4.5 superb

Ryan Incognito | September 19th 09

When I heard of Alice in Chains' plans to record a new album, Black Gives Way to Blue, I, being the massive fanboy that I am, promptly shat myself. As the release date grew closer and closer and the Layne-loving haters grew greater and greater in number, I still kept my faith in vocalist William Duvall, who had the arduous task of replacing Staley. Then, on the fateful day when I finally heard the new album, I was tremendously disappointed and went around whining like a little Layne fanbitch. To put it in the band's on words, shame in me, because this album easily matches and even outdoes a good portion of Alice's old material. Standout "Private Hell" recalls vintage Dirt form, and yet the epicness of "All Secrets Known" and "A Looking In View" is completely new for the band. To top it all off, the title track is a tremendous and moving tribute to Layne himself. More optimism, more heaviness, and just a generally amazing record. 7 Bumps | Bump

4.0 excellent

Jorn van Schaïk CONTRIBUTOR | September 28th 09

Well fuck me sideways with a ten ton dildo. This is actually amazing, and I'd expected way less from a band out of the loop for years, affected by the death of their drugged frontman. I don't know how the fuck they ended up doing this because this is actually a comeback album that is almost as good as anything else they've done. Yes, that includes Dirt. Kudos to this band. Relevant still in 2009, as they were in 1992. Yowzer. I wanna grow old.. 2 Bumps | Bump

4.5 superb

Mark Campbell | September 18th 09

Haters are gonna hate, but this record is undeniably good. The combination of Cantrell and DuVall on vocals, while not quite reaching the heights of the Layne years, do AIC's legacy more than just a little justice, and personally I think DuVall's vocals add a new dimension and twist to the AIC sound while Cantrell's singing keeps that classic sound. Musically this is vintage AIC, complete with crushing riffage and oppressive atmosphere. And it's REALLY heavy, probably their hardest record yet. Just repeat after yourself: this kicks the crap out of anything in modern rock today, Layne's dead, and despite that fact, Black Gives Way To Blue is still really good. 2 Bumps | Bump

4.0 excellent	GoranInno | October 30th 09
I was very pleased to hear they sounded like where they left off. I think if they tried to modernize it would've been a disaster. 1 Bumps | Bump

4.0 excellent

Charles Montgomery Burns | September 19th 09

Alice's is back in business as Black Gives Way to Blue delivers vintage heaviness, vocal harmonisations and songwriting like the boys have never been out. Matching Staley is of course impossible for anyone to achieve, but newling DuVall seems to be the man for the job, and while he doesn't even try to imitate his predecessor, his tone and range are very similar. Standard but great rock songs (Check My Brain), simple yet effective ballads (Your Decision) and pounding heaviness (A Looking in View), Black Gives Way to Blue really has everything we could possibly wish for after Staley's unfortunate passing. Less bleak than classic Alice, but perhaps even heavier than the likes of Dirt, the album is both fresh and nostalgic, and surely delivers the goods. 1 Bumps | Bump

4.5 superb	Dylan620 | November 13th 09
The whole album is just incredible. Alice in Chains is definitely pulling an AC/DC here - band gets huge, singer dies, band recruits new singer, band gets huge all over again. "Check My Brain", "Last of My Kind", "Your Decision", "A Looking in View", and the title track are my favorite songs off this album. Bump

3.5 great	Imperial | November 11th 09
While It seems that the writing hasn't changed since their last release, to some that may be a blessing in these times of failing pathetic pseudo-rock. Bump

3.5 great	Matt C | October 29th 09
Granted to me, this isn't the same band anymore, so to call it Alice In Chains is a bit unfair. That said, I was surprisingly taken back by this album and how GOOD it actually is. Worth checking out. Bump

4.5 superb	Betermin | October 8th 09
William doesn't have the same low, obscure vocal style as Layne... But who does? He's a great new vocalist and Jerry Cantrell is still an awesome songwriter. It's great to know that grunge is back on top of the charts. Bump

4.0 excellent

iceman3019 | October 5th 09

There's something about bands taking a few years off, and then all of a sudden, coming back with an album that just kicks my ass. Cynic blew me away with Traced in Air in 2008, and now, Alice in Chains comes back out of nowhere, with an album that is almost better than their previous works. Jerry Cantrell shows no signs of wear over the 10+ year dissolution of Alice in Chains--his blues-laced riffs are back, and are chugging along fiercer than ever. Sean Kinney and Mike Inez are still holding a tight rhythm section, and the newcomer, William DuVall, is quite possibly the perfect singer for this new incarnation of Alice in Chains. DuVall's vocals give this album a very fresh feel, and at the same time, do enough justice to Layne Staley that when listening to this album, you know you're listening to Alice in Chains. In other words, this is not some half-assed comeback attempt, but a faithful sequel to the previous works of Alice in Chains. Bump

4.5 superb	Super Cat | October 5th 09
This is an amazing album that totally changed ALL my perceptions of Alice in Chains, and probably one of my favorite albums lately. Almost every track is a standout, and there are a perfect amount of heavy and soft songs which make this a near flawless effort. Bump

3.5 great	cgbelieve | September 30th 09
Better than I expected, especially after hearing the first two singles ("A Looking in View" is just too long and plodding, and "Check my Brain" is instantly forgettable). "Your Decision" is definitely a standout, as it sounds like a lost track from Jar of Flies. "Last of my Kind" flat out rocks. Bump

4.5 superb	Mike Allen | September 28th 09
This is undeniably an album of the year candidate. This truly is classic Alice in Chains, even without Layne Staley. Bump

4.5 superb

Bhanchoot | September 20th 09

black gives way to blue is alice in chains through and through.... the song composition is beautiful, aggressive and has that sink of melody which only this band can create.... devall is brilliant and i am well impressed by the main man Cantrell who still has what it takes to fill an album with immense and mesmerizing riffs . songs roll one after another in flashes and i`ll be listning to this for a very long time to come Bump

4.0 excellent	Ben Bruns | September 19th 09
This is album is real good, probably their heaviest and most "experimental" I'd say. I think it deserves a 3 or a 3.5, but I'm giving it a 4 just because its new AIC. But If you like Alice In Chains, this definitely worth listening to. I liked it, a lot. Bump

5.0 classic

monstor344 | September 19th 09

What do you do in the face of a skeptical fan base and the underlying tensions caused by a former lead singer's death? Easy; you find a great replacement, you utilize your songwriting skills, and you release a kick-ass album that will, amongst unbiased people (I say this because of all the "Laynes dead aic sux" idiots out there), contend for album of the year. This is no comeback album; this is no nostalgia act. This is Alice in Chains picking up where they left off without Layne, playing the gritty, crunchy music that attracted millions of fans, while introducing fresh elements that elevate the album above much of their previous work. A mighty fine job that shows that we don't have to lower our standards tenfold (Death Magnetic anyone?) in order to enjoy renaissance albums. Bump

3.5 great	BASELINE | September 19th 09
I think Duvall is a great vocalist and replacement of Layne, and hes phenomenal live..but listening to this twice through now, nothing much has caught my attention aside from 2 or 3 pretty good tracks, the rest is average to me. Thats it in a "nutshell" har har. Bump

4.5 superb	MarkvandenBerg | September 19th 09
No Alice In Chains fan could possibly be disappointed with this brilliant effort considering that half of the bands sound died along with LS. William Duvall has resurrected a part of LS with staggering results! Bump

4.5 superb	Carnifex | September 18th 09
This is possibly the best Alice In Chains album ever, I love nearly everything about this record. The two singles Check My Brain and A Looking In View are undeniably catchy, some of the best modern rock available right here. Bump

4.0 excellent

radianteclipse | September 18th 09

VERY surprised at how good this is. I'd put this ahead of the self-titled album, and maybe even their debut. William Duvall never tries too hard to sound like Layne, and brings his own vocal stylings to the table, while Jerry Cantrell's vocal performance gives it that classic AIC sound. And, some of the riffs on this album are the heaviest you'll find in the AIC discography. Cantrell really brought his A game, and this album proves to be one of the few instances where a band can lose an iconic vocalist and not miss a step in the process. Bump