Turns out I was wrong

Go to Alice in Chains website and download a brand new track from AIC. Or if you so chose, I guess you can purchase said track, "A Looking in View" from iTunes, Amazon, etc. I personally chose the free way. So what was I wrong on? Well, I thought due to the teaser trailers the band released, it would be a new video. Wrong, it's a new single. So how does it stack up? Read on.

It is, first off, really heavy. Not in that death metal, speed/trash heavy but in a ominous, minor chord, groove heavy. Just like "We Die Young" off of Facelift the track starts off as a straight up heavy handed affair. It's kind of a menacing track, but it no where doesn't sound like AIC. It stacks up remarkably well. Of course that should be expected, as except for the late Layne Staley not being present it's the same band that's been together since 1993. The big question, how does William DuVall stack up with Layne Staley?

DuVall is no replacement. He sounds remotely nothing like Staley and I think this works in the bands favor. There have been dozens of bands that have attempted to recreate Staley's vocals and be the AIC replacement, and failed miserbly (I'm looking at you Godsmack and Staind) and I think that the refromed AIC is better off finding someone who can both hold his own and harmonize with Cantrell, which they have found in DuVall. The man isn't quite as powering of a voice as Staley was, but he fits and most importantly doesn't drag the song or the band down. All AIC fans can breathe easy now, as there is no horrendous vocalist to tarnish the band's legacy.

I was half expecting some sort of solo from Cantrell in the song, but considering half the band's previous material didn't contain solos, I don't know what I was thinking. I am satisfied with the song and as someone who was literally forced by my birth and when I got into heavy music to miss out on AIC's heyday finds the song refreshing. Let's face it, modern hard rock is pretty banal and Alice In Chains releasing a straight up bruiser/mind trip of an excellent return record could be a godsend. On the other hand, it simply could be seen as another old band getting together again. I mean, let's face it, BrokenCYDE is a far cry from the days of grunge and alt-metal and Nickelback, for some unholy reason, continue to be popular. Then again, the Creed renuion is not pulling them in like they used to, so maybe there is hope.