10 Hard Rock Albums That Were Worth The Wait
3. Alice In Chains - Black Gives Way To Blue
If there was ever a deal with the Devil in the music industry, it would have manifested as grunge.
For every great band or artist that broke through during the genre's peak 90s run - Nirvana, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Temple of the Dog, etc. - the scene's noted relation with drugs and alcohol would take far too many musicians far too young.
Seattle-based Alice in Chains were no exception with frontman Layne Staley dying from an accidental overdose in 2002. Staley's death resulted in the dissolution of AIC with remaining band members moving on to side and solo projects, including vocalist/guitarist Jerry Cantrell's 2002 solo album Degradation Trip which was dedicated to his friend's memory.
In 2005, the group reformed for a variety of live, often charity-sponsored shows and often alongside Comes with the Fall vocalist William DuVall. A year later and DuVall would join the band permanently which would kickstart the slow, patient process of a new Alice in Chains album.
Black Gives Way to Blue would eventually see the light of day in September 2009 to rapturous applaud. The group were seen to have brought their heavy grunge sound into a modern era, resulting in doom metal stompers that could sink planets.