12 '00s Hard Rock Albums All Fans Should Own
7. Alice In Chains - Black Gives Way To Blue
Few thought we’d get an Alice In Chains record in the 21st century. After the tragic demise of singer Layne Staley in 2002, the remaining members made no suggestion that they intended on continuing. It wasn’t until William DuVall joined in 2006 that it seemed there may be a future for the grunge heavyweights.
DuVall had a huge task taking over from Staley, but he does an admirable job. He never apes his predecessor, and shares mic duties with guitarist Jerry Cantrell, whose riffs are as precise and punishingly heavy as ever.
The two make a great duo on tracks like “Last Of My Kind”, a tune that - like most on the album - wouldn’t have been out of place on an earlier AIC record. That’s kind of the point - when you helped define a genre like these guys did, you come back to the party with the same stuff you were doing before. You give the people what they want.
This could have been unedifying; instead it’s a great addition to an important band’s canon. For fans of Alice In Chains or the 1990s, you won’t be disappointed.