10 Underrated Albums By Legendary Bands
4. Black Gives Way To Blue - Alice In Chains
Reunion albums tend to get a bit of sour reputation. It's perfectly understandable for musicians to bury the hatchet and play music again, but the lackluster content that has come out of these acts make them feel like petty cash-grabs. In Alice In Chains' case though, it wasn't so much a reunion as much as it was a full-blown resurrection.
The idea of finding someone to replace Layne Staley seemed impossible, but once you heard the sound of William Duvall's voice blend with Jerry Cantrell, you knew that the band would survive. Black Gives Way to Blue is also one of the heaviest records of the band's career, with songs like "All Secrets Known" and "Check My Brain" containing meaty riffs that could have found their way onto Dirt. In terms of album flow, this record blends the band's ballads and metal throwdowns the best, with the heavy tracks interspersed with somber passages like the breezy "Your Decision" and a stunning closer on the title track.
Even though Staley might not be there, Duvall's solo performances on these tracks show that he can not only honor Staley's sound but also bring new and interesting ideas to the table. Alice In Chains were always known to be on the heavy side, but this is probably their purest attempt of being that raw metal act we all know and love.