Welcome Back: ‘Alice in Chains’

Alice in Chains returns after death of singer – CNN.com.

The pioneering grunge band has just released “Black Gives Way to Blue” — its first studio album since singer Layne Staley died from a heroin and cocaine overdose in 2002 — and fans are understandably playing a game of compare and contrast.

With his scruffy blond goatee and pain-laced baritone, Staley may have been the face and voice of Alice in Chains, but in many ways, guitarist Jerry Cantrell has been the unsung heart of it, writing much of the band’s catalogue and singing half of the droning harmonies that would become group’s trademark.

These days, when Cantrell shares the mic with new vocalist William DuVall, the blend is uncannily familiar. DuVall’s voice can sound eerily like Staley’s, but instead of being borne of desperation, it suggests a certain soulfulness that becomes more apparent on live acoustic tracks.

On behalf of all of Generation X…Welcome back, Alice in Chains…

We missed you…

Along with the mighty Pearl Jam (and legendary frontman Eddie Vedder) and Chris Cornell’s equally-epic orchestra known as Soundgarden, there was no other Seattle rock group that helped define the 1990’s grunge-ful triumvirate better than Alice in Chains (led by their deceased lead singer, Layne Staley).

(NOTE: Kurt Cobain and Nirvana are on an empirically different level altogether as one of the best overall musical rock groups of all time…)

Sadly, the lead singer of Alice in Chains (Layne Staley) died from a heroin and cocaine overdose on April 20, 2002 at the age of 34.

'Alice in Chains' lead singer Layne Stayley (1967-2002)

With his scruffy blond goatee and pain-laced baritone, Staley may have been the face and voice of Alice in Chains, but in many ways, guitarist Jerry Cantrell has been the unsung heart of it, writing much of the band’s catalogue and singing half of the droning harmonies that would become group’s trademark; according to a recent interview with CNN on the group’s comeback.

With new lead singer William DuVall, Alice in Chains is hoping to give a renaissance to Staley’s hauntingly desperate vocals by banding together to give their fans a millenial version of their famous rock band.

Not since the resurrection of INXS (after the tragic November 1997 discovery of legendary INXS frontman Michael Hutchence sadly hanging from his Ritz-Carlton hotel room) has the rock world seen the comeback of a major musical group with a new lead singer because of the untimely deaths of their legendary frontmen.

As the new lead singer for Alice in Chains, Mr. DuVall- a long-time member of Atlanta’s punk-grunge scene- befriended Alice in Chains guitarist (and lead songwriter) Jerry Cantrell many years ago and toured with the band as their rhythm guitarist shorly before Layne Staley’s untimely 2002 death from a heroin/cocaine overdose.

And now, many years later, Alice in Chains is finally back for more…

With their new album “Black Gives Way to Blue”, Cantrell, DuVall and the rest of the AIC crew attempt to revive their musical presence and try to give new life to one of the rarest wailing voices of the 1990s; Mr. Layne Staley.

New Lead-Singer of Alice in Chains, William DuVall.

“Check My Brain” is one of their first video singles below from their newest album and as you can hear from their latest video below (via YouTube), you can still hear traces of Layne Staley’s haunting voice from the grave within the inner-most levels of the vocal chords of their new lead singer, William DuVall.

Now, if we could only get Blind Melon to return (after the tragic 1993 death of lead singer Shannon Hoon) and do a millenial remake version of the legendary ‘No Rain’ video (with bee costumes and all)…

Either way, welcome back, Alice in Chains.

On behalf of every member of Generation X, it is simply wonderful to have you back….