COMPARE: AinC’s new singer performs “No Excuses” in the video (above) with the original version of the song (after the jump).
Former alt-rock posterboys Alice in Chains will reportedly be releasing a new album in September. Even with grunge buried, the band’s popularity endures among many rock fans thanks to hits such as “Man in the Box,” “Would,” “Angry Chair” and “No Excuses.”
However, there is one slight problem with a new Alice in Chains CD: lead singer Layne Staley has been dead since 2002, when he died of an apparent heroin overdose.
Rather than dusting off an Ouija board and calling up Layne to find out if he’s jamming with Kurt Cobain in the afterlife, Alice in Chains has enlisted a singer named William DuVall to fill Layne’s Doc Martens.
Um, who?
In AinC’s defense, hiring an unknown singer was probably a better idea than luring someone old and familiar like Scott Weiland into the fold. With the band since 2005, William DuVall previously performed with the rock band Comes with the Fall and co-wrote the 1994 hit “I Know” by Dionne Farris, former star of Arrested Development (the band, not the TV show). It doesn’t really rock.
We’re not sure if the new album will be heavy material, or the relatively soft, cuddly acoustic stuff that filled albums like Jar of Flies, but the band’s website features a photo of guitarist Jerry Cantrell hugging a koala in Australia.
Rock’n'roll, we guess.
The band’s 1994 hit “No Excuses” is currently included in Guitar Hero’s Metallica edition, for some reason. AinC’s last album of all-new material was released in 1995.
Check back for the latest tour dates and album updates.
If you’ve seen Alice in Chains perform live with DuVall, we’d love to hear about it!
More details and new band photos @ http://www.aliceinchains.com/blog.html
Chains Fan says...
05.22.09 11:54 am
I saw DuVall live with Alice in Chains when they opened up for Velvet Revolver in Vancouver a little while back. In one word, it was amazing! I’ve been a huge AiC fan for years, and was a little skeptical about this new singer. All doubts were put aside about 30 seconds into the first song. The band was amazing, Duvall was amazing, and the crowd just ate it up! Part way through there set, Jerry introduced DuVall to the crowd, and all 20k there gave him a huge ovation. By the end of the night, nobody remembered Velvet Revolver, all talk for months afterwards was the amazing show that Alice In Chains put on. I for one am excited about the band putting out music again. I will miss Layne, but DuVall will do just fine in my opinion.
Karen added...
Cool! Glad to hear from someone who has actually seen this guy live
AiC is definitely better than VU, in my opinion…
05.27.09 3:03 am
Layne forever says...
06.6.09 5:40 am
I saw Duvall with Alice in sydney .i must say he was not as bad as i imagined he would be but no where near the passion of Layne all the effects in the world cant re-create his amazing voice and delivery but all that said im very glad to see them touring and making more music but i feel they could have found someone a little more suited to the part (not a Layne clone) but someone more passionate and that had the X factor they deserve
my favorite band ever is Alice in Chains so ill buy the new cd just to show respect for remaining members and as for Jerry he is the most amazing guitarist ive ever heard .
Karen added...
“not as bad as i imagined he would be” I think that’s the nicest thing people say about this guy.
I’m sure he’s a fine singer, but there’s just no replacing Layne. Maybe they should’ve let the band die, and start a new project?
06.8.09 10:08 am
Carin says...
06.30.09 11:35 am
I saw AIC in May 2009 in Columbus, OH at Rock on the Range….and they we’re awesome. This video you have does not do Wm. DuVall justice. They really sounded great and I thought he did a great job recreating the sound of Layne.
Tedd Hawthorne says...
07.3.09 11:59 pm
Well I am a huge A.I.C. fan ever since face lift first came out.After hearing the new song, I am bothered by the way Duvall sounds exactly like Layne and the lyrics are signature of ‘Layne’s’ writing and that just has too much intent to me.But maybe they feel that’s what the fan’s want,I’m glad their jamming again I just feel a bit irritated on this single released personally I hope the other songs don’t have the vocals tweaked to Layne’s voice as much ,Duvall is a great singer hopefully it will come out more in the rest of the C.D. [anyone thinks I'm wrong I say this listen to A.I.C. rain when I die than right afterwards listen to the new single and tell me I'm crazy] well that’s my 2 cents…
Karen added...
It has to be a tough situation for the band, because they need a singer who can sing Layne’s old songs, and have a voice/style of his own.
Maybe it’s just not possible?
Plus, the new stuff probably sounds like the old stuff if Jerry Cantrell is still writing/co-writing everything.
07.6.09 7:37 am
dj added...
man if u were a true fan u would no that a lot of there song were written by cantrell so yea the lyrics are similar i seen them sept. 13 at xfest 2k9 and the were f—– amazing
09.16.09 11:59 pm
J.J. ackermen says...
07.7.09 5:47 pm
I totally agree,Duvall sounds to much like Layne,at first I thought it was some archived A.I.C. being released, also at first I did think it was ‘rain when I die’that’s crazy man you hit it dead on,I wonder what they were thinking in the studio while recording it.I will still go see them and buy their cd as soon as it hits the shelf.Long Live Rock ! I know one thing nobody I know listens and hears what I hear listening to Alice but dude your absolutely on the same page with me ,I’ve read a ton of reviews on Alice and you took the words out of mind crazy. somebody hire this ‘Tedd’ dude to review music I bet his insight is better than most of these so-called critic’s in these sh^t rock mags. no offense to Karen at all she is right on she rocks you can tell she has an OPEN mind !!! Long Live Alice and Co.!!!!!!!!!
Carin says...
07.8.09 9:08 am
AIC tickets on sale Friday for House of Blues - Cleveland. Show is in September just before the CD comes out and I’m looking forward to seeing them again - then I’ll make my final opinion of the “new” AIC.
Sharon says...
08.16.09 5:27 pm
Who is Karen? Why is she responding back to everyone?