Released: 2009

Genres: Grunge, Alternative Metal, Sludge Metal

The Musiquarium’s Black Gives Way to Blue Review Score: 4/5

By the time of vocalist Layne Stayley’s overdose in 2002, Alice in Chains had already been dormant for a few years, with their last proper studio album being way back in 1995. While Jerry Cantrell had lent his voice to the band’s trademark harmonies and even sang lead vocals on hit songs like Grind and Heaven Beside You, it was still unthinkable that the band would be able to carry-on without a crucial member like Staley, who was one of the most beloved vocalists of the nineties.

But somehow, out of the ashes, a revitalized AiC was born, returning with one of the greatest comeback records in recent memory. Black Gives Way to Blue greatly exceeded expectations and showed that Jerry Cantrell, Mike Inez, Sean Kinney and new co-vocalist William DuVall were inspired to make an album as good as anything they released with the late, great Layne Stayley.

A Looking in View was a particularly doomy lead single, proving that grunge still had a place in 2009, and it felt refreshing after years of commercialized and homogenized post-grunge slop. The album’s second single, Check My Brain was equally as heavy and menacing. Your Decision was another song released as a single, featuring the band’s acoustic side, akin to the music found on their previous Sap and Jar of Flies EPs. There are surprising cameos from both Elton John and Lisa Coleman (Prince & the Revolution), who appear on the emotionally-charged title track, on piano and vibraphone, respectively.

While the absence of Layne Staley’s classic vocals is felt on the album, Cantrell and DuVall do a more than serviceable job with their harmonies, and considering Staley’s songwriting contributions had diminished significantly by their self-titled album (the lyrics to Head Creeps being his only credit on that album), the writing on Black Gives Way to Blue wasn’t shocking, feeling like a natural progression from that album, despite the 14 years in between.

Alice in Chain’s Black Gives Way to Blue is easily the best post-nineties album from any of the legendary Seattle grunge bands and a remarkable comeback.

For credit breakdowns and historic release details, view Alice in Chains on Discogs.

Back to the 2009 Album Guide or the Alice in Chains Reviews page.

Written by Brett Nippard