New Alice in Chains

I'm as big of an AIC fan as anyone(saw them twice with Layne back in the day, and now 3 times with the new lineup) and while the new music is good, every song just feels like it's missing something, and that something being Layne. No matter how good the new songs are, they always just feel slightly lacking.

Jerry Cantrell can still write solid songs just like he always did, but his vocals + Williams all just feel like they should just be the backing vocals. It's like I always keep waiting for Laynes high-pitched scream to come in over the top and it never does. Every song that sounds good just can't quite reach that level of excellence like you heard in Man in the Box for instance. All the harmonies and backgrounds are there, but it still feels like the band is missing a lead singer.

The weirdest part of it is that William *can* hit those notes,he does in live concerts singing the old Layne material, but I don't think he's probably as involved in the songwriting so Jerry maybe doesn't write those parts for him like he did for Layne. The band is now focused on Jerrys muddy, grungy guitar riffs and decent harmonies and melodies, rather than having an equally strong, identifiable lead vocal sound.

It's like if "Would" was written today for this version of the band, all the vocals would just sound like Jerrys lower toned pieces of the song. Listen to the drastic contrast between the two and tell me that's not missing from the new stuff:

Doesn't even come close to Jar of Flies, and that's the standard. I prefer Jerry's Degradation Trip Vol 1 & 2 over Black Gives Way to Blue.

Agreed about Layne. My favorite AiC song ever.

Any of you guys into Mad Season.


Only posting cause i know not all AIC fans know about them. Fucking amazing shit.

I've had to re-purchase that Mad Season CD probably 3 or 4 times in my life because it gets scratched/damaged because it hasn't left my car in 15+ years. Always have it nearby.

Alice in Chains was my favorite band in high school. I barely listen to them anymore, same for Mad Season. The whole grunge thing was an important phase of my life, but I'm pretty far past this type of music.

If Layne were around still producing new music it might be one thing, but I'll never enjoy a Layne-less AiC.

I like a lot of the older demos too, like "I Can't Have You Blues." But again, I just really don't listen to this type of music anymore.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KmYFY5oOvM

I really like this song. Also just found out that they're coming to town in July, which is awesome. Never had a chance to see them live before. Definitely going to try to get tickets, if I can beat the bots.

Anyone think Cantrell looks vaguely like KD Lang in that video?

I've been downloading Stone from youtube for 45 minutes. Youtube just flat out does not fucking work on Verzion's internet. I just download them to watch later, usually at about 20kbps, but I can't even get that much atm.

Went tohttp://www.vevo.com/watch/alice-in-c...e/USVI31300003instead.

God damn this album needs to leak already. I'm dying to listen to more new shit.

LEAKED!!

Araxen_sl said:

LEAKED!!

Click to expand...

I'm uh....buying it now.

This album is phenomenal. Scalpel and Haunted Limb have been on repeat all day long.

I really love the title track "The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here". It's fucking great!

The solo on Low Ceiling is just so awesome. I'm really falling in love with this entire album. It's so good!

Album is great, Choke is a great song along with the final chorus of Breath on A Window.

No Say Goodbye Don't Follow? C'mon man. THAT'S a funeral song.

I love Facelift, Dirt and Jar of Flies. I cannot stand this new album. Both Stone and Hollow have a similiar structure to the song Heaven Beside You. Which I cannot stand due to it's repetitiveness and inconsistent drop offs in melody.

Yeah, Don't Follow is the premiere funeral song.