Black Gives Way to Blue

Occupation

• Guitar, vocals Jerry Cantrell
• Bass: Mike Inez
• Drums: Sean Kinney

Black Gives Way to Blue is the fourth studio album by the grunge band Alice in Chains. It was released on September 25, 2009 on Virgin Records / EMI. It is the first without singer Layne Staley, who died on 5 April 2002, and the first in 14 years. New singer William DuVall is ( previously with Comes With the Fall ).

Style

Stylistically linked Black Gives Way to Blue directly to the beginning incurred until the mid- 1990s albums, as related to the practice, certain of hard riffs guitar work - for example, with bends as in the single Check My Brain - and the two-part singing, in the guitarist Jerry Cantrell partially takes over the lead vocals.

"So I compose times now. I have this style developed over 20 years, and has helped me Layne. Before, I only sang backing vocals, although I always wrote many lyrics and melody lines. Layne gave me the confidence and kicked me repeatedly in the butt until I zoom dared even to lead vocals. We both were a damn good team, and these vibes can also be heard on the new album. "

However, there were differences in the songwriting process, which was almost exclusively taken on this album by Jerry Cantrell. The new singer William DuVall said he had initially in the band " into work " must.

" It is a great challenge to continue without an important member of the band and a good friend, and the weight is not only to Williams shoulders. He can not and should not replace Layne, because Layne was unique. But William does an excellent job, he brought himself into a songwriting and is respectful of the old material. "

With Your Decision, When the Sun Rose Again and the title track also three quieter pieces are included. In the latter dedicated, Layne Staley, Elton John can be heard on the piano. In an e -mail from Jerry Cantrell he had agreed to work together and played the piece as part of a spent together with the band afternoon in Las Vegas one. Some songs also other instruments such as strings, vibraphone, tabla were used.

Genesis

The end of 2005 the band had initially reunited temporarily for a concert for the victims of the tsunami disaster. There were a few more concerts in the course of 2006, was hired for the William DuVall. Initially expressed the band about on the homepage, restrained to a real reunion, but was known to work on new songs. The band said in hindsight it was " not a quick decision ," make the record, but " the end point of a long process ... ". In the autumn of 2008 the band went with this material and, together with Foo Fighters producer Nick Raskulinecz into the studio until March 18, 2009, the recordings were completed. The plate was mixed by Randy dust in Los Angeles and Vancouver. Already pre- released on 30 June 2009, the first single A Looking in View, which was also available on the band's website. On September 25, the record was released on the new label Virgin / EMI, which marks the first label change in over 20 years of band history. In the U.S., the album reached number five on the Billboard charts in Canada # 4 on the local charts. As more singles Check My Brain (August 17 ) and Your Decision (November 16 ) were published.

Reception

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic wrote that it was to try a difference to emulate past glory or to return to one's roots, Alice in Chains would do the latter. Four out of five stars were awarded. While the Rolling Stone magazine called Check My Brain as catchy as the old hits, but otherwise lacked " great songs ". The evaluation was two and a half stars out of five. The Times picked up both the qualities of William DuVall forth, as well as the " majestic choruses " and " dark atmospheric ballads ". They rated the album with four out of five stars. In Rock Hard forgave Michael Rensen 8.5 out of a possible ten points. Although the album sounds like a " timely successor " of the previous albums, it renounce " clumsy self- citations and thickly applied retro polish ". Cantrell and DuVall made ​​it, " if not to replace, then at least to a worthy representative. " Layne Staley The plate was one of the " very large ( n ) Revival surprise ( s) of the Year". In the online magazine The- Pit.de forgave Catherine Neuert 9.5 out of ten. " One would think ," said the reviewer, " that it would be difficult for DuVall, the legacy of his predecessor continues to lead ", but the singer / songwriter set " the songs for his new band with an almost somnambulistic certainty and perfection to which every fan tears of joy will drive in the eye. " the editors of Metal Hammer voted Black Gives Way to Blue album of the year 2009.

Title list

All songs were written by Jerry Cantrell, except where stated otherwise.