ALICE IN CHAINS – The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here (2013)

*

In the humble opinion of this reviewer, ALICE IN CHAINS were one of the few salvageable acts of the grunge movement. I still spin from time to time their landmark album ‘Facelift’, and while not all their songs are right up my alley, what I really like is Jerry Cantrell’s guitar playing and sound.
After listening the group’s new CD “The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here” to be released next week, I think many followers of this blog will dig it as I did.

“The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here” still offers some of the powerful, seasickness-inducing riffs that the band is known for, but the good thing is that Alice In Chains have updated their sound and musical delivery. This means the somber tuned-down scales are gone and the songs are more uplifting & melodic.
This is helped by a bright production, with the rhythm section sounding earthy, the guitars organic and the vocals have been arranged to obtain a more classic rock style.
This new approach works in the favor of this collection of songs, giving both William DuVall (in his 2nd recording with the band) and Cantrell’s melancholic vocals room to breathe and provide hair-raising contrast against the music – especially on the tracks “Hollow”, “Lab Monkey” and “Stone”.
Cantrell also supplies here some of the most masterful guitar work of his career, with his carefully crafted leads during “Scalpel” and the title track highlighting his criminally underrated, almost Gilmour-like restraint.

If you never liked Alice In Chains or have lost their trace during the last fifteen years or so, give “The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here” a chance. You could be greatly surprised.
This ‘new’ AIC approach is quite melodious, retaining the band’s style but with a completely fresh delivery. The songs are more defined, precisely as ‘songs’ in the classic rock format & stylings. This has been achieved mostly by the bright production which gives the album an expansive feel, so the patented churn doesn’t seem quite so claustrophobic as before.
Perhaps that expansiveness is just a sign of age: Alice in Chains are now firmly entrenched in their middle age and settling into what they do best: retaining their signature without pandering and, tellingly, without succumbing to the darkness that otherwise defines them.
I liked “The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here” a lot.

01 – Hollow
02 – Pretty Done
03 – Stone
04 – Voices
05 – The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here
06 – Lab Monkey
07 – Low Ceiling
08 – Breath On A Window
09 – Scalpel
10 – Phantom Limb
11 – Hung On A Hook
12 – Choke

Jerry Cantrell – guitars, lead and backing vocals
Sean Kinney – drums, percussion, keyboards
Mike Inez – bass
William DuVall – lead and backing vocals, rhythm guitar

BUY IT !
www.amazon.com/The-Devil-Put-Dinosaurs-Here/dp/B00BQ1D7X4