The decision of Alice in Chains to release an album after the death of singer Layne Staley -- like the decision of Axl Rose to release a Guns N' Roses album after everyone else in the band left -- has been, not surprisingly, controversial. And indeed, there's a good case to be made that Jerry Cantrell should have simply continued with his solo career.But it was Cantrell who wrote almost all of the band's classic songs, played guitar on them, and even sang the vocal harmonies, so he deserves the chance to live up to the Alice in Chains name. And on Black Gives Way to Blue, with the help of Staley replacement William DuVall and original rhythm section Mike Inez and Sean Kinney, he pretty much succeeds. Whereas AIC's previous releases each contained a few surefire hits mixed with good helpings of filler (there, I said it), Black Gives Way to Blue is packed full of solid, if rarely dazzling, tracks. After all these years, that's an acceptable tradeoff.
Stylistically, the band strikes a good balance between respecting the past and keeping things fresh. The backing band still sounds like Alice in Chains, and DuVall sounds like a cross between Staley and Scott Weiland, so this album's grunge-metal sound will be instantly familiar to anyone who lived through the '90s. But there are all sorts of little things that will stand out to longtime fans as new and exciting.
The oddly Chevelle-like "All Secrets Known" begins the record, followed by the standout "Check My Brain," which has an uncommonly straight-up rock vibe for the band. "Last of My Kind" is something of a clichιd metal song, but the jagged riffing represents the band's heavier side well. "A Looking in View" brings back the doom-laden vocals of classic AIC about as well as anything could without Staley. "Acid Bubble" tries to do the same thing, but DuVall's performance can't quite cut it, and the transitions to and from the ultra-heavy bridge are more than a little awkward.
Just often enough, the record reminds one of the classics in the Alice in Chains discography. "Lesson Learned" is a slowed-down take on the same ideas that made up "Dam That River." "Private Hell" is similar, if unfortunately also inferior, to "Down in a Hole."
Of course, given the legacy of Sap and Jar of Flies, Black Gives Way to Blue has a high bar to clear when it comes to ballads. "Your Decision," the album's first, will remind everyone how dangerous these guys are with acoustic guitars in hand, even though it sounds a little more like AIC rip-offs Tantric than like the original line-up of AIC itself, what with the radio-friendly crooning and all. "When the Sun Rose Again" is a bit more sparse and scary, featuring haunting harmonies, an instantly memorable chorus, and a killer electric-guitar solo.
And what of the new band's tribute to Staley, the title track, which features Elton John on piano? It's a great song, but oddly enough, it's the track here that sounds the least like old Alice in Chains. The vocal harmonies lack the band's trademark creepy quality, a gentle blend of guitars and piano forms the backing instrumentation, and DuVall sings in a completely clear voice, cutting out the raspiness that elsewhere makes him sound like Staley. It's hard to decide whether a more traditional Alice in Chains song would have been better it would have kept Staley's sound alive, but might have seemed a little weird.
Black Gives Way to Blue doesn't have a "Man in the Box," "No Excuses," "Would?" or "Heaven Beside You," but it is an acceptable continuation of a great band's legacy. Newcomers might want to start with Greatest Hits, a best-of from the Staley years, but for longtime fans, this is a must-buy.
-- Robert VerBruggen is an associate editor at National Review.
