Black Gives Way to Blue

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Black Gives Way to Blue
Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles
Genre
Length54:12
LabelVirgin/EMI
Producer
Alice in Chains chronology
The Essential Alice in Chains
(2006)
Black Gives Way to Blue
(2009)
The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here
(2013)
Singles from Black Gives Way to Blue
  1. "A Looking in View"
    Released: June 30, 2009
  2. "Check My Brain"
    Released: August 14, 2009
  3. "Your Decision"
    Released: November 16, 2009
  4. "Lesson Learned"
    Released: June 22, 2010[4]

Black Gives Way to Blue is the fourth studio album by the American

Best Hard Rock Performance in 2010 and 2011, respectively.[12] Black Gives Way to Blue won Revolver magazine's Golden Gods Award
for Album of the Year in 2010.

The span of nearly fourteen years between the

Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles, produced by Raskulinecz and Alice in Chains.[16] The band did not have a record label at the time of the recording and the album was funded by Cantrell and drummer Sean Kinney.[17] The writing and recording process was completed on Cantrell's 43rd birthday, on March 18, 2009.[18] Musically, the album sees the band return to the heavy metal/hard rock style of Dirt and Facelift instead of the murky dark mood that their third album showcased with more grunge-fuzz pedal elements; some songs are noted for their acoustic elements.[19] It also includes songs which Cantrell described as "the heaviest he's ever written".[20]

Background and recording

Black Gives Way to Blue is the band's first album to feature William DuVall (pictured).

On February 18, 2005, guitarist Jerry Cantrell, bassist

Decades Rock Live concert, honoring fellow Seattle musicians Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart.[23] Comes with the Fall vocalist William DuVall made his first public performance with the band during that show singing Alice in Chains' "Rooster".[24] The band followed the concert with a short United States club tour, several festival dates in Europe, and a brief tour in Japan.[25] DuVall joined Alice in Chains as lead singer during the band's reunion concerts.[26] DuVall was an old friend of Cantrell's.[27] They met in Los Angeles in 2000 through a mutual acquaintance, and DuVall's band Comes with the Fall was both the opening act and also Cantrell's backing band during the tour for his second solo album, Degradation Trip, in 2001 and 2002.[28][29]

About the reunion concerts, Cantrell stated, "We want to celebrate what we did and the memory of our friend. We have played with some [singers] who can actually bring it and add their own thing to it without being a Layne clone. We're not interested in stepping on [Staley's] rich legacy. It's a tough thing to go through. Do you take the Led Zeppelin approach and never play again, because the guy was that important? That's the approach we've taken for a lot of years. Or, do you give it a shot, try something? We're willing to take a chance on it. It's completely a reunion because the three of us who're left are back together. But it's not about separating and forgetting — it's about remembering and moving on."[13]

Kinney mentioned in a February 2006 interview that he would be interested in writing new material, but not as Alice in Chains. He explained, "If we found some other dude, I'd love to move on, write some cool tunes and change the name and go on like that. I don't see continuing as Alice and replacing somebody. ... We're not trying to replace Layne. We want to play these songs one more time, and if it seems like the right thing to do, it'll happen. I don't know how long it will go or where it will take us. It's kind of a tribute to Layne and our fans, the people who love these songs. It's not some 'I'm broke and I need the money' situation. We love playing together."[13]

In April 2007, the band's "official blogger", Baldy, posted an update on progress towards the writing of the album, saying that Alice in Chains had been in

Los Angeles, California for five days, "sat through three rehearsals and one demo recording session, listened to several other demos" and the new material was "kicking his ass right out of his pants."[14] By March 2008, the band started writing and working together, and that was the start of the new album. According to Kinney, they just wanted to hear what their new music sounded like, as they were at Carmen Miranda's old studio, so they decided to record it. "It’s a very musical place. And everything was so good we decided to record it. It's a tremendous undertaking, but at the end of it I haven’t felt this good about something since we were kids".[30] In September 2008, it was reported that Alice in Chains would enter the studio that October to begin recording a new album for a summer 2009 release.[31]

Recording began on October 23, 2008 at the

Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles.[32] Staley's mother, Nancy McCallum, was supportive of the band's decision to move on and visited them during their recording sessions.[32] Other members of Staley's family were also supportive of the band.[32] Manager Susan Silver said "it was really important that it was OK with them".[32] In April 2009, Cantrell told at the Revolver's Golden Gods Awards Show that Alice in Chains had finished recording the album on March 18, 2009 (his 43rd birthday and also the same day that William DuVall's son was born), and were in the process of mixing it for a September release.[18] Elton John recorded the piano track for the song "Black Gives Way to Blue" in a Las Vegas studio on April 23, 2009.[33][34]

Manager David Benveniste began approaching record labels with a sampling of four or five songs from the new sessions, and the offers started coming from every major label. The band eventually signed with Virgin/EMI.[32]

Album title

When Chris Cornell and Susan Silver's then 9-year-old daughter Lily Cornell Silver asked her mother "what does 'Black Gives Way to Blue' mean?", Silver suggested they call her uncle Jerry [Cantrell] and ask him, and Cantrell explained to her:

Sometimes there are very dark and challenging times in life and it may seem like things will never get better. But if you stay strong and keep moving forward and look out on the horizon, you'll start to see a little point of light way out there. And slowly, the black would give way to blue.[35]

On December 1, 2020, Cornell Silver made her musical debut performing the song along with

MoPOP Founders Award tribute to Alice in Chains following an introduction by her mother.[36][37]

Music and lyrics

Jerry Cantrell sings lead vocals on most of the songs from Black Gives Way to Blue.

In April 2009, a blog post from the band expressed the hope that "these songs will strike a chord and make a similar impact on all of you out there that were moved by this band in the first place."[38] Kinney said that the music on the album doesn't deviate too far from the band's past music, adding, "It's nice to sound like yourself...It's not really that hard, actually. I know people are blown away that we really sound like ourselves, and I understand the apprehension, but it's not really that big a stretch to sound the way that you sound."[19] There are hard rock as well as acoustic songs featured on the album.[19]

Kinney said that there are lyrics on the album that deal with original vocalist Layne Staley. He elaborated, "There's not a day that goes by that I don't think of him. And there's a lot to address, with all of that stuff coming to the forefront. A lot has happened since 1995; a lot has happened in our lives and we've never talked about it or discussed it publicly. So some of that is what's addressed here. That's the way we operate, it's about what really happened in life. We're not really the fast cars and chicks songs. It's basically what's happened in life, but a lot has happened since the last record. And it's on this record."[19]

The title track, "Black Gives Way to Blue", was written as a tribute to Staley and features Cantrell on lead vocals and Elton John on piano.[39][40] Regarding the lyrics to other specific songs, Cantrell said the first single from the album, "A Looking in View", "basically speaks to any number of things that keep you balled up inside."[41] The second single, "Check My Brain", features lyrics dealing with Cantrell's move from Seattle to Los Angeles in 2003.[32] The third single, "Your Decision", contains lyrics about "surviving pain and choosing to live."[32] Cantrell also denied a popular misconception that the song "Private Hell" is about Layne Staley. He stated that the song is in fact about himself breaking up with a girl that he loved a lot and he "wasn't man enough to go through with it". But Cantrell also pointed out that there's a lot of things in the song that aren't specifically about that and other people can relate to.[42]

"Last of My Kind" is the only song in the album that features William DuVall singing lead vocals without harmonizing with Cantrell, who only sings back up vocals in the song. DuVall also wrote the lyrics and the melody of the song.[6][43][8] DuVall wrote a song called "Tongue Tied" about his friend Sean Costello, who died by suicide in 2008,[44][32] but the song was cut from the album.[8]

Cantrell said about singing lead vocals in the album:

I had to step up quite a bit more than I ever had. He [Layne Staley] always gave me a lot of confidence to do that, to sing more lead. And you can hear that as the albums progress, I kind of start growing into that role. I attribute a lot of that to the confidence that Layne gave me. Basically, him just saying, ‘Dude, you gotta fucking sing. These songs are your songs, you write all this fucking great material, and it’s not like I don’t like singing ‘em or whatever, but they’re personal to you, you should fucking sing ‘em.’ (laughs) ‘You can do it.’ I’m always forever grateful to him for that. And having some experience touring on my own and doing that, it’s kind of a natural progression to take on a larger role on this record and this incarnation of the band. The cool thing about that is I have William to work together with, and that’s a lot like the band worked together before.[45]

Cover artwork

The album cover art features an anatomical illustration of a heart surrounded by a black and blue background.[46] The illustration was made by British designer Matt Taylor.[47] According to William DuVall, the cover was Sean Kinney's basic concept, but the other members also had a hand in it.[48] Photos of the band taken by photographer James Minchin III and illustrations designed by Emmanuel Polanco complete the booklet.[49]

Jerry Cantrell explained the album cover in an interview with Billboard in October 2009:

The whole thing with the heart... there wasn't a real intention or a reason. It's just a collection of ideas that we put together. To me, we had our hearts broken by losing Layne and losing ourselves. And also it took a lot of that to get through this process and to even take the chance, and to stand-up and risk. It celebrates his life.[50]

Staley's bandmates also thanked him in the album's liner notes.[49]

Guitar manufacturer G&L made a custom Rampage guitar for Cantrell with the artwork for the album cover on the body. The guitar was unveiled in January 2010 on the G&L booth at the NAMM Show in Anaheim, California.[51]

For the opening of their concerts on the Black Gives Way to Blue tour, Alice in Chains used to project the album cover with a heart beating onto the stage's curtain before the band hit the stage.[52]

Promotion

To help promote the album, on September 17, 2009,[53] Alice in Chains released an EPK featuring all four of the members being interviewed while the Kiss makeup is being applied on them.[54]

An app for iPhone was released on October 27, 2009, featuring audio streaming of three songs from the album ("Check My Brain", "A Looking In View" and "Acid Bubble"), the music videos for "Check My Brain" and "A Looking In View", breaking news, photos, tour dates, band bio, discography, fan wall for commenting and access to Alice In Chains merchandise, tickets, web site and band mailing list.[55]

Release and reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Rolling Stone
[64]
The Skinny[65]

On April 25, 2009, it was reported that the new Alice in Chains album would be released on their new label Virgin/EMI, making it the band's first label change in their 20-plus year career.[66] On June 11, 2009, it was announced that the new album would be titled Black Gives Way to Blue and the release date was scheduled for September 29, 2009, the same day that Alice in Chains' second album, Dirt, was released in 1992.[67][68]

Alice in Chains revealed parts of their new album at a listening party on July 14, 2009 at the

Ricardo Montalbán Theater in Los Angeles. They played the entire album over the PA system and performed an acoustic set including versions of songs "Your Decision" and "Black Gives Way to Blue". Keyboardist Derek Sherinian guested with the band on this event. Another listening event took place on July 21, 2009 in New York.[40]

The UK magazine Classic Rock awarded the album nine out of ten stars in its review section in September 2009.[69] Metal Hammer magazine awarded the album 10/10 in September while Nigel Britto of The Times of India lauded the album as a "stunner", later going on to describe it as a "huge, huge success".[70]

On June 30, 2009, one of the songs from the album, "A Looking in View", was made available for purchase via iTunes and Amazon,[71][72] and for a limited time it was available as a free download through the official Alice in Chains website in early July.[73] Although it wasn't the album's first radio single, Rock stations across the U.S. started playing the song.[74][75] The music video for "A Looking in View" debuted via Alice in Chains' official website on July 7, 2009.[76]

"Check My Brain" was released to radio stations as the first official single from the album on August 14, 2009,[77] and was made available for purchase on August 17, 2009.[78] The music video for "Check My Brain" premiered on September 14, 2009.[79]

"A Looking in View" peaked at number 12 on the

Hot Alternative Rock Tracks chart.[81]

Black Gives Way to Blue debuted at number 5 on the Billboard 200, selling 126,000 in its first week,[9] and entered the UK charts at number 19 on October 5, 2009.[82]

To coincide with the band's European tour, Alice in Chains released its next single, "Your Decision", on November 16, 2009 in the UK, and in the US on December 1.

Alternative Songs charts.[85]

The third and last single, "Lesson Learned", went to radio on June 22, 2010,

Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks.[80] The music video for the song premiered on Yahoo! Music on September 22, 2010.[87]

Black Gives Way to Blue received Gold certification by the Canadian Recording Industry Association in February 2010, signifying sales of over 40,000 units.[88] The album was certified Gold by the RIAA, in May 2010,[10] selling over 500,000 copies in the U.S.[11]

Black Gives Way to Blue was voted number 2 on Kerrang!'s Top 20 albums of 2009 list,[

Heaven and Hell.[91]

Commercial performance

The track "

Hot Rock Songs chart,[93] and it also reached No. 92 on Billboard's Hot 100, becoming the band's first single to appear on the chart.[94]

Music videos

More music videos have been released in support of Black Gives Way to Blue than for any previous Alice in Chains release. Videos were released for "A Looking in View",[95] "Check My Brain",[96] "Your Decision",[97] "Acid Bubble"[98] (which is available as an interactive video on AliceinChains.com),[99] "Last of My Kind"[100] and "Lesson Learned".[101] Three of the videos ("A Looking in View", "Acid Bubble", and "Lesson Learned") do not feature the band in any way, which is a first (the music video for "Get Born Again" featured glimpses of the band with images used from previous videos).

An official video for "Private Hell" was published on Alice in Chains' official YouTube channel on September 27, 2019, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Black Gives Way to Blue. The video features behind the scenes footage of the band on studio recording the album between December 2008 and January 2009.[102]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Jerry Cantrell, except where noted

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."All Secrets Known" 4:42
2."Check My Brain" 3:57
3."Last of My Kind"5:52
4."Your Decision" 4:43
5."A Looking in View"
7:06
6."When the Sun Rose Again" 4:00
7."Acid Bubble" 6:55
8."Lesson Learned" 4:16
9."Take Her Out" 4:00
10."Private Hell" 5:38
11."Black Gives Way to Blue" 3:03
Total length:54:12
iTunes bonus tracks
No.TitleLength
12."Black Gives Way to Blue" (Piano Mix)3:01
13."Your Decision" (Live)4:48
Total length:62:01
Japanese bonus
No.TitleLength
12."Down in a Hole" (Live at the Ricardo Montalbán Theatre, 7 July 2009)6:46
Total length:60:56

Personnel

Awards

Revolver Golden Gods Awards

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2010 Black Gives Way to Blue Album of the Year Won[103]

Grammy Awards

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2010 "Check My Brain" Best Hard Rock Performance Nominated[12]
2011 "A Looking in View" Best Hard Rock Performance Nominated[12]

Metal Storm Awards

Year Nominee / work Award Result
2009 Black Gives Way to Blue Best Alternative Metal Album Nominated[104]
Biggest Surprise Nominated[104]

Charts

Singles

Year Single Peak chart positions
US
[134][135]
US Alt
[136]
US Main
[137]
US Rock
[138]
CAN
[139]
2009 "A Looking in View" 38 12 27
"Check My Brain" 92 1 1 1 62
"Your Decision" 109 4 1 1 57
2010 "Lesson Learned" 25 4 10
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

[140]

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[141] Gold 500,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Thomas Erlewine, Stephen. "Alice in Chains > Overview". AllMusic. Retrieved October 4, 2009.
  2. ^ JorgeM93 (February 2, 2022). "Top 10 Grunge Albums That Survived the '00s". Ultimate Guitar. Retrieved June 8, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ "Alice In Chains - Rainier Fog review". Pitchfork. September 1, 2018. Retrieved September 2, 2018.
  4. ^ a b "Future Releases on Alternative Radio Stations, Independent Artist Song Releases". Allaccess.com. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
  5. ^ "Alice In Chains - Black Gives Way To Blue". MusicFeeds. October 2, 2009. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  6. ^ a b c "Alice in Chains – Black Gives Way to Blue". Consequence of Sound. September 29, 2009. Retrieved August 5, 2017.
  7. ^ "Album Review of Black Gives Way to Blue by Alice in Chains". Alternative Addiction. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  8. ^ a b c d "William Duvall To Sing Lead Vocals On New Alice In Chains Songs". Alternative Nation. January 18, 2013. Archived from the original on May 22, 2018. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  9. ^
    Billboard.com
    .
  10. ^ a b "Gold and Platinum Database Search". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
  11. ^ a b "Alice In Chains Strikes Gold With 'Black Gives Way To Blue'". Blabbermouth. May 25, 2010. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
  12. ^ a b c "Alice In Chains - Artist". Grammy.com. Retrieved November 27, 2017.
  13. ^ a b c "Remaining Alice in Chains Members Reuniting for Summer Gigs". MTV.com. February 23, 2006. Retrieved June 11, 2009.
  14. ^ a b "Alice In Chains Begins Writing New Material". Blabbermouth.net. April 26, 2007. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved August 5, 2017.
  15. ^ a b "Alice in Chains Working with Rush/Foo Fighters Producer". Blabbermouth.net. October 23, 2008. Archived from the original on May 25, 2009. Retrieved 2009-06-11.
  16. ^ a b Zina Walschots, Natalie (May 30, 2013). "Alice in Chains". Exclaim!. Retrieved July 30, 2017.
  17. ^ a b "Interview: Jerry Cantrell Discusses Alice in Chain's 2009 Comeback, 'Black Gives Way to Blue'". Guitar World. January 10, 2013. Archived from the original on July 2, 2017. Retrieved July 15, 2017.
  18. ^ a b "Alice In Chains Set To Release First Album In 14 Years". YouTube. April 10, 2009. Archived from the original on December 20, 2021. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  19. ^ a b c d Benson, John (July 2, 2009). "Alice in Chains Reunion 'Gives Way' to New Album, Tour". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2009.
  20. ^ "Jerry Cantrell interview: Get Born Again". Guitar World. December 8, 2009. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  21. ^ Hay, Travis (February 20, 2005). "Alice in Chains owns stage in tsunami-relief show full of surprises". Seattlepi.com. Retrieved November 25, 2007.
  22. ^ "ALICE IN CHAINS: Photos From Tsunami Benefit Concert Posted Online". Blabbermouth. February 21, 2005. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  23. ^ "ALICE IN CHAINS: VH1 HEART Tribute Performance To Air Tonight". Blabbermouth. May 5, 2006. Retrieved June 10, 2018.
  24. ^ "William Duvall on How He Came to Be In Alice in Chains". YouTube. July 8, 2016. Archived from the original on December 20, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2018.
  25. ^ "ALICE IN CHAINS Confirm Japanese Tour Dates". Blabbermouth. April 29, 2006. Retrieved June 10, 2018.
  26. ^ "ALICE IN CHAINS Tap COMES WITH THE FALL's DUVALL For European Tour". Blabbermouth. April 5, 2006. Retrieved June 10, 2018.
  27. ^ "'No shortage of feelings' for Alice in Chains". MLive.com. September 10, 2009. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  28. ^ Radford, Chad (February 23, 2010). "With Alice in Chains, Atlanta punk icon William DuVall finds his audience". Atlanta Creative Loafing. Retrieved June 10, 2018.
  29. ^ Culpan, Troy (October 9, 2009). "William DuVall of Alice In Chains". maytherockbewithyou.com. Retrieved June 10, 2018.
  30. ^ Alexander Milas (September 16, 2009). "Alice In Chains: "It hurts and you miss them, but you still have to live"". Classic Rock. Louder Sound.
  31. ^ "Alice in Chains to Enter Studio in October". Blabbermouth.net. September 5, 2008. Archived from the original on September 8, 2008. Retrieved June 11, 2008.
  32. ^ a b c d e f g h "A studio visit with Alice in Chains". Los Angeles Times. April 25, 2009. Retrieved July 4, 2009.
  33. ^ Savoia, Mike. "Alice In Chains Pop-Up Museum at The Crocodile 8.23.18". Savoia Photography.
  34. ^ "Alice In Chains' Jerry Cantrell on Layne Staley, Elton John and new CD". Music Radar. February 10, 2010. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
  35. ^ "Chris Cornell's Daughter Lily Cornell Silver Makes Live Debut". Loudwire. December 2, 2020.
  36. ^ Aswad, Jem (December 3, 2020). "Watch Chris Cornell's Daughter Lily Make Her Debut Public Performance, Covering Alice in Chains". Variety.
  37. ^ "Lily Cornell Silver with Chris DeGarmo - "Black Gives Way To Blue" | MoPOP Founders Award 2020". YouTube. December 4, 2020.
  38. idiomag
    . April 16, 2009. Retrieved April 26, 2009.
  39. ^ Moody, Nekesa Mumbi (August 11, 2009). "Alice in Chains Scores Elton John for Tribute Track". Billboard.
  40. ^ a b Goodman, Dean (July 15, 2009). "Alice in Chains previews new album in Los Angeles". Reuters. Archived from the original on July 18, 2009. Retrieved July 15, 2009.
  41. ^ "Alice in Chains Announces Tour Dates". Blabbermouth.net. June 30, 2009. Archived from the original on July 3, 2009. Retrieved 2009-06-30.
  42. ^ "Interview Alice In Chains - Jerry Cantrell and Sean Kinney (part 6)". YouTube. Archived from the original on December 20, 2021. Retrieved July 15, 2017.
  43. ^ "Alice in Chains ▶ Black Gives Way to Blue". All Access Magazine. November 19, 2009. Archived from the original on November 16, 2016. Retrieved August 5, 2017.
  44. ^ "Interview Alice In Chains - William DuVall and Sean Kinney (part 5)". YouTube. February 3, 2011. Archived from the original on December 20, 2021. Retrieved August 10, 2017.
  45. ^ Slevin, Patrick (September 28, 2009). "Interview with Jerry Cantrell: Alice In Chains, Too Long On The Outside". The Aquarian. Retrieved June 10, 2018.
  46. ^ "Alice In Chains Reveal 'Black Gives Way to Blue' Artwork". Guitar World. August 14, 2009. Retrieved August 5, 2017.
  47. ^ "Alice In Chains – Black Gives Way To Blue". Discogs. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
  48. ^ "Alice In Chains Singer William Duvall Discusses Layne Staley & Black Gives Way To Blue". Alice in Chains Chile. January 28, 2012. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  49. ^ a b Liner notes, Black Gives Way to Blue. Virgin/EMI. 2009.
  50. ^ "Alice in Chains "Black" and "Blue"". YouTube. Billboard. October 21, 2009. Archived from the original on December 20, 2021. Retrieved August 5, 2017.
  51. ^ Hodgson, Peter (January 22, 2010). "NAMM '10 - G&L Guitars Jerry Cantrell US Rampage". I Heart Guitar. Archived from the original on July 2, 2011. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
  52. ^ "Alice In Chains In Concert St. Paul MN March 21st 2010". YouTube. March 22, 2010. Archived from the original on December 20, 2021.
  53. ^ "ALICE IN CHAINS: 'Black Gives Way To Blue' EPK Available". Blabbermouth. September 17, 2009. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  54. ^ "Alice In Chains - EPK Promo". YouTube. September 17, 2009. Archived from the original on December 20, 2021. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  55. ^ "Alice in Chains iPhone App Coming Oct. 27". Guitar World. October 26, 2009. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  56. ^ "Black Gives Way To Blue". Metacritic.
  57. ^ Slevin, Patrick (September 22, 2009). "Alice in Chains: Black Gives Way to Blue". The Aquarian Weekly. Retrieved September 23, 2009.
  58. ^ Rauf, Raziq (September 9, 2009). "Alice in Chains Black Gives Way to Blue Review". BBC. Retrieved September 12, 2009.
  59. ^ "Alice in Chains - Black Gives Way to Blue". Archived from the original on October 3, 2009. Retrieved 2009-09-30.
  60. ^ Hanscomb, Richard (October 2, 2009). "Alice in Chains Black Gives Way to Blue Review". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on October 4, 2009. Retrieved September 12, 2009.
  61. Stuff.co.nz
    . Retrieved September 26, 2009.
  62. ^ October 13, 2009 (p. 44).
  63. ^ October Issue (2009), pp. 100-101.
  64. Rolling Stone
    . Retrieved September 28, 2009.
  65. ^ Kerr, Dave (August 25, 2009). "Alice in Chains: Black Gives Way to Blue". The Skinny. Retrieved September 12, 2009.
  66. ^ "Alice in Chains Signs with Virgin/EMI". Blabbermouth.net. April 25, 2009. Archived from the original on April 27, 2009. Retrieved April 25, 2009.
  67. ^ "ALICE IN CHAINS: New Album Title, Release Date Revealed". Blabbermouth. June 11, 2009.
  68. ^ "Dirt - Alice In Chains". aliceinchains.com.
  69. ^ "Review: Black Gives Way to Blue". Classic Rock. September 2009.
  70. ^ TOI Crest (November 14, 2009). "Hot Picks today". The Times of India. Archived from the original on October 25, 2012.
  71. ^ "ALICE IN CHAINS: New Song Available Via iTunes, Amazon". Blabbermouth. August 6, 2009. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  72. ^ "ALICE IN CHAINS: New Song Available Via iTunes, Amazon". Radio Tangra. June 30, 2009. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  73. ^ "ALICE IN CHAINS Holding Back On Playing New Songs For Now". Blabbermouth. July 17, 2009. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  74. ^ "ALICE IN CHAINS Performs Three New Songs In London; Video Available". Blabbermouth. August 6, 2009. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  75. ^ "Alice in Chains 'A Looking in View' — VIDEO". Noisecreep. July 8, 2009. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  76. ^ "ALICE IN CHAINS: 'A Looking In View' Video Available". Blabbermouth. July 7, 2009. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  77. ^ "ALICE IN CHAINS: 'Check My Brain' Released To Radio; Audio Stream Available". Blabbermouth. August 14, 2009. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  78. ^ "Alice In Chains To Headline 99.5 Kiss Bone Bash In San Antonio". Bravewords. August 17, 2009. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  79. ^ "'Check My Brain' Video to Premiere on Monday". Blabbermouth.net. September 11, 2009. Archived from the original on September 23, 2009. Retrieved 2009-09-13.
  80. ^ a b c d e f g "Alice in Chains - Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved August 5, 2017.
  81. ^ "Chart Beat Wednesday: Alice in Chains, Jason Aldean, Katy Perry". Billboard. August 26, 2009. Retrieved August 26, 2009.
  82. ^ "Top 100 Albums Chart". theofficialcharts.com. October 5, 2009. Archived from the original on November 2, 2008. Retrieved 2009-10-05.
  83. ^ "Alice in Chains to Release 'Your Decision' Single". Blabbermouth.net. October 12, 2009. Archived from the original on October 15, 2009. Retrieved October 16, 2009.
  84. ^ Debut @ Billboard.com. Retrieved 2009-12-15.
  85. ^ "Alice in Chains "Your Decision" Chart History – Alternative Songs". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 6, 2018. Retrieved June 10, 2018.
  86. ^ "Alice In Chains Select New Single". ThePRP.com. May 13, 2010. Retrieved June 16, 2019.
  87. ^ "ALICE IN CHAINS: 'Lesson Learned' Video Released". Blabbermouth. September 22, 2010. Retrieved November 25, 2017.
  88. ^ "Audio & Video Certifications". Archived from the original on October 19, 2010. Retrieved June 10, 2018.
  89. ^ "Metal Hammer Albums Of 2009".
  90. ^ Law, Sam (July 26, 2019). "The 50 Best Albums From 2009". Kerrang.
  91. ^ "Revolver Golden Gods Awards 2010: The Winners | Latest News". Metal Injection. April 9, 2010. Retrieved January 16, 2012.
  92. ^ "Alice in Chains - Chart History - Alternative Songs". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 5, 2013. Retrieved August 5, 2017.
  93. ^ "Alice in Chains - Chart History - Hot Rock Songs". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 5, 2013. Retrieved August 5, 2017.
  94. ^ "Alice in Chains - Chart History - Hot 100". Billboard. Archived from the original on October 9, 2014. Retrieved August 5, 2017.
  95. YouTube
  96. YouTube
  97. YouTube
  98. YouTube
  99. ^ "Acid Bubble". AliceInChains.com. Archived from the original on September 9, 2016. Retrieved July 27, 2016.
  100. YouTube
  101. YouTube
  102. ^ "Alice In Chains - Private Hell (Official Studio Video)". YouTube. September 27, 2019. Archived from the original on December 20, 2021.
  103. ^ "Revolver Golden Gods Awards 2010 - Winners List & Photos". Gigwise.com. April 9, 2010. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  104. ^ a b "Metal Storm Awards 2009". Metal Storm.
  105. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Alice In Chains – Black Gives Way to Blue". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  106. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Alice In Chains – Black Gives Way to Blue" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  107. ^ "Ultratop.be – Alice In Chains – Black Gives Way to Blue" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  108. ^ "Ultratop.be – Alice In Chains – Black Gives Way to Blue" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  109. ^ "Alice In Chains Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  110. ^ "Danishcharts.dk – Alice In Chains – Black Gives Way to Blue". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  111. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Alice In Chains – Black Gives Way to Blue" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  112. Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland
    . Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  113. ^ "Lescharts.com – Alice In Chains – Black Gives Way to Blue". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  114. GfK Entertainment Charts
    . Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  115. ^ "Italiancharts.com – Alice In Chains – Black Gives Way to Blue". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  116. ^ "Mexicancharts.com – Alice In Chains – Black Gives Way to Blue". Hung Medien. Archived from the original on October 14, 2010. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  117. ^ "Charts.nz – Alice In Chains – Black Gives Way to Blue". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  118. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Alice In Chains – Black Gives Way to Blue". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  119. ^ "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  120. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  121. ^ "Spanishcharts.com – Alice In Chains – Black Gives Way to Blue". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  122. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Alice In Chains – Black Gives Way to Blue". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  123. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Alice In Chains – Black Gives Way to Blue". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  124. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  125. ^ "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  126. ^ "Alice In Chains Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  127. ^ "Alice In Chains Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  128. ^ "Alice In Chains Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  129. ^ "Alice In Chains Chart History (Top Hard Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  130. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 2009". Billboard. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  131. ^ "Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2009". Billboard. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  132. ^ "Best of 2010 - Billboard Top 200". Billboard. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  133. ^ "Top Rock Albums – Year-End 2010". Billboard. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  134. ^ "Alice In Chains Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  135. ^ "Alice In Chains Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  136. ^ "Alice In Chains Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  137. ^ "Alice In Chains Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  138. ^ "Alice In Chains Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  139. ^ "Alice In Chains Chart History (Canada Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
  140. ^ Alice in Chains Charts @ Billboard.com. Retrieved 2009-12-15.
  141. ^ "American album certifications – Alice in Chains – Black Gives Way to Blue". Recording Industry Association of America.

External links