10 Rock Bands That Survived The Deaths Of Key Members
3. Alice In Chains - Layne Staley
When Alice in Chains were reaching the end of the 90's, things were looking pretty dire. After a run of equally strong albums, the band was dissolved due to Layne Staley's ongoing dependency on heroin. The band remained inactive throughout the early 2000's until the news was confirmed that Staley has succumbed to his addiction in April of 2002. Without Staley's anguished screams of terror, Alice in Chains would never be the same.
As guitarist explored solo projects and guested on albums by other artists, the tides began to turn when he jammed with William Duvall of the band Comes with the Fall. Deciding to jam on some old-school AOC tunes, the vocal tone of Duvall matched perfectly with Jerry's to recreate that definitive melancholy sound of Alice in Chains. Upon further speculation, Duvall ended up jamming with the rest of the band before the group formally announced that they would continue with Duvall at the helm.
Ever since, Duvall's contributions to albums like Rainier Fog and The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here showcase that same haunting feel of the band's earlier work with the subtlest touch of modern sludge acts. The songs are still as gloomy as ever, but in this case, that is the highest compliment you can expect from an AOC record.