Duvall tried to save them, but I still don't see the fire

In some ways I can understand the nostalgia when a band from your past comes out with new material. There is an excitement that encompasses the memories you gained listening during younger days that serves as a reminder of good times all around. In fact I have witnessed some marvelous new and fresh work from bands after decades of performing together, such as the recent release of Pearl Jam's Backspacer album. Unfortunately Alice In Chains latest album Black Gives Way to Blue just doesn't hit the mark.

Now before all you AIC fans come jumping through the screen at me let me first explain that this really has NOTHING to do with the fact that Layne Staley is gone. He was extremely talented in his own right and admittedly was very good at harmonizing with Jerry Cantrell to form the signature vocals that defined this band throughout the 90's.

However, vocals alone cannot save this record or any of their previous records for that matter. After Staley's untimely death in 2002 due to an overdose on heroin and cocaine, William DuVall stepped in somehwere around 2005. DuVall is actually one of the better parts of this album if there is anything redeeming about it. Furthermore this record made me realize something about AIC that I never really thought about before - they have never really been that good of a band. Now technically they are good musicians and I don't want to take that away from them at all, but the problem is in their creativity and presentation. Instead of blazing any resemblance of a new trail or even just performing a genre of music nicely they seem completely contrived. It is obvious they were molded by the so called grunge movement of the 90's and to some extent the hair bands of the 80's.

After listening to the 4th song on the record "Last of My Kind" the 80's hair band thing makes even more sense. I about shut of the record off completely, but decided I should at least listen all the way thorugh once to give an accurate review. I was actually pleasently sureprised as the best song on the album is track 5 "Your Decision." This song is reminiscent of the best work Alice In Chains ever did and that was on MTV's unplugged where they unplugged and of course played many of their hits on acoustic instruments.

Unfortunately the rest of the album was nothing worth mentioning. I would advise not to listen to this work if you have any regard for rock music as a whole.

RIP Layne Staley