent, but his artistry, ever changing appearance and personal battles made Alice legendary. All that is left now is their past reputation and their desire to write good songs. This will carry them far. But are they better? No matter what, the new album will fall short in my heart, as the 3 songs I have heard have. But I truly hope they find new fans who did not know them before, and I will catch them on the road for sure!
WHY WASNT I INVITED?!?!?!?!
funny picture. while jerry and mike look (naturally) older, sean looks like he’s actually younger.
i still can’t get over the fact that they’ve aged, though, probably because i’ve watched their mtv unplugged performance too many times. and their vocalist reminds me of the dude from sly & the family stone.
looking forward to the new album, especially after reading this. i hope they do another EP in similar vein as ‘jar of flies’ in the future.
Definitely looking forward to this one. I like how in the comments for one of the songs you mention that they do a fade-out, and nobody does those anymore. I agree! And I think it should be used again…what happened to the fade-out? Bands got sick of writing alternate endings for shows? All I know is I miss when bands would create a badass outro riff and just fade it slowly, works great for metal, especially slower shit.
I can’t wait :D Thanks for the report.
payBach is a bitch.
Bach pay
“scratch my Bach and I’ll scratch yours”
All on the wrong thread… I LOSE. I wish I could take it all Bach.
just go bach
Baby got Bach.
It is a little weird with the new singer, since he sounds so much like Layne, but the music sounds awesome so far. I hope this record is awesome and is a big “FUCK YOU” to all those horrible bands(godsmack, theory of a deadman, staind, etc…) that have completely ripped off AIC for the past 10 years. I want this record to show everyone how it’s done!
FUCKIN GOJIRA DOES FADE OUTS!!!!!
Wait, I missed mini kobe beef burgers??????????
That’s what I get for arriving late.
so far, “a looking in view” really shows possibly why AIC will never be the same. First off, Jerry Cantrell is no lead singer. He is, at best, a back-up singer. Possibly he thinks he is David Gilmour, which he is not; he cannot sing as good as him, write as good as songs as him or play guitar like him. That being said, the first single sounds nothing like old AIC. Why? No Layne Staley. The song sounds like a Jerry Cantrell song. I know,everyone says “Jerry Cantrell wrote the music,” and he might have prompted the initial idea, but Layne’s voice, presence and more clearly made the band famous. The new guys have earned the right to have the name, but it is not AIC. Why would we want to hear 11 songs of Jerry Cantrell singing?
You do realize they have a new vocalist and it’s not jerry being a front man right? And what do you mean by the new guys have earned the right to have the name????? It’s all the same people except for the new singer Duvall. All the other guys are the the same as before. What the fuck are you talking about in this post?????? What the fuck are you talking about, 11 songs of jerry cantrell singing…do you even know whats going on? I am dumbfounded by this post and cant figure it out.
of course i realize that TWO members of the band are part of the original AIC. Mike Inez, for all his great work, is not an original member. He did write and play on Jar of Flies, a brilliant album, but then again, he also played on Tripod, hardly a great AIC album, Matter of fact, Tripod is the AIC that least featured Layne Staley and it shows. It has way too much Jerry Cantrell singing. Yeah, I know, the albums say Jerry Cantrell wrote the lyrics and ’songs’ but that may be a little too far-fetched. We’ve had the cahnce to hear his solo work…and let’s just say, that it has none of the quality of AIC. I have been a long time fan of AIC, having seen the original play. They were my favorite band, next to pantera. But I am uncomfortable with them calling themselves AIC. And while the album will sound good…it will only be at best a carbon copy. All ready in one song, we can hear JERRY CANTRELL’S VOICE PLACED HIGH IN THE MIX, TO THE POINT THAT WILLIAM CAN’T BE HEARD. I do not want to hear 11 songs of this mix. Layne said Jerry’s voice was not good. William can sing. I just hope Jerry’s ego lets him.
We might as well start calling Jerry’s 3 solo albums Alice In Chains, too. Using the AIC name just smacks of marketing.
OK then, we’ll just resurrect Layne and bring in the unending junkie that was Mike Starr and everything’ll be peachy. k? Seriously though, Tripod had more of Layne’s lyric writing and as much songwriting as on any other album (2 songs i believe). One of the reasons Jerry sang more lead on Tripod was because Layne was pushing him to, because he knew he could do it. Have we read the interviews?. Also, Layne was falling apart at the time and it shows all over the record and his latter live performances. I think that Degradation Trip has all of the qualities of AIC… have you listened to it? With Kinney on Bargain Basement Howard Hughes and Hellbound, they couldv’e been AIC singles, no doubt about it whatsoever. You take Layne’s back-up vocals out of Grind…and does that somehow make it less of a great song, in and of itself? Sounds like they’re from the same well of inspiration to me. If Jerry had sung lead vocals on Dam that River it would’ve been a much less powerful song as recorded, but if William had sung it then, having not written the music, lyric, or vocal melody either, like Layne… would that have made it not a great song? As great as Layne Staley in his prime singing? – of course not. That much is obvious. But still, the point remains the same. We get it, you’re not fond of Jerry’s weaker, more ballad suited voice, but eh to me if the band line-up without a by his own hands dead singer wants to continue with their main songwriters in tact, I’m all for it. I could bitch about Jerry’s vocals not being as good too, but what would be the point? And from what others have said who were at the listening parties, there are songs with Will featured prominently on lead vocals, as should be the case since he has the more powerful, dynamic voice. The layering is increasingly a part of AIC’s sound now though, as was the case on Tripod with Layne doing much of it.
Personally, i kind of like Jerry’s voice better…just an opionion. That other guy obviously doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
tripod is my favorite AIC album. i dig the longer songs (frogs, sludge factory) and i think this album is underrated. can’t wait to hear the new stuff.
First off, I just want to say that I think we are all in the same boat here, we are indeed AIC fans. When the new album comes out, I will be getting it that day. While it’s hard to read all the comments about the two posts I originally wrote, I do stick to my point that, in my opinion, it was the drama and twisted talent of a dying lead singer that propelled AIC to the top. Not to disctract their talent, for the original unit was extremely talented at every position. But just like the “Dangerous Drug Formula” initiated in the alt. music era first by Jane’s Addiction with their drug addiction problems, then taken to new heights with Gun’s and Roses, it was this concept of “sell the dead ones quicker,” which really helped AIC go to the top. Just like Jerry and the rest of the guys didn’t know if each Alice album would be their last, the fans didn’t either. Obviously I am a Layne Staley supporter (having written a short story about the last years of his life) and wish we didn’t have to have a new lead singer. I have no ill will towards William. I just am not a big proponent of the “Jerry Cantrell was AIC” line of thought. He obviously wasn’t. While his solo efforts are solid, they are somewhat lackluster due to the fact “the voice” is not there. Just Jerry will only give the new material a chance. Everyone else on the team will have to step it up more than ever. It’s just my opinion, after listening to “A looking in view” 50 times or so, that there’s a lot of promise, but it still feels like it misses the mark. Interesting, yes…but AIC quality…not so sure.
I attended and it was nothing short of awesome listening to it.
If you’d opened with “the guitars are gigantic” that’s all I would’ve needed.
New song is great! I can’t wait to hear the full album..definitely buying this the day it comes out
This is funny everyone keeps saying it’s not the orginal line up. Well you know Layne is dead, he is never going to sing these song again, if AIC want to keep moving forward they have to find a new singer, this is not Jerry’s next solo album. This is the new AIC album!! Why can’t anybody accept this? The flame will burn. If AIC don’t play these song who will?
“If AIC don’t play these song who will?”
Jerry played AIC tunes (with Duvall, no less) during his solo shows. No reason he couldn’t have continued doing that.
Get the fuck over it. The people that whined like bitches when AC/DC got a new singer, that’s you guys in a few years. And where did all those whiny bitches go? No one knows because, by and large, people realized they were morons who were completely wrong.
Totally. It’s like all those stupid people saying INXS shouldn’t go on with a new singer after Michael Hutchence died. Oh wait….those people turned out to be right. My bad.
Well said – music is music – if the third trombone of the London Philharmonic dies, should they disband the whole 80+ seat orchestra, or change its name? No. Because music is worth playing. And hearing.
EH????
The below quote is so completly wrong…
“Layne said Jerry’s voice was not good.”
Layne never said that !get your facts straight ,He was always the one convicing jerry that he has to sing more and jerry was always trying to make Layne play more guitar,Layne always believed in jerry’s voice and talent he is the reason Jerry actually released boggy depot (and that he could actually sound pretty good on his own..)
More power to them..!
R.I.P Layne~!! We love you.
the quote isn’t wrong. look it up. in the end, layen even said the guys in AIC were not his friends. these guys had to play nice to each other up till the end. they would quit selling records if they all suddenly became a bunch of whiner’s and started calling each other names. it would have been fine with me to never have jerry sing on one song. i admit, it’s kinda cool to have two people singing sometimes, just for difference sakes. but treating jerry’s voice like it’s strong enough to be placed high in the mix is ridiculous. especially when you have a guy like Layne Staley. That’s why I love Facelift the most…the least and most tolerable of Jerry Cantrell singing.
RE:
Tom says:
July 22, 2009 at 2:44 pm
Great post Tom.
Come on guys. It’s been 3 years since they decided to move on with AIC. Get over yourselves or move on.
It’s their name more than anyone elses. They even have the blessing of Layne’s mum for gods sake. It won’t be the same but time moves on. 1995 self-titled was totally different to Facelift. It still rocked. Just like this new album is going to rock.
Jerry’s solo material was superb. But the biggest cheer each night was when he played AIC songs. Why? Because he is part of AIC. And he only wrote his solo material because Layne was AWOL. He (and Sean and Mike) is justifiably proud of what AIC achieved. But they have unfinished business to attend to. They put their lives and careers on hold for Layne. Now it’s time to move forward and good luck to them. I’ll be first in the queue when this is released.
Also, thanks to Vince Neilstein for the review above. It’s the best one I’ve read.
It will never be the same without Layne because he was truly one of a kind BUT I am still very happy that they are releasing the new album. I think that AIC with or without Layne are 100 times better than any of those wanna-be rock bands making music these days. For me it’s a relief that they are doing this so that contemporary rock bands can get a lesson in music making that’s long overdue.
I am a fucking massive AIC fan, and for all of you fucking retards that keep bringing up Staley, SHUT THE FUCK UP!! and same goes for the name change. I hate when people are ignorant, and despite all of your shitty opinions this album is gonna fucking rock, Will, Jerry, Sean, and Mike all fucking rock and thats it. Its not like the band is your fucking kids and you have to control them-let them fucking do what they know best and they will stomp the fucking world a new hole of awesomness!!!!!!
Go listen to Staind, nobody seems to bitch when he sings Staley…. fuck off
Why don’t you go watch Willy dance like Elmo and sing through his nose. At least Aaron Lewis respects Layne, which is more than I can say for Layne’s bandmates, and you.
What? Elmo? Willy? WFT man. Should have probably waited an formulated an actual response.
So is the best way of “respecting” Layne to sit around making no more music? Like they did patiently while he was alive during almost all of the 90s? There’s a reason they only have 3 LPs – time to move on. He was great. He’s dead, time for change.
Legendary comment bradbrad.
“an formulated an actual response”?
Well said.
Jerry was making music following Tripod, before Layne died, and after Layne died. So the idea that it’s either AIC or nothing is a bogus argument.
Jerry was not “waiting for Layne”. He was, at that time, under the delusion he could make a solo career work. And we all saw how well that turned out.
You’re right, Layne is dead, and it is time for a change. A REAL change…as in a new band.
dude,
straight up truth.
Only about a month till we get to hear some real music for a change!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I dont see why everyone is bitching like they could do better. Yeah Laynes dead but we have to move on and so did the rest of the band. They love making music so why not just let them make it. If you dont like it dont listen to it.
Can’t wait for the new AIC album.. hope to see the band live! ! ! great shit!
Layne brought his death on himself, no doubt. That being said though, Cantrell is not and never was the driving force in AIC. He has immense talent. His songwriting is top notch and his backup vocals blended well with Layne’s voice, but it was Layne’s tortured, haunting, voice that made their songs different from everyone else’s.
This Duvall guy coming in a trying to copy the voice that was AIC is just flat disrespectful. Some of the best music this band ever put out was when Layne was still well and singing the lead vocals. the quality of the music started slipping when Cantrell took over the lead. I have 2 words for anyone who disagrees…Boggy Depot. How well did that album really do? So now Cantrell has some guy trying to be someone he’s obviously not so he can have some more hit albums? Unreal!
michelle,
couldn’t agree with you more. i’ve talked to alot of fans, esp. in seattle who can’t beilieve what jerry canterell is doing and how big his ego is. he must need the cash to try to pull this off. the only thing new album will do is sell old ones. after all, its the old songs that people want to hear the most when when they play live. i’ve heard the new stuff(some of it) played live….its slows their set down. they have to follow with a heavy crowd favorite after they play a new song. but, selling old records, especially if you’re jerry cantrell…will line your pockets. funny thing is, it will also line layne staley’s pockets. i guess ‘the world dies and he still payes taxes….” funny he saw that coming.
Thoroughly agree with the most in here! I miss Layne so much ´cause he was to me the best fuckin´ singer in all the Seattle scene! and his voice had a complete soul but… we must face it, he´s gone and won´t come back. I´ve heard Duvall and he doesn´t do it any bad at all, let´s give the guy a chance. It´s tough to occupy such a place in a band but I guess he´s a very good match though, as Michelle already wrote, I don´t really want to hear someone tryin´ to be Layne since that would be suicide and not to “Get born again” for the band.
Regarding Layne´s tallent, I suppose you´ve heard Mad Season right? Well, I don´t know you, but to me it´s hell of an album!! No doubt fuckin´ Layne was a complete artist, in AIC he fit the bandstyle but with that sole album he released with McReady, Baker Sounders and Martin he let us know what he was capable of reaching. I will always wonder what if Mad season had released a second album…. Damn! They were so good! “Long gone day” “Wake up” “River of deceit” “I don´t know anything”…. What a shame Layne prefered to taste the “Artificial red”.
Thoroughly agree with the most in here! I miss Layne so much ´cause he was to me the best fuckin´ singer in all the Seattle scene! and his voice had a complete soul but… we must face it, he´s gone and won´t come back. I´ve heard Duvall and he doesn´t do it any bad at all, let´s give the guy a chance. It´s tough to occupy such a place in a band but I guess he´s a very good match though, as Michelle already wrote, I don´t really want to hear someone tryin´ to be Layne since that would be suicide and not to “Get born again” for the band.
Regarding Layne´s tallent, I suppose you´ve heard Mad Season right? Well, I don´t know you, but to me it´s hell of an album!! No doubt fuckin´ Layne was a complete artist, in AIC he fit the bandstyle but with that sole album he released with McReady, Baker Sounders and Martin he let us know what he was capable of reaching. I will always wonder what if Mad season had released a second album…. Damn! They were so good! “Long gone day” “Wake up” “River of deceit” “I don´t know anything”…. What a shame Layne prefered to taste the “Artificial red”.
I thought I was maxed out on excitement about Pearl Jam’s new album “Backspacer”, but the buzz of the new AIC record has me counting the days until I can get my hands on this!! I have always loved their music and at first I was mad that the guys were moving on, but the bottom line is that they’re musicians and going through the loss of Layne only gave them more to write and sing about. Like Jerry said at the unplugged show “you just get to hear more”. I hope they catch a second wave of success, they truly deserve it! If this play by play summary of the album is even remotely accurate, I think this may be my favorite album of the year, along with Backspacer.
download this cd
ALICE IN CHAINS: BLACK GIVES WAY TO BLUE
here
http://wanukore.com/alice-in-chains-black-gives-way-to-blue-2009-descargar-download/
Just purchased the album (release in Australia today. Bloody awesome!!!!! Make no mistake, AIC is back!!!!!!!)
guys,
i’m sorry…..i truly do wish ‘alice in chains were back.’ the truth, to me…is that this album is really weak. i’ve heard it..and outside 3 solid rock songs…the rest is a melancholic clump of songs that lack passion…and well, everything that made alice…ALICE. alice says this album is the start of something new, and i’ll give them that; it sounds like a new band. and that is great for them. it sounds like they have used a couple ‘old’ sounding songs to anchor the album to the past, and the rest seemed to point to the future. i wish them well. i just can’t stand hearing jerry cantrell sing for an entire album. he’s not that great of a singer. i just wished they didn’t use the alice in chains name, since only 2 original members remain. oh well…if this album is supposed to be a great one…it shows you how much ‘light-alt. metal’ stinks.
Justin,
GET OVER YOUR WHINGY WHINEY SELF, YOU FUCKWIT!!
I have loved AiC all my god damn life and they produced some awesome heart wrenching, haunting songs that will stay with me forever, but they also produced some shite….everyone has good days and bad days!!
I resigned myself to Jerry when he released Boggy Depot, on which his vocals were weak, but Degradation Trip 1&2, reminded me that he is good and extremely tallented. In my opinion Jerry has always been the backbone for AiC, including Layne they were a team, but he’s gone and we have to move on…….so
MOVE ON….. and stop whinging on about the “only two original members are left”….blah fucking blah, you sound like a girl, if you hate Jerry’s vocals that much return your CD for a refund!!
Personally I love the new album, it’s been too long in coming, can’t wait to see them live in Glasgow in November.
PS. Michelle, September 4, 2009 at 1:58 am.
Here’s a tip for you. Don’t buy the album. Let the rest of us enjoy it.
I second the comments about Mad Season. I liked that album better than any single AIC album. Lyrically and musically.
My question is this: did William Duvall SOUND like Layne before joining AIC? If not, what you’ve got here is akin to Karaoke.
Duvall does not sound like Staley. Listen to Last of my kind, Acid bubble, Take her out.
I think in would be closer to the mark to say this sounds like Alice in Chains, rather than Duvall sounds like Staley. It has a lot to do with the vocal harmony. Again, I say to those who don’t seem to like Duvall or the fact that Cantrell dared to reform the band, Dont buy the album. Leave it for the rest of us to enjoy.
Anyone that thinks this album is just for cash, or that its disrespectful are out of their minds. Sean and Mike put it nicely when they sarcastically suggested that if their parents die, they will need to change their last names and quit their jobs too. It’s just dumb of anyone to suggest they should have gone by anything else.
Jerry Cantrell is clearly and obviously the driving force behind AiC. Yes all members are valuable, but the musical style/direction is clearly his. The harmonizing vocals are a defining trait of AiC, and Duvall _easily_ holds his own in harmonizing with Jerry. I’ve heard a lot about how Jerry dominates most of these songs. While that might be true, Duvall’s vocals are present on the vast majority (if not all) of the songs. It doesn’t matter as much who is taking lead, or who is doing the background. It’s always been the sound of both voices that make their sound so unique. It’s kind of funny actually, after going back and listening to many old AiC tracks and trying to discern who is truly leading the song and who is harmonizing/background vocals, it’s Jerry leading the way quite often or they’ll even switch mid-song and suddenly Layne is leading and Jerry is backing him up. Anyway the point is that Jerry has been a strong contributor on the vocal side throughout the bands history.
And yes getting hung up on the name of the band is extremely juvenille and just shows how the masses of sheep love to label everything. If something deviates from their view of that label, their tiny brains simply cannot handle it and they have to lash out.
Hey the founder of our company retired, I suppose our company should change their name…
This will be THE best album of the year bar none!! You WILL NOT find a bigger layne fan than me and I’m very very impressed with this album! Is it as good as jar of flies or dirt?? To me it’s not but it’s not far behind at all!!! The title track is one of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard and ranks right up there with nutshell to me (right below it) and made me tear up the first few times I heard it.. It alone is worth buying the album.. Oh and ya I’m a huge fan of mad season and the above album also!! Wake up it’s a chillin ass song.. Rip layne you should be proud…
Okay, so I have read all the comments while listening to the new album. I have to be brutally honest, and straight to the point. Layne may be gone, but that hasn’t stopped Jerry or any of the other guys from doing what they love. So what if it doesn’t sound like their old stuff. The words that popped in my mind were “close enough”. Seriously, why would a band want to do that to themselves? They could have picked anyone and everyone would still be whining. Alice In Chains, as a band name, is nothing short of okay to use for this album. It’s not like the whole band didn’t have a hand in picking it out. As far as I, and all of the AIC band are concerned, this album turned out pretty good. Why would they release it if they knew it sucked at all? Seriously! Everyone needs to get their head out of their asses and see this for what it really is. To quote Steve-O from SLC Punk “IT’S MUSIC!!!” That’s all it is ever going to be in the end! Since when did a band only matter because of ONE GUY!? Since when has a band only ever gotten recognition is when they mimic their last album and hits? All the fucking time! I, and a lot of people here, after reading my post, I am damn sure some people will rethink about all the bullshit they’ve spouted about this album and the band using the AIC name. Seriously! Let them do their thing. It’s only music. You either like it or you don’t in any case with any band. The people that made the effort do matter. Was Layne there to make the effort with them? NO!! Did Layne 100% make the AIC name?? NO!!! They are a band, they make music. This is a new era. Why copy the old?? Yeah yeah I know “cos the music back then was really good and I would love to see AIC with Layne again”……sorry, not going to happen. He’s gone gone GONE!!! You can’t change it no matter what you do, where you look, how you perceive it from any angle and/or perspective. You can’t change it. Sorry if I am coming off as very strong and possibly even offensive, but I needed to shed light on the obvious. Why argue and complain like little babies? Why can we just enjoy some good rock? That’s all it was, is, and ever will be. AIC is back. Cantrell and the boys are back. With or without Layne. Layne was with them in their journey as a band. He died. The band didn’t throw in the towel. THEY GOT RIGHT BACK UP AND ROCKED ARENAS AND CUT A NEW STUDIO LP!!! Why complain? A lot of blood, sweat, and tears went into the making of this album. I should know. As a producer, in any release of any kind, there are no shortcuts to making a good record. You have to take your time and literally rewrite time and time again until it sounds like you want it. Then you have to think about the audience. Rewrite it again and fit their wants in there, even if there is an impossible feat of bringing Layne back somehow. No one will be Layne. There was only ONE Layne. That is all there is to it. So if you don’t like the album, then fine. Because I just heard quite a few people dog on some of their earlier releases anyways. So what does that make you people?? If this is just another flop to you, then fine that is your opinion. Don’t start a fight over it. Keep it to yourself, or have an open mind and tell your opinion while listening to others and leave it at that. Stop fighting! GOD! That’s the only reason why I’m upset about this shit. IT’S GODDAMN MUSIC PEOPLE!! I listened to everyone’s opinions and took them for what they are. YOUR OPINIONS. That is what they are. Not mine. So keep it to yourself and sulk on your own time, or have an open mind. The fact of the matter is, and note I said FACT, is this IS AIC. No ifs, ands, nor buts. This is music. Love it or hate it. Enjoy it or not. Everyone’s ears and tastes are different. I’ve met people that would rather listen to Britney Spears than AIC. That’s their thing. So now that I got my rant out of the way because of everyones’ bickering, I will review this album in 3 heart felt words. THIS ALBUM ROCKS!!!!!!
Amen!!!!
This album is amazing. I give it 5 stars. They came back and did such a rocking job. Near flawless. Great work!
Layne didn’t make AIC special back in the day. Jerry didn’t make AIC special back in the day. It was the chemistry, man – the hauntingly beautiful, painfully brilliant, creepily satisfying vocal harmonies that were trademark AIC traits. I love Layne – his voice and his presence are unrivaled as one of the best frontmen of all time – but he is gone. Jerry had just as much stake in AIC as Layne. Question for everyone that says that them using the AIC name is disrespectful… Would you be bitching if it had been Jerry that killed himself? If they just got some other guitarist to fill Jerry’s shoes? No, you’d be content. You’re not fans of AIC, you’re fans of Layne Staley. That’s fine. But don’t trash talk a BAND if you don’t appreciate the BAND. I’m a fan of Layne, but I am a fan of Layne due to his work in AIC and Mad Season. I am a fan of the BAND. And William is no Layne – his voice is remiscent in the ranges that he hits, and some vibrato here and there. Stylistically he emulates Layne, but his voice is markedly different. And again, it is the vocal harmonies that made AIC what AIC was – that and Jerry’s unorthodox guitar work and songwriting.
So, to all the haters – you’re not even close to being accurate in what made AIC what it was. There’s no reason that Jerry should have to choose a new band name and move on – what would have been the point? The music would have been the same – it would still be William – and it’d still sound like AIC. So, why not just call it AIC? I mean, it is his fucking band, right? It continues the same gloom and doom and textures that made AIC. So…
Album gets a 15/10 in my book. Totally blew my expectations, totally r0×0r3d my s0×0rz, I needed a cigarette real bad after listening to “Last of my Kind”, it’s sex. Solid album. Not bad for 14 years off the radar. I can’t wait for more.
well…after listening to the new album at least 10 times already…and perhaps this post will seem similiar to the others i have posted regarding the new alice…this is my conclusion:
the album is extremely melancholy..there are only 5 really rocking type songs….the rest are acoustic based ballads….
this album is really “temple of the dog 2″…but dedicated mostly to layne staley…..but i think “temple of the dog” is much better….
the new band shows promise….i’m dissapointed with the drum sound on the record….the first 2 dave jerden produced records of alice had an exceptional drum sound……sean is a great drummer…but you won’t hear it on the new album……
i’m convinced jerry cantrell hired the foo-fighters producer because his vocal production on dave grohl made jerry think he could actually sing lead enough to carry the album….but his voice is light…..and i say..”come on, man…let the dude with the better voice sing!” it’s just like before….the first 2 albums….there’s a reason jerry’s voice is buried….
now before bunches of you freak out…..you need to understand that i am a huge alice in chains fan….and I AM EXTREMELY PROUD OF THEM!
well…after listening to the new album at least 10 times already…and perhaps this post will seem similiar to the others i have posted regarding the new alice…this is my conclusion:
the album is extremely melancholy..there are only 5 really rocking type songs….the rest are acoustic based ballads….
this album is really “temple of the dog 2″…but dedicated mostly to layne staley…..but i think “temple of the dog” is much better….
the new band shows promise….i’m dissapointed with the drum sound on the record….the first 2 dave jerden produced records of alice had an exceptional drum sound……sean is a great drummer…but you won’t hear it on the new album……
i’m convinced jerry cantrell hired the foo-fighters producer because his vocal production on dave grohl made jerry think he could actually sing lead enough to carry the album….but his voice is light…..and i say..”come on, man…let the dude with the better voice sing!” it’s just like before….the first 2 albums….there’s a reason jerry’s voice is buried….
now before bunches of you freak out…..you need to understand that i am a huge alice in chains fan….and I AM EXTREMELY PROUD OF THEM!
I think this was a difficult album to make…..but they stepped up to the plate and did it. they kept the name alive with respect to the past. somebody had to do it….their past albums are too good to let perish.
is this the old alice in chains? no, not hardly. it is nowhere near as threatening…or dark or angry. nor is the deep sense of artistry, the sense of risk there….but it is still a solid effort. and i say god bless them. long live layne staley.
I love this album! I’m really impressed with it, and it makes me glad that they are back making music! I’d def. recommend this to any alice in chains fans! :D
This album is fucking great. All bands and musicians evolve, as is obvious in this new masterpiece of art. Jerry Cantrell and company wrote a heavy and melodic album. Although Laynes absence is unfortunate, the rest of the band has a right to move on. They did so with a blast. Layne is my all time favorite singer and AIC member, but DuVall stands on his own on this album. Great songs!!! Great lyrics and harmonies.
Black gives way to Blue is AiCs worst album to date.
I wrote about how it pisses me off here: http://www.grungeking.com/alice_in_chains_black_gives_way.html
Wow what a half-assed review. I love your comment on Check My Brain: “What the hell? 3/10.” Nice detail. Well-thought out.
Obviously you’re entitled to your opinion – I just hold that your opinions are not very well expressed or thought-out.
For example: http://bit.ly/163MYH
HAHAHAHAHA!! You call that a review? That is YOUR opinion. Stop telling people what to do and let them decide for themselves. If they like it, then fine. I loved the album. Black Gives Way To Blue is a great song! I don’t know what you are thinking giving it a 1 out of 10. So what if there are a lot of ballads. So what if Jerry sang a lot. Who the hell cares, cos like I said before. It’s only music and if you like it, great, if not, don’t even worry about it and try something else. I stated my opinion on the album, but I stated facts on the fan base. Just read my long and well thought out review above if you haven’t already. It pisses me off when people express their opinion and then act like it is fact and press it on everyone else trying to get them to think like them. It’s not even right. We are all DIFFERENT, so fine, state your opinion, but don’t go thinking that I’m going to believe you.
V, I thought YOUR review was excellent too.
So far I haven’t seen a single negative review that actually thoughtfully expresses the dislike of the singer. Rolling Stone particularly stands out as a weak-minded and thrown-together paragraph of absolute mediocrity – your review was better.
I’m sure I’ll eventually find a reasoned and well-expressed negative review – and I’ll be glad of it. It’s just the poisonous, badly intentioned reviews lacking in detail that irritate me, for their failings, not their taste.
I look forward to more of your posts V.
And GrungeKing – sorry, but if you want to review something, you need to express yourself better. Otherwise it’s got all the weight of a trolling forum-post…all the more considering you try and sell the stuff you write about through referral links – hey, you’d make MORE MONEY!
Part 1:
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I’ve just checked my mail and noticed that you replied to my post.. thanks! I read your review V, and here are my thoughts…
> “Layne may be gone, but that hasn’t stopped Jerry or any of the other guys from doing what they love.”
Yeah, you’re right, all they love now is making money.
> “So what if it doesn’t sound like their old stuff.”
It doesn’t have to sound like their old stuff, it should KICK ASS though.
> “The words that popped in my mind were “close enough”.”
Close enough?? CLOSE ENOUGH???!!! You stinkning ass-clown! “Close enough” doesn’t cut it… close enough will NEVER cut it! This is AiC’s worst album to date. Fake sounds, fake feel and mostly fake music.
> “Seriously, why would a band want to do that to themselves?”
Because they don’t really give a shit and they know they’ll make a shitload of money by doing it.
> “They could have picked anyone and everyone would still be whining.”
No. You’re wrong. And it’s not just the fact that this Duvall character isn’t as good as Layne… the rest of the music doesn’t live up to AiC’s older material. I’m not saying it has to be the same… it just has to be AS GOOD.
> “Alice In Chains, as a band name, is nothing short of okay to use for this album.”
No. It’s not. What the hell’s wrong with you??? If you went to a burger joint and asked for a hamburger and you got two buns with brocolli in the fucking middle of it, would you be happy??! I guess for you though, that’s “close enough”. LOSER.
> “As far as I, and all of the AIC band are concerned, this album turned out pretty good.”
You’re wrong. It didn’t. It’s lame… mostly.
> “Why would they release it if they knew it sucked at all?”
Because they’re probably bored and they can make a shit load of money you dick.
> Seriously!
Yes, seriously.