I think it goes without saying… but I’ll say it anyway…
I’ll spare you the Wikipedia Bullshit…. The kids think they can figure out everything about everything by reading some three paragraph synopsis on it. And usually, after a band member passes away, people writing these things tend to focus primarily on the dead guy (or girl) and put the rest of the band in the background. They become the iconic, tragic, genius…. It happened with ALL of them. Pantera… Nirvana… (I swear to Christ, I see one more fucking 13 year old kid in a Kurt Cobain T- Shirt… I’m going to kick them in the fucking junk).. The list goes on…Great artists become all about the dead guy, and not about the brilliance of the whole . Alice In Chains were never just about Layne and his fucking drugs. If you think so, please discontinue reading this, and enjoy the latest Nickelback album, Dickhead….
Alice In Chains were the perfect storm…And while Layne Staley was a HUGE part of this, Jerry Cantrell was the primary architect of their sound… I challenge anyone to find ANY song that can stir up nearly as many emotions in two and a half minutes without lyrics as Whale & Wasp…Pure Alice… Bluesy hard rock with killer bass lines, intricate, powerful drums, sick, haunting riffs and vocal melodies that were all at once beautiful, soaring, and perfectly off putting… They could be straight forward and bone- crushingly brutal (We Die Young, Them Bones, Dam That River).. Or they could take that shit.. Flip it on it’s ear… and bash you over the melon with some off-time beat… harmonized vocals…and a slimy, acid- induced eastern- flavored lick ( What The Hell Have I, Rain When I Die)…
They had a distinct, original, vibe that has often been imitated but impossible to duplicate… Even their more mellow stuff… They take some beautifully composed acoustic track… and feather in that unmistakable signature creepiness ( I Stay Away, Rotten Apple, Frogs).. They could do ANYTHING.. And make it their own. They never should have been lumped into the grunge category.. They were so much more than that…There was no screaming, whining, three chord bullshit going on there…They wrote great songs that made you feel … And they were only beginning to scratch the surface of their potential….They were on the verge of cementing their status as one of the all time great bands in Rock… Then everything came crumbling down around them…. Staley’s decreased involvement and downward spiral led to an almost non- existent touring schedule, an album that turned out to be a bit of a disappointment, and an almost permanent hiatus.…
Click HERE for the rest of my long winded synopsis of the Alice In Chains saga from my perspective…
Now the phoenix rises from the ashes in an attempt to reclaim what was rightfully theirs in the first place… And put the gamut of mediocre copycats ruling the airwaves on notice.
Please note: Alice In Chains has made it clear that William Duvall is not their new lead singer…He is their new member… He and Cantrell share singing and guitar playing responsibilities. He is not attempting to fill Layne Staley’s shoes… He has his own shoes.. And they fit perfectly.
The point of this exercise is to pay tribute and move on… Which is what Layne would have wanted them to do….
1. All Secrets Known is an epic opener… “Hope… A new beginning”.. They got it right. The overall tone is spot-on Alice. It definitely takes the dark shit Cantrell did on Degradation Trip and gives it that Classic AIC Vibe.. A marvelous lead up to…
2. Check My Brain .. Filthy riff? Check. Soaring Chorus? Check. No wonder this mother fucker was the first single… My 9 year old has been singing along to it in the Batmobile all week…Like peanut butter on the brain..
3. Last Of My Kind…Wow.
It starts off with some ambient shit in the background ( including what sorta sounds like an acoustic guitar playing the main riff to Thanks Anyway off of Degradation Trip) then SLAMS you in the gut with a Dirt-era on steroids groove that erases any doubts that you may still have that these guys are for real .. William Duvall is finally given the spotlight on this track, and he fits right in.. The interplay between Duvall and Cantrell is perfect. My biggest worry going into this record was if the band would have the right vibe, vocally, and they hit the nail right on the head. Duvall doesn’t hit the notes the same way Layne did.. But he hits them the right way. And for my money that’s all that matters… Observe 3:22-3:43 … That, my friends, is Alice In Fucking Chains..
4. Your Decision… Great, Great song.. Jar Of Flies type stuff. Clearly about Layne. Intro strings give it immediate depth.. Everything about this song oozes AIC.. Duvall’s harmonies are sublime. Flawless..
5. A Looking In View… The heaviest shit I’ve ever heard from these guys… It took a few spins for me to fully grasp it… But when I finally did…I felt an overwhelming sense of satisfaction…I got that little feeling I got in high school when I’d hear AIC on the radio during the summer.. I dunno… The Cantrell/Duvall vocal combo takes this whole thing to the level it belongs… Witness 1:30-2:05... Perfect. You may argue that this is a tad too long… I might agree.. But the fade out is a fantastic set up for….
6. When The Sun Rose Again… I’m not going to lie.. I didn’t really care for this track the first time I heard it. But it’s a grower.. Not a shower… Another great, catchy chorus… very melancholy, yet strangely uplifting… More proof that 2 singers is better than one… I could almost hear Staley singing on this song…
7. Acid Bubble… Sludgy, slow, and heavy… also one of the most emotionally moving vocal melodies on the record… flawless song. The “Intent Obsolescence” part at first seemed out of place… but now I find that the track may have been a bit repetitive and boring after a while without it… it’s a nice little heavy break before the solo and at the end….The overall flow is incredible… One of my favorites…
8. Lesson Learned… I mean, sure…. I get the Cantrell Solo Stuff comparison….. He’s right out front… It kinda has a Degradation Trip thing going. This still whups my ass, though…. The guitar solo is what elevates this from standard "Cantrell Solo Album Throwaway" territory.. And it’s not really as bleak and depressing as that stuff either…. If this is a “weak track” it says a lot about the other songs, that’s for goddamn sure….
9. Take Her Out… See above… With a TON more “Layne”ish harmonies..It has a massively catchy chorus… another grower…
10. Private Hell…This song ALONE is why they couldn’t call this thing anything BUT Alice In Chains. This song is already in my personal “Top 5” AIC songs EVER….
I used to think I could almost hear Layne on Degradation and earlier on this record.. Not like this…I get legit goose bumps EVERY TIME I hear this song… It even sounds like the lyrics are from Layne’s perspective. And the killer thing, that literally brought me to tears, was at the end… 4:40-4:57... It sounds like Layne’s farewell to my ears… Like that’s really him singing.. It’s a chilling reminder( at least to me ) how much he could elevate a song, vocally. I know it ain’t him… but you can TOTALLY tell it was meant to sound like him…No amount of my insane babbling can describe how incredible this song is. Worth the ten clams for the CD just for this track…
11. Black Gives Way To Blue….Heart wrenching and beautiful… although I will say, it’s too short, and the live, acoustic version I heard first blows this out of the water… I liked the live version because Cantrell sounded more earnest… and Duvall’s harmonies were picture fucking perfect.. This album version seems a tad too slick.. And Duvall is waaaaay less audible.. I recommend buying the itunes lp (which I did) and listen to the “piano mix” of the song… Just vocals, acoustic guitars, and Elton John’s excellent, subtle piano work…much better IMO…
Overall: 9/10
This album could have easily been Cosmos Rocks.. Or Degradation Trip Vol. 3...
Instead, it keeps the Alice In Chains legacy intact. It is a collection of great songs that prove ( to me, at least) that this band is still vital and relevant…And it’s a stellar tribute to their fallen brother…
This is their Back In Black…
It’s great to have you back, boys…
1 comment:
Thanks for a great read. I'm so stoked they are back.
"Check My Brain" was the #1 video on Fuse TV last week.
Good stuff.
Sneak attacks are meant to be sneaky.
In the words of Axl Rose: "Soon is the word as in a week or so."
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