Review Summary: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Whenever people are pressed to mention any flaws regarding Alice in Chains’ post-reunion material, “safe” is often the biggest adjective that surfaces. That criticism is certainly not unfounded, as the group’s work has mostly adhered to the tried-and-true formula of alternative metal/grunge/sludge/doom mixture they became famous for in the first place. However, I’m inclined not to
completely agree that this is a major flaw. Sure, there’s a sense of predictability when booting up a new Alice in Chains album these days - 2013’s
The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here is proof of that - but to be fair, that predictability lends itself to the same killer riffs and intense atmosphere that always prove to be positives at the end of the day. Where does 2018’s
Rainier Fog fit in?
Surprise surprise, it basically follows in the same vein! “The One You Know” immediately sets the tone, blending a mammoth single-note doom riff with a beautiful melodic chorus - both revealing the level of dynamic and tonal contrast you’ll hear throughout the majority of the record. The song also gives us great insight to the world we’re going to enter with
Rainier Fog as the vibe coincides very nicely with the title. Riffs are pummeling and occasionally quite spartan, but the treble end of the production is imbued with certain textures that really sound like the crawling of rain down a glass window. The title track is a great showing of this, with a standard rock riff being complimented by harmonized vocals and thick walls of lead guitar distortion that paint the dark picture begun by the rhythm instruments. This sort of dichotomy is one of
Rainier Fog’s most distinguishing features, and is perhaps more fleshed out here than in any of the band’s other records to date (maybe barring
Dirt).
It doesn’t end there though. Let’s take that talk of contrast and bleed it into what continues to be the greatest thing about Alice in Chains’ most recent efforts: the chemistry between Jerry Cantrell and William DuVall. The way these guys coil their guitar parts around each other is a treat to hear, particularly on songs that allow the bass and drum parts join in on the fun. Just listen to “Red Giant,” a mesmerizing slow-burner whose solo is a battle of back-and-forth between the free-flowing lead guitar and the churning mechanical riff underneath. “So Far Under,” despite having a similarly slow tempo, benefits from a different kind of contrast: the vocal/instrumental kind. The riffs are of a doom-laden and sludgy variety, but it’s tempered by the bluesy melodicism of DuVall and Cantrell’s infectious harmonies on top. It actually lends to the accessibility to the music as much as it enhances the mood. Sean Kinney and Mike Inez are no slouches either, as they still form one of the most dynamic and rock-solid rhythm sections around. Case in point: listen to the best song on the entire album, “Drone,” which takes that whole concept of “doom blues” to a new level. Sure, its guitar work is top-notch, but the song would be nothing without those subtle-yet-meaty bass melodies and swingin’ drums anchoring it all along.
Rainier Fog certainly isn’t without its flaws. Aside from its familiarity to fans of the band’s other work, it has a few tracks with excessive runtimes and not much to say. That’s not to say that the album itself completely overstays its welcome - after all, this is 14 minutes shorter than the previous effort - but still, some trimming here and there might have benefited the tracklist a bit. More forgettable tunes like “Fly” and “Maybe” don’t really do anything that hasn’t been done better on previous Alice in Chains songs, for instance. But that’s not really much in the way of gripes, honestly. Given the fact that the members are in their 50s and the band is over 30 years deep by this point, I’m frankly shocked that I can’t criticize
Rainier Fog more than I did. It would have been so easy to give up on Alice in Chains after Layne left, but the fact that they could reunite and still make solid albums is a testament to their ability to transcend the trends of their 90s peers. Jerry Cantrell was always the band’s figurehead, after all, and after hearing
Rainier Fog, it’s abundantly clear that he hasn’t run out of ideas yet.
