BLACK GIVES WAY TO BLUE (2009)

BLACK GIVES WAY TO BLUE (Alice In Chains, 2009)

Artist: Alice In Chains (C+)
Recording Dates: Oct 2008 – Mar 2009
Release Date: September 25th, 2009. USA.
Record Label: Virgin / EMI
Producer: Nick Raskulinecz
Rating: 8

Era: Grunge (1989-???)

Subgenre: Post Grunge (1998-???)

Best Song: Check My Brain

Tracklist: 1) All Secrets Known; 2) Check My Brain; 3) Last Of My Kind; 4) Your Decision; 5) A Looking In View; 6) When The Sun Rose Again; 7) Acid Bubble; 8) Lesson Learned; 9) Take Her Out; 10) Private Hell; 11) Black Gives Way to Blue.

This is only the fourth studio album from the legendary grunge band Alice In Chains. I'd say this is one of the biggest comebacks of the year, and one of the best albums of the year. Seriously. The thing is, while expectations were very high for other bands, or at least for them to maintain an average level (and in most cases they disappointed; this year was pretty bad and saw a general decline in quality), in the case of Alice In Chains, there was a morbid curiosity to hear the much-heralded "new material" that had been rumored since 2006. But I think even the most optimistic Alice In Chains fans didn't have any real hope of hearing something as powerful and well-rounded as this album.

And it's not because the band had aged or was lacking ideas. The band had practically died in 1996, the year they stopped performing due to the death of Layne's fiancée, which plunged him into such a terrible depression that it forced the band to stop completely. This was exactly one year after their last studio album with Layne Staley, the band's self-titled album. And although there was never an official announcement of a breakup, Layne fulfilled the chronicle of a death foretold after spiraling into self-destruction, slower and crueler than Cobain's, and ended in the only way anyone could have expected: dead from a cocktail of heroin and cocaine on April 19, 2002.

After this, all Alice in Chains fans really had little to nothing left to expect. Layne was a fundamental part of the band, providing exceptional charisma with that raw and emotional voice, and an album without him didn't make much sense, neither for Cantrell himself nor for the fans. If the band could be considered dead since the late 90s, after Staley's death it was a closed chapter, a band that had run its course and to which it was now up to us as music lovers to pay tribute as one of the greatest bands of the 90s. And so, Alice In Chains, who in the 90s were always overshadowed by Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, and Soundgarden—despite having, in my opinion, a more polished sound than all of them—finally achieved the cult status they deserved. They didn't need their videos recycled on MTV; their music began to spread among new generations by word of mouth, blog, or by chance, perhaps partly propelled by the death of their frontman, but above all by the quality of their sound, which wasn't fully appreciated by the public at the time.

Anyway, after Layne's death, Jerry dedicated his second solo album to him. Even on his first album, he had already made it clear that he had enough talent to continue a successful solo career, since although Layne was always the charisma, the heart, and the voice of the band, Cantrell was always the brains and the creative engine. And frankly, if he had continued like that, no one, absolutely no one, could have criticized him for anything. History has shown that very few bands manage to carry on without a frontman: Pink Floyd, Joy Division-New Order, and AC/DC are the only ones that come to mind, while the number of bands that fail to move forward after losing their vocalist is much higher: Queen, The Doors, INXS, Blind Melon, Nirvana… So, resurrecting a band that hadn't released a studio album in 14 years was an enormous risk for Cantrell, Inez, and Kinney, one that fortunately paid off.

The unlikely reunion began to take shape in 2005, when the three surviving members reunited for a benefit concert for the victims of the Southeast Asian tsunami, sharing the stage with various vocalists as a tribute act. The concert left them with a positive impression, and in 2006 they performed again for a VH1 concert, where they first shared the stage with William Duvall, who sang "Rooster." Following these concerts, they embarked on a series of shows at festivals and clubs, still featuring rotating vocalists, but with Duvall increasingly taking on a more permanent role. The band played only songs from their three studio albums, which had already become cult classics, drawing ever-growing audiences and receiving standing ovations wherever they performed. However, Mike Inez stated that they weren't interested in releasing a new album, at least not under the name Alice In Chains. In 2006, Duvall was officially announced as the new singer, and it was announced that they were writing new material. Fans around the world raised an eyebrow and said in unison, "Could it be?" It wasn't until September 2008 that they finally entered the recording studio, and in early 2009, short clips of the progress began to circulate. In one particularly curious clip, Jerry starts playing a very simple and silly song, and presents it as part of the new material, before bursting into laughter, then launching into a take of a monstrous and powerful riff ("Take Her Out"?), and saying, "This is the real thing," thus rekindling hopes. Even so, I refrained from uploading these clips to The Cavern because, I repeat: nobody in the world expected the final result to be THAT good. The recordings finished in March 2009, and a rumor spread that Elton John had participated. New doubts…

The album was finally released on September 29, 2009, without the fanfare of Metallica's Death Magnetic the previous year, and somewhat overshadowed by the Beatles' Remasters and Rock Band, released that same month, which stole the spotlight. There wasn't a massive, brutal marketing campaign, yet the result was tremendous, selling over 120,000 copies in the first week. And it's no wonder.

The album shattered all expectations, achieving a perfect balance that fully justifies the three years of pre-production, production, and post-production. Jerry and company didn't just go into the studio to record any old rubbish to squeeze money out of the studio; they truly put a lot of thought into this material. Among the album's many virtues, perhaps the greatest is that they remain completely faithful to their original sound, embracing that ambivalence of sounds: one raw, almost metal, with monstrous and brilliant riffs, full of energy and distortion; and the other an acoustic, vibrant, and more emotional sound. In this respect, the band doesn't seem to have taken a 14-year "break," but rather to have continued exactly where they were, and I say that in a good way, because a maturity and evolution are also evident. Another outstanding aspect is the delicacy with which they address Layne's absence. It's not an emotional and self-pitying, tear-jerking discourse where the band sits around mourning their leader, but rather a very balanced tribute, with songs clearly dedicated to him. What's remarkable is that, more than dedicating tearful songs to Layne, they dedicate the best of their talent to recapturing the level of the '90s, and that's the best tribute a band can pay to someone. Without being an emotional album that seeks to elicit tears, it is nonetheless moving in just the right measure. Finally, the African-American William Duvall never tries to replace Staley. Here, despite the similarity in vocal timbre, he utilizes his own unique vocal characteristics, showcasing his power and qualities and making it perfectly clear that he's not there to fill any void, but rather on his own merits. If we had any doubts about this singer who seems to have appeared out of nowhere, this album dispels them all. He's not a new version of Layne, but rather possesses his own distinct personality and voice—perhaps less emotional and without reaching the soaring heights of Staley's heart-wrenching screams, but perhaps with a more refined and powerful voice, one that doesn't hesitate for a second to infuse the songs with his own style. A huge plus for him. On the vocal front, Jerry also continues to provide those backing vocals or "thirds" that lend a greenish texture to the sound and are one of Alice's trademarks. So, even though Duvall gives it his own style and doesn't try to imitate, somehow the vocal interplay and harmonies achieved are exactly the same as 14 years ago, and you can almost hear Layne's ghost singing among those delicious "thirds" that the new duo achieves.

So, the album is good, one of the best of 2010. It's well worth it for a band to take so much time (I'm referring to the 3 years it took to make this one, not the 14 since their last album) to fine-tune and polish an album, rather than just releasing something for the sake of it, capitalizing on their moment of fame. Its greatest virtue is that you can understand the tremendous effort and dedication that went into making such a solid and balanced album, with such attention to detail, such great riffs, delicate acoustic tracks that don't lose their essence, the skillful handling of the vocal changes, and the perfect balance of emotion… All these factors must have been handled with meticulous care and involved many, many hours, and the most remarkable thing about the album is that this effort isn't noticeable. Instead, it's a very natural album, as if it came together organically, without any tension—a situation completely opposite, for example, to Death Magnetic, where Metallica's work is evident, but so is the work and effort it took them to regain their form. Black Gives Way to Blue, then, recaptures the best of Alice in Chains, and even the weaker songs, of which there are few, maintain a very high standard for rock these days.

The album opens with “All Secrets Known”, featuring a heavily distorted guitar riff that is joined first by a series of powerful guitar riffs that begin to build intensity, and then by Kinney's drums for an apocalyptic entrance, making it clear that this return after 14 years is for real. Duvall delivers a solid vocal performance, and the guitar textures are masterful during the choruses. It's remarkable how the album maintains a mid-tempo yet intense rhythm, brimming with energy and darkness. Pure AIC style. The change where Layne's absence is most noticeable (and throughout almost the entire album, despite the constant references to death, it never sounds as raw as Layne did) is in the lyrics, with a greater sense of optimism and hope than in their entire previous discography combined: “Hope, A new beginning, Time, Time to start living - like just before we died.” It closes with: “Calm, All wounds are healing… Strong.” Emotional, and clearly dedicated to Layne (perhaps that's the secret everyone knows), but without being self-indulgent.

Next up is “Check My Brain”, a powerful track with one of the best and most brutal riffs of the 2000s. Jerry Cantrell is back with all his guitar mastery. The riff is simple, just three or four notes, but dragging the strings creates a dark tonal shift while also giving it an elastic feel. The rest of the song revolves around this tremendous riff. Kinney seems to want to use up all the cymbals in the intro, and then he plays a remarkable set of toms. Cantrell himself later adds guitars in various tones, some deeper to create darkness, others higher for the mini-guitar solos in the bridges. The drum tempo isn't too fast, if you listen closely, but the circular, repeating riff gives it a kind of dizzying feel. The chorus is also perfect, trying to be brighter and catchier… that “California I’m Fine, Somebody check my brain, Ahhhhh” could have worked for a pop-rock band, but here it sounds so dark and full of cynicism and bitterness… Perfect for the lyrics, which refer to when Jerry moved from Seattle to LA after finally quitting drugs, and which he says was a somewhat ironic situation, like a bad gambler in recovery moving to Las Vegas.

The next song is “Last Of My Kind”, which was written by the entire band, including Duvall. Here, William showcases his unique vocal style, with a powerful yet subdued and deep tone in the opening verses, then becoming almost furious and reaching soaring high notes in the choruses. The song is one of the most powerful, featuring dense, dark riffs in the verses and apocalyptic guitars in the choruses, along with Mike Inez's distorted bass, almost reaching thrash metal levels. I maintain that, for me, AIC represents the purest grunge sound, but here I dare say they blow Metallica out of the water, and even the solo at 3:47 has many metal influences, much more evident than on previous albums, which also demonstrates that Jerry hasn't stagnated at all. In the end, you're left feeling almost stunned by so much power, like you've been run over by a steamroller.

Next comes one of the acoustic-based songs, “Your Decision”. A perfect example of how Cantrell hasn't lost an ounce of sensitivity and mastery with the acoustic guitar. The song begins with a very gentle guitar riff, creating, along with the vocals, a soft and velvety atmosphere while an electric guitar timidly plays in the background. After a minute, drums and bass enter, slightly increasing the intensity based on the rhythm, although the tempo remains the same. The vocal harmonies stand out in this song, where Duvall and Cantrell achieve that wonderful bittersweet triple-voice effect so characteristic of the band. After the chorus, when the song's intensity rises even further, without yet reaching its full potential, the intensity drops for an arpeggiated bridge, and then they launch into a guitar solo at 2:23—simple, but effective. Cantrell's mastery in handling the guitar at a level between powerful and intimate, playing with dynamics, is something perhaps only Jimmy Page could achieve in a similar way. Despite the changes, the song feels slightly long towards the end.

“A Looking View” continues with bitterly poignant lyrics reminiscent of their early work and another incredibly dense and heavy riff—a true behemoth. This time, Kinney delivers exceptional drumming, contributing to the effect of a slow, devastating snow avalanche, confirming that this is AIC's heaviest and rawest album. It's somewhat logical that they're moving towards a metal sound, given that grunge as a genre has been dead for quite some time. Even so, in my opinion, it borrows elements from it, but lacks others to be considered purely metal. Interestingly, these two tracks, so different in their atmospheres, were the first singles released for the LP.

Then there's "When The Sun Rose Again", another much more polished acoustic track, with that soft yet devilishly dark guitar building a superb, silky descending riff that highlights the vocal harmonies. Incidentally, Duvall starts each verse here, and a moment later Cantrell joins in to create that effect, revealing the way he weaves vocal harmonies—something I don't recall if he did with Staley. The bridges are descending scales with the brightest guitar, and then the choruses are brighter and more joyful, with major keys, like a ray of hope from that sun rising again. The lyrics are a tribute to Layne: "It seems you prophesied, all of this would end, Were you burned away, when the sun rose again…" The song is imbued from beginning to end with a gentle nostalgia, but unlike "Your Decision," it has the perfect length.

Next up is “Acid Bubble”, a song that builds gradually, with a very slow, almost languid pace, where Duvall showcases his skill in maintaining the song's momentum during this first part until he masterfully picks up the tempo at 1:55, creating a gritty and intense atmosphere. At 2:43, there's a false ending, and the guitar completely changes the rhythm and riff, making it a practically different song—fast and unsettling—with William employing vocal inflections we've definitely never heard from Layne. After this bold bridge, which serves to break the monotony, we return to the veeeeeeeeeeeery slow pace of the beginning. It would have been interesting if they had continued with the multi-part idea, but on the other hand, it's fascinating how they build that slow crescendo in the "dieeeeeeeeeee in the corner..." section. At 5:53, Cantrell launches into a really good, vibrant mini-solo, and just when it seems like that's how the song is going to end, they return to that fast-paced, devastating section with which they finally finish it off.

"Lesson Learned" has another tremendous, acidic, and dark riff, which Duvall follows with his vocals. The song has a much better rhythm and sounds more balanced without losing any power. The bridges work very well. When the song seems slightly repetitive, at the 2-minute mark, an absolutely catchy, bright chorus appears, giving the song a wonderful breath of fresh air. And that's another of the band's strengths: they know how to refresh songs when they're about to become suffocating in dense atmospheres.

“Take Her Out” has one of the most structured and complex riffs, and for that reason, it isn't repetitive, but rather serves as an intro. Again, applause for Kinney, who does a monumental job on drums, providing the pauses for the guitars and increasing the tempo in the verses and choruses. The song fit perfectly on Facelift; it's old-school hard rock with remarkable guitar arrangements and skillful handling of tension, especially after that brief moment following the solo when the song seems to stand on its own. While not the heaviest track, it's notable for the great teamwork of the entire band.

The penultimate song is “Private Hell”, which has a good arpeggio that underpins the entire song, but two chords seem very limited by Jerry's standards. It's not badly constructed and has a certain majestic air, but I think it lacks ideas and more significant changes, whether in rhythm or tone, with the choruses and the magnificent coda being the most noteworthy parts.

Finally, the album closes with the title track, “Black Gives Way to Blue”. Elton John plays piano on it, and it leaves me with a strange feeling. It could have been worse, but it could also have been better. The song isn't bad, it's just perhaps too simple, and the piano playing is also very basic. It wasn't like they were going to bring in Elton John to play a few chords while the guitar weeps in the background, was it? It's not bad enough to warrant a blue mark; it's an elegant and beautiful song, but being the main tribute to Layne, it's missing something—I don't know if it's the punch, more emotion, or what. Duvall, curiously, seems to feel the absence the most and gives a great performance. I like that ending, which feels open, waiting for the last piano note, as if hinting at the absence.

In short, all things considered, there isn't a single bad song. They all have the distinctive Alice In Chains sound and are very carefully crafted and detailed. Despite the power, heaviness, and density of some songs, it's an album you can listen to again and again without getting tired, thanks to the pauses and respites provided by the interspersed acoustic tracks. Jerry's riff-making remains masterful, already establishing several classics in Rock Band and outshining other great riff makers of the decade, like Tom Morello or Slash, who, despite being very good, don't manage to produce albums as cohesive as this one. These are the kinds of albums you truly appreciate; the band feels more mature and proves that you don't need the overwhelming, Metallica-esque style to make good music. It's simply a return to their roots, a lot of honesty with themselves and their audience, humility, and something many current bands have in spades: talent. Alice In Chains is not only back, but they've also joined the select group of bands that have successfully survived the loss of their vocalist. The enormous risk they took paid off, and it's amazing for all the fans to hear the band's sound intact, that dark and nostalgic essence from over 14 years ago. Hopefully, the level won't drop, but rather this will be the beginning of a new era for AIC, and we'll have the opportunity to see them live in these parts. With a bit of luck, perhaps they'll even inspire bands like Pearl Jam, who have been a bit lost lately.

By Corvan

Jan/11/2010