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Track List
01) All Secrets Known
02) Check My Brain
03) Last of My Kind
04) Your Decision
05) A Looking in View
06) When the Sun Rose Again
07) Acid Bubble
08) Lesson Learned
09) Take Her Out
10) Private Hell
11) Black Gives Way to Blue
01) All Secrets Known
02) Check My Brain
03) Last of My Kind
04) Your Decision
05) A Looking in View
06) When the Sun Rose Again
07) Acid Bubble
08) Lesson Learned
09) Take Her Out
10) Private Hell
11) Black Gives Way to Blue
4:42
3:57
5:52
4:43
7:05
4:00
6:55
4:16
3:59
5:38
3:03
Data Complete
100%
Total Rating
100%Total Rating
(3 users)
Back Cover
CD Art
3D Case
3D Thumb
3D Flat
3D Face
3D Spine
First Released
2009
Alternative Metal
Gritty
Rock/Pop
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Album
1,000,000 copies
Album Description
Available in:
Black Gives Way to Blue is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Alice in Chains, released in September 2009. The first Alice in Chains album in nearly fourteen years, Black Gives Way to Blue is their first release with new vocalist/guitarist William DuVall, who took over from the late Layne Staley. This is the first Alice in Chains album released on Virgin Records and their first venture away from Columbia, who handled all of their previous releases. The album has been certified gold by the RIAA on May 26, 2010, with shipments exceeding 500,000 copies and has sold 1 million copies worldwide.
The span of nearly fourteen years between the self-titled album and Black Gives Way to Blue marks the longest gap between studio albums in Alice in Chains' career. The band had been working on new material since early 2006, shortly before hiring DuVall as their new singer. By April 2007, Alice in Chains had been writing and demoing songs for the album, but the band did not show further signs of progress until October 2008, when they announced that they had begun recording with producer Nick Raskulinecz in the studio. The writing and recording process was completed on March 18, 2009, guitarist Jerry Cantrell's 43rd birthday. Musically the album sees the band return to the heavy metal/hard rock style of Dirt and Facelift; some songs also have acoustic elements reminiscent of the band's two acoustic EPs; it also includes songs which guitarist Jerry Cantrell described as "the heaviest he's ever written".
User Album Review
This is only the fourth studio album from seminal-to-many grungers Alice in Chains. For a band held in such high esteem, you’d expect this to be somewhere closer to double figures. But no, and this record makes it clear why with numerous nods towards lead singer Layne Staley’s tragic death in 2002, over seven years after 1995’s self-titled third LP. This is business that the Seattle-based troupe is clearly keen to persevere with.
New singer William DuVall – a hardcore singer from Atlanta, Georgia – is almost indistinguishable from Staley in terms of pitch, tone and delivery, but his involvement is far from a simple exercise in rock karaoke. While Staley was always the undisputed frontman of the band, it was the vocal dynamic between him and lead guitarist Jerry Cantrell which really carried the band to the heights they ultimately reached.
While Cantrell and DuVall have been friends and touring buddies on the guitarist’s occasional solo jaunts, the heartfelt harmonies of old have made way for alternating vocals with one or the other more likely to take duties at any one time. The subject matter is just as honest, bitter and fuelled by self-hatred and despair as old fans of Alice in Chains could have hoped for.
While half of the album is delivered in the trademark snarling fashion of second single Check My Brain and the relentless but melodic chugging of Last of my Kind and A Looking in View, the title track is wholly indicative of the record’s musical flipside. Featuring tinkled ivories from none other than Elton John, the touching ballad serves as a fitting tribute to the band’s late friend and colleague.
They slip into the gentle balladeering more frequently than you might expect, but with a songwriter of the calibre of Cantrell there are always surprises and, in this case, they’re more than welcome as the band showcase their all of their talents with ease, and often overwhelming elegance.
The fact that Alice in Chains still sound like Alice in Chains means that Staley’s tainted talent will never be forgotten. Every single one of their fans from a decade ago should be able to slip seamlessly back into the routine of this fantastic band. Despite the most monumental of obstacles, Black Gives Way to Blue is an overwhelming success.
External Album Reviews
None...
User Comments
Available in:
Black Gives Way to Blue is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Alice in Chains, released in September 2009. The first Alice in Chains album in nearly fourteen years, Black Gives Way to Blue is their first release with new vocalist/guitarist William DuVall, who took over from the late Layne Staley. This is the first Alice in Chains album released on Virgin Records and their first venture away from Columbia, who handled all of their previous releases. The album has been certified gold by the RIAA on May 26, 2010, with shipments exceeding 500,000 copies and has sold 1 million copies worldwide.
The span of nearly fourteen years between the self-titled album and Black Gives Way to Blue marks the longest gap between studio albums in Alice in Chains' career. The band had been working on new material since early 2006, shortly before hiring DuVall as their new singer. By April 2007, Alice in Chains had been writing and demoing songs for the album, but the band did not show further signs of progress until October 2008, when they announced that they had begun recording with producer Nick Raskulinecz in the studio. The writing and recording process was completed on March 18, 2009, guitarist Jerry Cantrell's 43rd birthday. Musically the album sees the band return to the heavy metal/hard rock style of Dirt and Facelift; some songs also have acoustic elements reminiscent of the band's two acoustic EPs; it also includes songs which guitarist Jerry Cantrell described as "the heaviest he's ever written".
User Album Review
This is only the fourth studio album from seminal-to-many grungers Alice in Chains. For a band held in such high esteem, you’d expect this to be somewhere closer to double figures. But no, and this record makes it clear why with numerous nods towards lead singer Layne Staley’s tragic death in 2002, over seven years after 1995’s self-titled third LP. This is business that the Seattle-based troupe is clearly keen to persevere with.
New singer William DuVall – a hardcore singer from Atlanta, Georgia – is almost indistinguishable from Staley in terms of pitch, tone and delivery, but his involvement is far from a simple exercise in rock karaoke. While Staley was always the undisputed frontman of the band, it was the vocal dynamic between him and lead guitarist Jerry Cantrell which really carried the band to the heights they ultimately reached.
While Cantrell and DuVall have been friends and touring buddies on the guitarist’s occasional solo jaunts, the heartfelt harmonies of old have made way for alternating vocals with one or the other more likely to take duties at any one time. The subject matter is just as honest, bitter and fuelled by self-hatred and despair as old fans of Alice in Chains could have hoped for.
While half of the album is delivered in the trademark snarling fashion of second single Check My Brain and the relentless but melodic chugging of Last of my Kind and A Looking in View, the title track is wholly indicative of the record’s musical flipside. Featuring tinkled ivories from none other than Elton John, the touching ballad serves as a fitting tribute to the band’s late friend and colleague.
They slip into the gentle balladeering more frequently than you might expect, but with a songwriter of the calibre of Cantrell there are always surprises and, in this case, they’re more than welcome as the band showcase their all of their talents with ease, and often overwhelming elegance.
The fact that Alice in Chains still sound like Alice in Chains means that Staley’s tainted talent will never be forgotten. Every single one of their fans from a decade ago should be able to slip seamlessly back into the routine of this fantastic band. Despite the most monumental of obstacles, Black Gives Way to Blue is an overwhelming success.
External Album Reviews
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