New Alice in Chains!

[Audioholic]

Dig it. Loved Stanley Like this new stuff a good bit as well. I think they chose well. Killer guitar vibe

 

[FondledDuck]

Cool song, killer tone. Very typical Cantrell writing style...mid/slow tempo head banger. In my opinion, this song (and the last record, for that matter) was an extension of Cantrell's solo work. As a huge fan of AIC (and even more so of Cantrell) it's hard to acknowledge this music as Alice...because I just don't hear any other contributors in the work besides Jerry. Even Layne contributed vocally, lyrically and even musically at one point.

Speaking on Cantrell's solo work, I remember seeing him play at the NorVa back in the day and a band called Comes With the Fall opened for him...which was fronted by Duvall.

Either way, it's a killer tune and I'm stoked to hear more...

 

[D-Rock]

In this song in particular Cantrell takes on Staleyesque vocals and he does it VERY well. The only thing he can't pull off is the gritty angst Staley vocal.
But is that really needed today? Grunge is long dead and the band has moved on. Something tells me the band would have evolved past that either way.

 

[steve_k]

Last album was phenomenal. It showed that Cantrell WAS AIC. Staley was just the seasoning on the steak IMO. Cantrell was the meat.

Totally disagree. I found the vox pretty boring on the last album without Layne. Cantrell has a great voice, but it's rather plain. It worked really well in contrast to Layne's very unique voice, but it gets a little "bleh" with the new singer. The new singer just doesn't work IMO. He's another singer with a pretty plain voice, and it needs that contrast between the vox. The new guy just sounds like a nasally version of Jerry.

And the lyrics DEFINITELY aren't as good without Layne.

I really don't get your point. Layne's dead. He didn't quit the band. Sure, he was the voice behind AIC and his lyrics spoke volumes. But, he ain't coming back, so get over it already. AIC continues without him.

That said, William's voice gets on my nerves and some of the songs, while carrying the unmistakable Cantrell tone and melodies, have some very shallow lyrics and are unmoving. Believe me, if I could get back one dead rock god, it would be Layne Staley. But, it ain't happening.

And, in a few hours we are all dead anyway, according to the Mayan's....

 

[dirtyfunkg]

In this song in particular Cantrell takes on Staleyesque vocals and he does it VERY well. The only thing he can't pull off is the gritty angst Staley vocal.
But is that really needed today? Grunge is long dead and the band has moved on. Something tells me the band would have evolved past that either way.

Come on man. Alice in Chains was never grunge. They just happened to be a Seattle band.

 

[rabies]

boring song. i liked AIC up to and including the 3 legged dog album. god am. sick.

 

[cardinal]

Agree. A bit boring, but excited for new AIC all the same.

 

[Bob Savage]

And, in a few hours we are all dead anyway, according to the Mayan's....

Are you serious?

I'm gonna start packing all the stuff I want to take with me...

 

[D-Rock]

In this song in particular Cantrell takes on Staleyesque vocals and he does it VERY well. The only thing he can't pull off is the gritty angst Staley vocal.
But is that really needed today? Grunge is long dead and the band has moved on. Something tells me the band would have evolved past that either way.

Come on man. Alice in Chains was never grunge. They just happened to be a Seattle band.

I was refering to Staley's angst scream. His was voice was grungy. Doesn't mean the band was. But poeple identify bands by their lead singers so they get labled and type cast, as apparent in this thread. It's a hump a lot of listeners can't get over.

 

[Bob Savage]

I don't consider Layne's tone, timbre or sense of melody to have anything in common with grunge. As was stated, I agree that they got labeled because of geography.

 

[D-Rock]

I would say whiney, angry, gloomy & raspy is grunge vocals, so yes. But Grunge never existed though right? It's all the media man! They have to label everything! They just played rock! Yadda, yadda...who gives a shit. Guitar forum arm chairs, that's who.

 

[Bob Savage]

who gives a shit. Guitar forum arm chairs, that's who.

Wait, you're saying that someone here actually cares? I find that hard to believe.

I think the boy bands had a line on whiney before grunge.

 

[Heritage Softail]

Metal...

Heavy sick riffs that most people recognize in two seconds.

Box, Rooster...

Just great rock metal. I'm not feeling a pearl jam vibe in AIC.

Whatever.

Penny?

Knock, knock, knock...

Penny?

 

[steve_k]

Metal...

Heavy sick riffs that most people recognize in two seconds.

Box, Rooster...

Just great rock metal. I'm not feeling a pearl jam vibe in AIC.

Whatever.

Penny?

Knock, knock, knock...

Penny?

Layne would be doing back flips in the grave if AIC took on any PJ influence. Not that I don't like Pearl Jam. But, Jerry has a legacy tone and structure that is his very own and wouldn't allow AIC to go anywhere near Pearl Jam influenced recordings. If so, there will have been a terrible crime committed here....

 

[some dude]

Come on man. Alice in Chains was never grunge. They just happened to be a Seattle band.

You don't know much about grunge, do you?

 

[Motorpud]

I also never thought of them as grunge even though they got lumped into that category. Grunge singers generally tend to sing like they have balls in their mouth a majority of the time, a la Kurt Cobain, Eddie Vedder, etc. I've heard Vedder actually does put a pair of balls in his mouth in the studio. IMO they're a blues based hard rock/metal band, maybe not metal by todays standards, definitely metal by early 90's standards.

 

[hellaboogie]

What they are is awesome

 

[richedie]

I think the recording is great, great spound all around but I find many of the songs a bit weak.

 

[Bronco]

Kind of a snore for me... I liked DIRT and Facelift but I find the later stuff sounds like the tempo never moves and the vocals (doubled and tripled it seems) drift me into a coma. The actual sound of everything is great though.

Agreed...

 

[jlb32]

Love the new song and the last album. I personally think DuVall does a good job. They didn't want a Layne copy cat and IMO DuVall fits with their style. I personally even think he does a good job singing the older songs also. Laynes not coming back so I think it's great they finally decided to continue on. IMO the material they are putting out now is more than worthy of continuing with the AIC name.