Alice In
Chains has this quality about them: all of their songs sound like they are the
most important songs of all time. They
aren’t, but that’s what they sound like. To take it further, all of their songs
sound like they are the most important thing happening at any given moment. If
you are at a bar and an Alice in Chains song comes on the jukebox, it is immediately
in control of the situation. As in, don’t try to talk because these guys play
loud and they have something very important to say. As in, it’s pretty much a
guarantee that someone will ask “Who is this?” if they don’t already know and haven’t
already made a comment. Every song sounds like it’s the last song they’ll ever
sing. If you like this quality in a band, you probably like Alice In Chains.
In the right
mood, there aren’t many bands I’d rather listen to. Their harmonious singing
and characteristic, immediately-recognizable, dirty guitar riffs are what make
them so special. But sometimes I just think, “Okay, this is enough. Tone it
down, fellas. The fact that they forgot to put ketchup on your hamburger does
not have to mean you are going to die alone.” When you couple that kind of
melodrama with the fact that Layne Staley died over a decade ago, it’s easy to
feel lukewarm about a new album by Alice In Chains.
Then they’ll
drop an opening like the first half-minute of “Stone,” the third track on their
new album The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here
and you’ll think, “Oh, yeah. Okay. I remember why these guys are fucking awesome.”
You’ll remember that co-founder and lead guitarist Jerry Cantrell – the man who
created for our listening pleasure the stubborn, relentless riffs of “Man in
the Box” and “Rain When I Die” – is still very much a part of things and still
very much has it. They still sound like a huge burden has been placed upon
them, as if the entire Western Civilization will crumble if their music fails
to set the right kind of mood. Again, whether or not you like the sound of a band playing under that kind of pressure will determine whether or not you’ll
like their new album.
With their
new album, they’ve established that Jerry Cantrell can still play. Of course he
can. But this album is only slightly better than any other late-stage,
kind-of-generic release by a legendary band by a slim margin and that’s because
they’re missing “it,” “it” being Layne Staley’s voice – which always sounded
like his chest was about to catch fire from the inside – working with Cantrell’s
backup vocals and lead guitar. That perfect blend of harmony and contrast is
now gone, which means that we are left with an album with 8 or 9 songs like the
opening track, “Hollow”; songs that feature an angry, angry guitar paired with
appropriately passionate, droning lyrics and not much else.
But that
should be enough. It’s still heavy and great, and it’s still (technically)
Alice In Chains. The best song on the album is the third track “Stone,” although
the tenth track “Phantom Limb,” a sneaky-good late-album gem is a close second.
Other highlights include the second track “Pretty Done,” and the fourth track “Voices.”
Is The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here anything
more than just an extension of their already-impressive catalog? Not really.
But I’m happy it exists and it probably talked me into going to see them this
summer at Darien Lake on August 11.
Grade: B
Grade: B
I didn't think it could work with Layne. But then I heard Black Gives Way to Blue and my fears subsided. It is absolutely excellent...anxious to hear the new album.
*without