Alice in Chains

The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here

“Turning in circles, slowing down” is the opening line of “Hollow” the first song off the latest release from Alice in Chains, The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here. This doesn’t appear to be a self-referential lyric as the band shows no signs that they are doing either. It’s been four years since their last album, but with this release, Alice in Chains continue to do what they have always done best: drape haunting vocal harmonies over pummeling riffs. “Hollow,” “Lab Monkey,” and “Stone” are the best examples of the slow, trudging guitar work for which Cantrell is renowned. In “Stone,” the contrast between the brutality of the riff and the eeriness of the lead guitar against the vocal melody create an instant AIC classic. Duvall’s voice is the perfect companion to Cantrell’s as they share lead vocal duties on these songs. Alice in Chain’s appreciation and dedication to the importance of a great vocal work in hard rock and metal stands out as a distinguishing characteristic more than ever. The distortion is turned down on the tracks “Voices” and the “Devil Put Dinosaurs Here” and are more reminiscent Jar of Flies.

The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here is stylistically consistent with the expectations of a new Alice in Chains record while avoiding the pitfall of sounding like a rehashing of past glories. The new songs demonstrate that the creative and commercial success of Black Gives Way to Blue was not an anomaly, but heralded in a new era for Alice in Chains. Bottom line: Does Alice in Chains reinvent the wheel here? No, but they do add a shiny new spoke to that wheel and if you’ve enjoyed their past releases, you’ll most likely enjoy this one as well.

The Devil Puts Dinosaurs Here will be available May 28.

This review was originally posted on tamagazine.com