I admit I was skeptical about this new project till I heard a few tracks from it. Anyone else as impressed as me with this new line up? [video=youtube;AYE7w6V94gk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYE7w6V94gk[/video] [video=youtube;NIhUZcntloU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIhUZcntloU[/video]
IMO they lost a little bit of something when Layne Staley died, but Cantrell wrote about 50% of their older songs anyways. But the new guy does Layne justice though.
I was very sceptical when they relaunched with DuVall as the lead singer, didn't think there was anyway they would live up to original Alice In Chains, but was very glad to be pleasantly surprised with what's come out of it. Black Gives Way To Blue was an excellent album. This new album seems to be continuing the new Alice In Chains in a good way.
There were several bands I grew up listening to a lot of. AIC is one of them. Everything from Facelift to Tri Pod. I really like their acoustic stuff. When Layne died I was both disgusted with the heroin overdose that claimed yet another rock star's life, and saddened by the fact that the original AIC would be no longer. Jerry Cantrell did a lot of songwriting along with Layne (who did write a a handful of songs on the guitar himself). As far as this CD is concerned I actually have it sitting right over there --------------> But I have yet to really give it a full listen. AIC is kind of a slippery slope as far as lyrics are concerned to me. I'm paraphrasing a Staley interview when I say "Our records lyrically are a gigantic warning sign of 'don't do heroin' ". I like the music and the singing enough, but it still seems like someone is missing. At least it's not Chester Bennington...
I've given this some thought as well, and believe the only thing missing is the energy or angst of the era of their original works.