Who created one of the most delicious rock albums of the decade, if not ALICE IN CHAINS ? Who managed to reborn from their ashes by rising to a whole new level, if not ALICE IN CHAINS ? Who has just never cared about etiquettes and always played with love -and hate-, as long as it was for their own salvation ? Damn ALICE IN CHAINS.
I’ve heard a lot of people say that the new lineup was a whole new band with a whole new music. That DuVall would never ever fit into Staley’s boots. Seriously, just listen to “Black Gives Way To Blue” from the very first second to the ultimate note, and you shouldn’t have anything negative crossing your mind until another band manages to produce such a monument while carrying such a history. I mean : the death of one of the most powerful and soulful rock singers of these days and ages, how could you still have faith after that ? They survived and got stronger. I could also add they survived the 90’s, to remain the greatest band alive of the lost -grunge- generation.
Talking about greatness, this last album is the shit. From a technical point of view, the production is splendid, the alliance and fair repartition of both vocalists on the tracks is subtle and smart -not too brutal for purists, letting William DuVall show up and finely declare he’s in the building-, the riffs are daaaaaaaangerously toxic and addictive -the Cantrell touch-, and every song makes sense, they just flow together seamlessly. Pure magic.
Some kind of renewal ? They had no choice and it was the smartest direction to adopt. Nevertheless the darkness still remains, although the scope of topics has widened with maturity and life experiences. Dark, mesmerizing, powerful, a moment of pure grace. Ladies and gents, this is ALICE IN CHAINS and they’re back for better.
A friend of mine once said “Alice In Chains is all about taking everything in the world that’s ugly and making it beautiful ». I certainly wouldn’t have found better words to define them.
“We’ve been called grunge, hard rock, heavy metal, alternative – everything they can think of. We’re Alice In Chains and there’s nobody like us. »
Last modified: 11 February 2015
