New Alice In Chains... Why, Jerry, why?

Don't get me wrong... I loved Alice In Chains (the operative word here being "loved") back when, but for them to reboot with a new lead singer is just not right. Not only does it tarnish the legacy of one of the great bands of the 'modern rock' era, it also shows a total lack of respect IMO for the late Layne Staley

I can understand Jerry Cantrell's desire to make new music, and brand recognition obviously goes a long way, but why not just reform the band under a new name? The comparisons would have been plenty, but at least they would have been judged on their own merits, to an extent. Instead, it just seems way too gimmicky, and almost doomed to failure.

You cannot replace a key component and expect business as usual. Sammy Hagar was alright, I guess, but he obviously paled in comparison to 'Diamond' Dave. Genesis sold alot more records with Phil Collins, but lost alot of creativity without Peter Gabriel. "Chinese Democracy" turned out to be a pretty good record, but it just wasn't the same GNR without Slash and Duff. And don't even get me started on INXS...

Bottom line: while the new Alice In Chains single "A Looking In View" is alright, I suppose, I would've greeted it alot more openly if it had been under a different name. Instead, it just seems like a last ditch effort to reclaim old glory.

If the rest of the new AIC album is like that I think it'll be alright.  

What does it matter if they show the drug addicted singer determined to reach his final destination a lack of respect? Cantrell gets the band by default. Why not AIC? Good for him, and at least trying to make some good music. Good enough for me. I listened to that new song once, sounded damn good to me for a first listen. I saw this band open for Velvet Revolver, Weiland was on his way out, AIC got way more applause than VR on that night. I saw VR in the beginning, and it was the best in the beginning but then Weiland had to become Weiland again. They should've been huge, Contraband rocked. I'll give the new AIC a chance.

Well, admittedly, Cantrell is/was the principle songwriter/lyricist for Alice In Chains, so it's not as though the band was going to undergo a radical stylistic change or anything like that, but something about this just doesn't sit well with me...

The more I listen to that first single, the more I realize it's just a one-trick pony (wicked riff, but no real direction and just way too long).

If history has proven one thing, it's that bands on the downside of their artistic peak don't really fare all that well when making a radical change in the lineup (Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Motley Crue, INXS, Van Halen with Gary Cherone, Genesis with Ray Wilson). It's either do it at the outset before fame sets in (Metallica, Faith No More, Dixie Chicks, Fleetwood Mac, Deep Purple) or, if you're extremely fortunate, while still on top of the mountain (AC/DC, Van Halen with Sammy Hagar, Black Sabbath, Menudo, Genesis with Phil Collins).

Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe the new album will turn out to be killer but, at this point, I'm not overly optimistic. I guess we'll just have to wait and see...