Black Gives Way To Blue

Alice in Chains

Virgin/EMI

Rs 395

rating: ****

In the 1990s, Alice in Chains stormed the Seattle grunge movement with a wave of hard-hitting tunes packed with raging vocals and sludgy guitars, creating opulent records. Former singer Layne Staley’s heroin-induced, anger-ridden vocal harmonies spun around Jerry Cantrell’s ominous guitar layers — until a speedball frenzy took the lights out of the iconic singer.

Fourteen years after their previous, self-titled album, the band has tunneled into a second coming with talented vocalist/guitarist William DuVall who approximates Staley’s vocal style and, along with singer/guitarist Cantrell, retains the band’s sound. Black Gives Way to Blue has all the trademarks — wailing sludge guitar drags, galactic crooning, booming bass lines by Mike Inez and powerhouse mid-tempo drums by Sean Kinney.

The apprehension about a comeback is put to rest as the first track All secrets known opens with muted grunge progression and piano man Elton John plays a touching tribute to Staley on the title track.

Check my brain starts with grungy guitar slides that move to a catchy chorus, while DuVall’s singing transcends in Last of my kind. Cantrell’s acoustic chords rule Your decision, tablas make an audacious entry in When the sun rose again and Acid bubble floats around monster riffs that burst into an intense bridge part.

A looking in view and Lesson learned go the old-school way with mushy guitar sustenance followed by a sombre Take her out and a walk-down-melody-road Private hell.

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