Black Gives Way to Blue

After hearing Alice In Chains had reformed with a new singer, I couldn't wait to hear what the new lineup would sound like and first up I would just like to point out, that while AIC sound subtly different with William Duvall on lead vocals, they still sound brilliant!Black Gives Way to Blue is one heck of a comeback album.All Secrets Known - is a typical AIC song and a good opener. Slow, ominous and heavy, with their classic interplay of darkness and light. 8/10.Check My Brain - immediately reminded me of Angry Chair - only more up-tempo. Has a nice catchy feel to it, with dark-sounding verses interspersed with a daft but very singable chorus. One of the stand out tracks. 9/10.Last of My Kind - is one of those more awkward songs that takes a bit more listening to, but it immediately grabs you with its truly venomous chorus. A grower. Very angry and very heavy. 8/10.Your Decision - has echoes of Nutshell to it and is my favourite track on the album. A softer acoustic number with flourishes of electric guitar and great lyrics. 10/10.A Looking In View - like Last of My Kind is another one that takes a few listens to get your head around. Another typically downbeat song but good nonetheless. 8/10.When the Sun Rose Again - is an unusual song. It sounds like it would make a good movie soundtrack. Another acoustic-electric number, but with AIC's typically edgy lyrics it still manages to sound slightly sinister, yet oddly uplifting at the same time. Hmm...its messing with my head... 8/10.Acid Bubble - now this sounds like it should have been on the Dirt album. Another dark, heavy and twisted sounding slab of grunge metal, complete with great vocal harmonies. Real dark, depressing stuff. 7/10.Lesson Learned - my other favourite track on the album. A lighter, more up-tempo rocker. Very catchy and clever lyrics. 9/10.Take Her Out - similar to Lesson Learned...not too downbeat and quite catchy, while not being exactly cheerful (come on - this is Alice In Chains!). 8/10.Private Hell - is another one that would have gone well on the Dirt Album. It seems to hark back to Layne's drug problems. Quite dark and gloomy but also surprisignly melodic. 7/10.Black Gives Way to Blue - what can I say about the title track? Well, its the band's tribute to departed former singer Layne Staley. A slow acoustic ballad that can move you to tears, if you're not careful...whether you're a fan of the band or not. An absolute gem. 10/10.

This is my first AIC album. But if all their albums are like this, I want them all.There is something very unique about AIC sound, their approach to songwriting, the structure of their songs, ...I was finding it difficult to find new music that I would like. Waiting for new albums of bands that have been around for a while can take a while, most of the new bands are either copies of what was here before or a weird mixture of too many styles. And I felt I've exhausted my options of existing bands. So to find this band is fantastic.There are songs on this album that will simply blow your mind - Last Of My Kind, A Looking In View or Black Gives Way To Blue. But yet there are no fillers here.I don't know the rest of their albums, but this one is a must have. Pure genius.

Wow! What a record. Heavy as hell, brooding, haunting, melodic, soft...you name it has it. As much as I loved Laynes voice with this record you don't actually miss him. They basically sound the same. I think you realise that it is Jerry Cantrells voice singing just off the main vocal that gives them their signature haunting vocal sound. The new guy William sounds great as well though. Track 4 (Your Decison) is my favourite Alice in Chains song already, in the flavour of Jar of Flies. Acid Bubble turns from an Alice song into Black Sabbath, the riff is amazing...you half expect Ozzy to join in. Alice in Chains is not for everyone, however if they are your cup of tea, this is by far their most complete and best album to date. Welcome back.

Not an immediately welcoming album and very much in the same vein as their debut, strangely, albeit far better. This is no classic as Dirt, Jar of Flies and the self-titled album but it comes in first over Facelift. And it has a different ambience to all other releases, most likely because of the change in dynamics coupled with the time elapsed since their last album. If you give BGWTB time it will nestle in your long-term memory, emitting melodies at random that you'll find yourself humming along to.'All Secrets Known' is not the powerhouse starter that was expected. It's a good song but not really a great one. It revolves around a lazy, yet crunchy riff and kind of slithers an entrance, unlike 'Grind' or 'Them Bones'. 'Check My Brain' is faster but still lacks a certain punch that made a lot of their previous material so interesting. 'Last of My Kind' almost gets there but despite a heavy chorus it does tend to feel rather samey and, dare I say, safe. 'Your Decision' is a ballad of sorts that, again, sounds a bit hum-drum. It's nice, but no 'Nutshell'.It's with the last 7 tracks where the band pull out the stops. 'A Looking in View' is excellent. Heavy, tuneful and with dark undertones, it feels like AIC. The ballad, 'When The Sun Rose Again' is my favourite track and is everything 'Your Decision' isn't: it's simple, melodic and passionate. Near perfect. 'Acid Bubble' is definitely AIC but it didn't excite me too much. It is a good track though and does a good job of changing key and tone. 'Lesson Learned' sounds boring on first listen but becomes one of the catchiest tracks the more it's played. Understated and quite brilliant. The same can be said of 'Take Her Out'. It doesn't sound like any great shakes but it finds a way to make you like it. And it does sound similar to 'Bleed the Freak' from their debut. 'Private Hell' is also near perfect and one of my favourites. It's dark yet beautiful and with a great chorus. The title track is another shock. It's the shortest track on the album and is a very simple acoustic ballad. And, as with most others here, it grows to become something quite brilliant.There are 6 excellent tracks starting from track 5 onwards, and 5 ok to good tracks. Which isn't bad. It is no classic but it is no also-ran either. AIC are not back with a vengeance so much as they are just simply back to make some good music. Welcome home. We hope you stay for a long time.

AIC without Layne Staley. So sad. But Jerry Cantrell taking lead vocals is so great. Title song is all the feelings. So glad they stayed together after tragedies. Great songs.

Bought this years ago and somehow lost it - glad to have this replacement copy! Good quality disc arrived in good time.

Vale veramente la pena acquistarlo.

EL vinyl viene en una edición con las letras, un cd y color translucido, llego muy rapido, el empaque un poco maltratado pero nada grave muy recomendado

Un gran disco. De los mejores álbumes de "retorno" de la historia. Era muy difícil tras la lamentable pérdida de Layne Staley, pero el nivel compositivo y sonoro de "Black gives way to blue" es espectacular. Imprescindible!