10 Bands Who Survived A Lead Singer Change

10. Alice in Chains

At the turn of the millennium, Alice in Chains were pretty much down for the count. After a few dysfunctional shows opening for Kiss, the band decided to go their separate ways, as singer Layne Staley sunk deeper and deeper into his drug-induced Hell. By 2002, the music world was dealt a heavy blow when it was announced that Staley had passed away of an overdose. Alice in Chains was effectively dead.

As band members pursued other interests, guitarist Jerry Cantrell would do numerous shows with vocalist William Duvall, whose vocal timbre meshed with Jerry’s perfectly. When Cantrell went out on the road with Duvall, people had to rub their eyes to make sure it wasn’t Layne. After some talks with the other surviving members, Alice in Chains came roaring back to life and went on tour with Duvall at the front.

The band eventually returned to the studio to start work on newer material, which gave way to unbelievable metal on Black Gives Way to Blue and Rainier Fog. The quality of the tracks make them feel like they could have come off the band’s Dirt period. When the band’s future was grim, the inclusion of Duvall showed there was life after death for AOC.