Alice in Chains – Black Gives Way to Blue

Alice in Chains
Black Gives Way to Blue

Overall: C+

Alice in Chains. What can I say? Their Unplugged album perpetually stays on my DVR, just in case I want to watch, and I consider it one of the best albums of all time. Let’s just say that I’m a bit of an AiC homer.

Having said that, I regretfully say that their first studio release in almost 15 years is disappointing. The first thing that gets mentioned is, “Is that guy just not as good as Layne?”

Let me just say that William DuVall is a GREAT vocalist, and nothing is lost between him and Layne. Remember that Jerry Cantrell is still there, and he contributed a LOT to vocals before anyways.

OK, so the album. The album starts off very strong. The opening track, All Things Known, has this delicious dissonant sound that really just almost gives you the creeps, but in a very good Alice in Chains kind of way. That slips right into their first single, Check my Brain, which has a hook that might let it be big on the radio.

The middle of the album has a few slow songs, but nothing that can really compare to previous work. Unfortunately that’s the last decent moment. The end of the album really just drags on. Each song on its own right is decent, but each song lacks any kind of individuality. No chorus really pops out and grabs you.

So, while it’s great that Alice in Chains is back making music and touring, I just really wish their first album in a decade and a half had a little more creativity to it.

Foo Fighters – Echos, Silence, Patience, & Grace

OK, I’ve given this thing like a fifth listen, so I think I’m ready to slam it. This was a very OK album. Nothing was exceptionally bad, nothing exceptionally good. The feel I got from this album was building up to a forced climax in every song. I think half of the songs start slow (or slower) and with a minute to go get into it. This is definitely not what I was expecting when I heard this album was going to be “so hard,” and, “much harder than anything we’ve ever done.”

There were a few bright spots, and surprisingly for an album that was supposed to be a little edgier, I personally enjoyed the slow, or acoustic songs the most. Track 9 – Ballad Of The Beaconsfield Mine is a bluegrassy type feeling instrumental that was probably my fav track on the album. Even though much of it was repetitive, I love the feeling it embodies, and I love the duel acoustics.

The other track to note was track 6 – Stranger Things Have Happened. This is a very bluesy sounding song with a great acoustic leads. The only drums are a slight tick in the background, seemingly just to keep time. It really keeps the focus on the somber music and Dave’s voice.

The rest of the album for me is largely forgettable. Many of the songs do have a slight edge to them that you may not hear in other FF albums. Personally, I’m not a big fan of these guys, so for me, this album is really nothing special. If you are a fan, I’m sure you already have the album, otherwise, listen before you buy.

overall: 7.0 / 10

Sixx:A.M. – Heroin Diaries Review (LONG)

Sixx:A.M. is a new band built around former Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx. Sixx wrote a book titled “The Heroin Diaries” (Amazon Link), and the album is actually a soundtrack which tightly follows the memoirs, with each track coinciding with a chapter from the book. Aside from Nikki, the lead singing and rhythm guitarist duties are handled by multi-platinum producer James Michael. Working with such artists as Motley Crue, Saliva, The Exies and the Scorpions, it is no surprise that the album is produced and mixed very well. The band also has a great musician in DJ Ashba. I personally had never heard of this guy before, but his first solo album, an instrumental ASHBA: Addiction to Friction earned 6 Best Guitar Player awards.

After listening to this, the first thing I did was go online and find out where I can see these guys play. Here was a response I found from Nikki himself:

We just formed the band. We didn’t plan on that. We didn’t plan on being on the radio, and at this point we’re really not planning on touring. I know we are planning on playing some television shows and maybe doing some intimate small stuff. There seems to be a lot of desire. It would have to be something quite spectacular. The idea of going out and playing clubs isn’t that exciting. It has to be more than that. There is more out there. With all these multi-media platforms and portals to creative stuff, it is very exciting. Opportunity, I’m sure will arise, and we’ll make a decision then.

So, apparently the band has no plans of touring at this point, which is a real shame. Check out the first single, Life is Beautiful:

Overall, as an album its very average, average not good. As a soundtrack, the lyrics become so much more powerful, pushing this album into the “good” level. The songs become moving and more meaningful. James Michael’s voice might not have the vocal range of some, but not to overuse the word, but it’s powerful. “Life is Beautiful” is clearly the best track, with all the essentials of a great song. I haven’t heard much radio play of this song which is a real shame.

The rest of the album really bounces all over the place, fitting many different sounds to the many different chapters of the book. On one hand, this is a good thing, it keeps the listener off-balance, not knowing what to expect. On the other hand, some of these different sounds come off cheesy or done. “Pray For Me” sounds like it comes off the latest Killers release, with your typical staccato chords over super-monotone vocals. The ballads on the album are many, and similar.

You must realize that this is not an album which tries to please the many. This is a brutally honest, exposing self-portrait painted by a man who almost died. Because of this, the songs may be bland in some sense, but retain their ability to move, as in “Tomorrow.” This, while not the best song, still moves the listener as Sixx describes how his past is catching up to him, how his bridges have been burned.

“Dead Man’s Ballet” got bad reviews as a song, some comparing it to Meatloaf (who I think James produced). However, I really dig this song. This is one of the few songs on the album that ebbs and flows. It builds nicely into the chorus, then transitions well out of it. Oh well, say what you will, I liked the song.

So, overall, this is definitely not the best song of the last year, but it’s worth a listen. I have heard that the book is outstanding, and together I bet they complement each other very nicely.

Overall 6.5 / 10