10 Most Underrated Hard Rock Albums Of The 2000's
5. Black Gives Way To Blue - Alice in Chains
Throughout most of the 2000's, no one was really expecting too much out of Alice in Chains. After the untimely death of Layne Staley to drug addiction in 2002, many just assumed that the darkest grunge act of the 90's was officially down for the count. However, something interesting happened once William DuVall entered the conversation.
When Jerry Cantrell was assembling various tribute performances, DuVall's voice blended in with the old AOC tunes seemlessly. Once the band was put back together around DuVall, could this new iteration be able to make the same kind of heavy rock they used to?
Answer: Hell Yes. From the first notes of "All Secrets Known," it doesn't feel like you're watching a nostalgia act but rather a full-blown resurrection of the band. The riffs that Cantrell laid down for this record are some of the heaviest of his career, with DuVall flexing his muscles beside him with a powerful vocal grit. Rather than coaxing by on nostalgia, this album sees the band going from dark alt rock act to a full on metal band on songs like "Check My Brain." At a time when this band seemed to be on life support, Black Gives Way to Blue proves that musical miracles can happen if the stars are aligned just right.