Alice In Chains

Bell Auditorium, Augusta, GA

May 1, 2013

“When a band gets a new singer they should change the name of the band.”

I’ve made this statement countless times and have always felt strongly about it. Not to say that every band with a new singer is a worse incarnation--A few bands are better, but the change is generally so profound that it is no longer the same band; thus warranting a new name. I was wrong.

I’ll repeat that. In the case of Alice in Chains, I was wrong. A few years ago I could never have imagined anyone other than Layne Staley fronting Alice in Chains. That’s like imagining Heart without Ann Wilson or Soundgarden without Chris Cornell. I couldn’t see it.

Alice in Chains was as much of a vocal band as it was a guitar band, and Staley had one of the most unique voices in rock. Ever. The harmonies between Staley and Cantrell were one of the most distinctive elements of their music. How could anyone else step into the role of lead vocals? That was before William Duvall.

On Black Gives Way to Blue, his first album with the band, Duvall’s voice compliments Cantrell’s to create those signature AIC harmonies, without being a Staley imitation. This new era of AIC with Duvall may have begun as tribute of sorts to Staley, but they are no nostalgia act. The songs on BGWTB and the new singles “Hollow” and “Stone” are as good as any the band has written in the past. The current musical climate may not be as receptive to heavy rock as it was in the early nineties, but Alice in Chains is as vital as any other band in rock or metal.

Performing on an album is important, but the last variable for this revamped Alice in Chains was how Duvall’s live performance closed the gap between the two eras of Alice In Chains.

AIC opened strong with the first two songs off 1992’s Dirt: “Them Bones” followed by “Dam that River.” Cantrell still rubs out some of the heaviest and inspired riffs in rock. Few experiences match watching an iconic player like Cantrell play at the top of his abilities.

Duvall nailed the vocals on the older songs leaving no doubt that he belongs in this band. The set spanned every album including the songs “It Ain’t Like That,” “Nutshell,” “Heaven Beside You” and “Got Me Wrong.”

Duvall’s charismatic performance kept the crowd cheering and singing along all night. He was able to find the balance in a band with such a rich history, walking that thin line between singing the classic AIC songs the way they should be sung and adding a creative element to the band (two of the best songs on BGWTB were at least partially written by Duvall), but not fundamentally changing the direction of the band.

A band is clearly back in its prime when fans look forward to hearing the new songs as much as the classics.From the queasy string bending of “Check My Brain” to the radio hit “Your Decision” to the pummeling riff of their new single, “Stone,” Cantrell and company are a songwriting force back at the forefront of heavy rock.The highlight for many fans was the encore of “Man in the Box” and “Rooster,” but with a solid lineup and a new album dropping May 28, Alice in Chains has once again positioned itself atop the heavy rock heap and it appears as if they plan to stay there for a while.

Alice in Chains Gallery

This review was originally posted on tamagazine.com