Black Gives Way to Blue

Alice In Chains is back in business

In 1987, musicians Jerry Cantrell and Lain Staley formed a band Alice In Chains, which became world popular in early 90s. Although the music of Alice In Chains is often classified as grunge, it is actually more the mixture of acoustics and heavy metal with the memorable vocals. However, after the artists reached international stardom and made a career, everything went wrong – soloist Lain Staley started drug abuse, which was no good for the band’s activity. Alice In Chains never disbanded officially, but they did not record a disc after 1995. In 2002, Staley’s death of drug overdose followed. A few people believed that the collective would be on stage back again. However, in 2005, the artists hired a new vocalist – William DuVall, with whom later they started work over the first release for many years. As on Black Gives Way To Blue the members of Alice In Chains stay faithful to their style, it is a new step in their career in many senses at the same time. This year release Black Gives Way To Blue is not only the first record with the new vocalist, but also the first try at a new label Virgin Records, while all the precious discs were issued at Columbia. It all goes should be added to the fact that Black Gives Way To Blue is the first full-length of the group in more than fourteen years.

Black Gives Way To Blue is fulfilled in the memorable style of the band

The album starts with the deep, powerful track with the symbolic title All Secrets Known. It is followed by the second single from the disc – the brilliant number Check My Brain, which hooks with the heavy guitar riffs and thick sound. The verses of this song sparkle with irony over the way of living and working in California. It is as embracing as the former hits by the band. The tune Last Of My Kind proves it again that the talent of composer is still strong in Jerry Cantrell, while the lyrics is written by the new vocalist and guitarist William DuVall. The song seems to be in the stream with the other tracks of the album, which shows us that the artists were totally right in their choice of a new front-man. The other songs on the disc are also praiseworthy – for example, the first album single A Looking In View shows itself as an energetic rock track and Your Decision is a romantic, memorable balladry piece. One of the most tender and sensual moments on the disc is the ballad Private Hell. It is situated close to the final retro-flavored with 90s, emotional composition Black Gives Way To Blue, which gave the title to the album. This track is especially interesting due to the fact that the piano play is provided by Sir Elton John himself. The song is devoted to late Lain Staley.

Something more than an album

The new disc by Alice In Chains is not simple good – it is amazing. The musicians managed not only to keep the heavy sound of 90s on the long-play; they also were able to make it sound contemporary. No doubt, in this business they were assisted not only by their experience and taste, but also by producer Nick Raskulinecz, who cooperated earlier with Rush and Foo Fighters. The disc Black Gives Way To Blue is the first work by the cult band after the death of their vocalist, the first label transmission for the whole career and the first step in the way to resurrection of the band, which once had been on the top of the fame. More that nineteen million album copies were sold, the band got six Grammy nominations…Anyone would agree, that such glorious story just could not stop at that moment! The daring, qualitative and simply marvelous disc Black Gives Way To Blue, charged with the new electricity by the band, became the pass for Alice In Chains into the world of nowadays music world. There is no hesitation that Black Gives Way To Blue is sure to make happy not only the devoted fans of the group, who are thirsty for the new material, but also modern alternative rock fans. The album strikes with the unity of the collective, it demonstrates us friendly atmosphere and smooth cooperation inside Alice In Chains. It is obvious in the moments when Cantrell and DuVall sing together, similar to the times when Cantrell vocalized with Staley. Overall, Black Gives Way To Blue is not a simply forceful come back of the band, it is more likely its reincarnation.