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Zero 7
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.
Black Gives Way To Blue
Generally favorable reviews
Based on 14 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 64 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album >
Album Info
Label: Virgin
Release Date: 29 September 2009
Discs: 1 disc
Genre(s): Rock, Metal
Summary
The band's first album in more than 14 years was produced with Nick Raskulinecz and features new lead singer William DuVall (original singer Layne Staley died in 2002).
Also By This Artist: Live
Also On The Web: Official Artist Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Q Magazine
A stunning return. [Oct 2009, p.116]
All Music Guide
While they'll never be mistaken for a feel-good band, there is a palpable sense of relief that they get to play together again as a band, and what's remarkable is that they still sound like themselves, capturing that weird murk halfway between '80s metal and '90s northwestern sludge, reminding us that we were missing something in their absence.
Read Full Review >Sputnikmusic
It is a legitimately excellent record that lives up to (and sometimes even exceeds) the song writing standards set by the band on "Dirt" or "Jar of Flies."
Read Full Review >Lost At Sea
Some of the songs even stack up against the band's original catalogue.
Read Full Review >The Onion (A.V. Club)
DuVall, along with the rest of Alice In Chains, has turned a questionable career move into a moving tribute--and a shockingly decent album.
Read Full Review >PopMatters
At heart, this is a back-to-basics album a la "Death Magnetic" or R.E.M.’s "Accelerate;" not essential, but definitely worth a look.
Read Full Review >Billboard.com
The band's classic, downtuned stomp could easily pass for an unreleased track from the "Dirt" era and is sure to keep longtime fans feeling pleasantly dystopic.
Read Full Review >Drowned In Sound
When AiC hit home though, as they often do, Black Gives Way To Blue becomes the quiet triumph it set out to be.
Read Full Review >Boston Globe
While there are a few lulls, none are glaringly offensive, and the band builds up so much good will with the stronger material that it’s easy to surrender again to these Chains.
Read Full Review >Mojo
A decent return, Alice mostly impresses despite the limiting permutations of their angst. [Nov 2009, p.94]
Hot Press
There’s still something oddly admirable about Alice In Chains’ stubborn refusal to change.
Read Full Review >Rolling Stone
What Black lacks are great tunes and a sense of can't-look-away drama.
Read Full Review >Spin
As with latter efforts Jar of Flies and Alice in Chains, Black's most tender moments ('Private Hell') are its most essential. And while William DuVall is a serviceable Staley impressionist, this comeback would register with more purpose had guitarist Jerry Cantrell assumed the vocal lead.
Read Full Review >NOW Magazine
ew singer William DuVall spends half his time replicating Staley’s nasal misanthropy and the other half buried by Cantrell’s vocals.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this album is 9.0 (out of 10) based on 64 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
barry g gave it a9:
Well it's for the better than the worst the lead singer the perfect replacement for layne, music wise it takes 3 to 4 spins in your cd player to get the feel for it . it grows on you the more you listen to it.
Keaton R gave it a10:
Best album to be released in a very very very long time, I cannot stop listening to it, even if I try to, every single song on this album is beautiful and bursting with talent, a hard thing to come by today, this album can only be described in one word. Masterpiece.
Michael L gave it an8:
Great CD! Sounds like the band I loved. William is a great addition to an already bad ass band!!
Joey B gave it a9:
An amazing and stunning album that requires time to reveal itself to the listener, and a few more listens will no doubt make you appreciate it more.
gabriel s' gave it a9:
Well, I'm a fan of AiC, and the first thing I said when I heard the rumors about new album was, well Layne that's how much you mean to them, but after I heard the record I was like......WHAT THE HELL IS THIS, this sounds so good and this guys are back on track! But still there is the LAYNE factor, no matter how good is William he will never replace Layne, I can just imagine how this songs would've sounded with him.I can't go through the fact that this sounds pretty much like Jerry's single records but with William's back up vocals, for the future if there are any new AiC records, I'd like to hear William in the front, as it was with Layne.
Sim G gave it an8:
Wow, what a surprise!! I have hit the teenage years at the grunge’s peek. My life’s soundtrack was Nirvana, Soundgarden and Pearl Jam. Sometimes Stone Temple Pilots was playing, but Alice in Chains not so often. Dirt was a great album (and still is), but the band didn’t spoke to me as much as the others. Last winter I bought their greatest hits album, and I got to listen to it with a more mature spirit and enjoyed more than I did back then. I didn’t knew that the band was reforming and going to release a new album until a few weeks back. I grabbed it and it blew me away. They managed to keep their sound while adding some new and interesting arrangements. They sound a little less “garage” and more polished, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing. I don’t mind the new singer, since the essence of the band seams to still be there. Not everybody would agree with me, but I realized listening to Black Gives Way to Blue that Staley was no Cobain, Cornell or Vedder; without these guys Nirvana, Soundgarden and Pearl Jam are no more, but AIC feels like they aren’t just a support to the singer. Plus, Duvall looks like he’s more than an impersonator since he co-wrote most of the songs. I definitely recommend this album.
Keith G gave it an8:
Excellent return, it is sad that Layne can't be around for it but life goes on. This is very much a Jerry Cantrell project, it has his trademark sound and feel all the way through. Some of the heavier songs tend to stray a bit but the more melodic tracks are beauties. Sometimes eerily beautiful as DuVall sounds just a bit too much like Layne on them!
