Chris Cornell has had a rather storied and successful career. He broke out during the "grunge" alternative rock era with the band Soundgarden. He had a side project entitled Temple of the Dog, which captured the true heart and soul of that era. He embarked on a solo career after Soundgarden broke up in 1997, and then returned to the band scene with Audioslave in 2001 launching yet another string of successful albums. After parting ways with the Rage Against The Machine clan that primarily made up Audioslave in 2007, Cornell carried on with his solo career and in 2008 released an appropriately titled album Carry On; it was a fine return to his solo work after his first brilliant solo outing Euphoria Morning in 1999. Then in 2009, he released Scream. To say the least it was a dramatic departure from his twenty plus year career as a rock icon. From the outset, take a look at his newest album cover pictured above where he smashes the guitar...that should tell you what's going on here. He is making the transition from Rock God to Pop Sensation.

     For many hardcore fans, Scream may be a disappointment. Though, I consider myself a hardcore fan of his and I have always been marveled by his range as an artist. He can grind the heaviest rock better than anyone as he did in his early years of Soundgarden and throughout his tenure in Audioslave, or sing the sweetest and soulful of ballads in his solo work. He has incredible vocal range as well as songwriting range too, just take a listen at the song "Say Hello 2 Heaven" on Temple of the Dog. Anyway, back to Scream, it will certainly shock you from the very first track entitled "Part of Me." I remember when I first popped this CD into my stereo and I remember saying out loud, "Wow!" It was a surprised "wow" rather than an impressed exclaim. However, I was won over very quickly because this is Chris Cornell doing essentially what he has always done - he has always tried to do different things in the music world. He has always consistently reinvented his sound with each passing album in one particular way or another. It is an impressive feat for any artist, and Cornell has done it with such success.

     The album itself is actually quite good. In collaboration with famed pop producer extraordinaire Timbaland, Cornell has created a truly solid pop outing. It has plenty of synthesizers, and those very sonic sounds of any modern pop album. Many of the tracks have the artificial drum machine, but some like "Climbing Up The Walls" have the real deal. It is a very interesting blend of Cornell's rock prowess and Timbaland's influence and mastery of pop.

     Perhaps one of the best elements of this album is that Cornell took influence from the 1960s era in that at the end of each song, it immediately carries into the next track. The entire album, and each of the thirteen tracks, link with one another seamlessly and it is a pleasure to the ears. The transitions at the ends of each song is really a treat, and some of the best transitions come at the end of "Take Me Alive" leading into the single "Long Gone." The other awesome transition from is "Other Side of Town" into "Climbing Up The Walls." It really encourages the listener to actually sit down and enjoy the album as a whole without skipping around, or at least listening to several tracks in sequence. I would hope Cornell continues with this concept in the future and that other artists might catch on to this classic idea. And speaking of tracks, perhaps the best one is "Enemy." It is instantly a Cornell classic and one that embodies all of the facets of this album.

     It is definitely a fine addition to Cornell's already incredible resume as he pens yet another strong album. I was a little skeptical at first, but I welcomed and trusted his instincts and I felt rewarded for doing so as I was treated to a very good finished product. I highly recommend it to those naysayer's out there who think Cornell doesn't have the pop-chops, but he does. Sure, he is better as a bonafide rock singer as he has always been, but he has made the transition to pop very smoothly. Will he continue to be a pop sensation? Well, if the hidden track at the very end of the album called "Two Drink Minimum" is any indication, he'll be returning to his best form soon enough.

     For now, enjoy his newest foray in the music world, and let's hope he continues to make great music.

"Enemy"

"Long Gone"

"Climbing Up The Walls"

"Scream"

"Two Drink Minimum" (Hidden track)

"Time"

"Never Far Away"

-Kurt L.

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      They come back well after their hey-day, but, they return in form, and with a new sense of purpose. In many ways, it also seems that they never left at all. That they are picking up right where they left off, except of course, without the aid of their most popular member, lead singer Layne Staley, who unfortunately died too young of a heroin addiction back in 2002. An addiction that sadly closed the door on the bands future, and punctuated the fact that Alice In Chains would never see the light of day ever again.

     However, that had changed when Alice In Chains, reunited, and decided after all this time, they would be a band again. Jerry Cantrell, one of the main brains behind the band, who had a fairly successful solo career in AIC's absence, decides to give it a go once again with his flagship band of the 90s. They even found themselves a new lead singer; a feat that not many bands can pull off with much success, with the exception of Van Halen when Sammy Hagar replaced David Lee Roth. AIC found William DuVall, and they all teamed up again to record a new album.

      BLACK GIVES WAY TO BLUE says a lot about Alice In Chains as they are today. It is a fine album, one that conveys and encompasses many different elements of the band. From the outset, the album starts with a nice opening track that broods in with some heavy guitars and the harmonizing vocals of leader Jerry Cantrell and new lead singer William DuVall. The two actually sing together exceptionally well, and frankly, the strengths of this album are from their vocal performances.

     It isn't until the third track, "Last Of My Kind" where William DuVall gets some solo singing time. And because of that, I couldn't help but think that Cantrell was perhaps a little afraid to let go and just simply let DuVall sing by himself. He is indeed talented, but, there isn't enough of DuVall by himself on this album. However, as I had said earlier, the two sing BETTER together. Speaking of vocals, Jerry Cantrell himself just continues to improve as a distinguished singer. To be perfectly blunt, I suggest that Cantrell is actually a better singer than DuVall.

     Some other elements that ring deep and true about this record is that it echoes and references Layne Staley, the band's late lead singer, often. I was hoping for that, and thankfully, it came through strong. What is most startling perhaps, is that, speaking of Staley, the duo of Cantrell and DuVall sound so much like the late singer it is eerie. It is mesmerizing to hear because it is so profound. In fact, one of the album's finest tracks, "When The Rose Sun Again" sounds as if all three, Cantrell, DuVall, AND Staley, are singing together. Like I said, VERY eerie. Overall, the musicality of the album is quite strong. Cantrell, who in the past didn't think of himself as a great guitarist (though he always was), is in fantastic form here and has some blistering guitar solos like that in the opening track "All Secrets Known." Not to mention some nice licks in "Take Her Out" and "Private Hell." The rythym section is always a strong point, as I have personally always been a big fan of drummer Sean Kinney. The ryhtyms are not quite as unique as they were on past albums such as JAR OF FLIES, but, still very good indeed.

     Perhaps the most memorable song on this album is the final track. It is the title song, and it is Jerry Cantrell's ode to his late departed friend. It is a touching tribute, and also quite brief as it clocks in at under three minutes. Perhaps it is meant to be so short, as to infer that Layne Staley's life was cut too short. In any case, it is beautiful, and for that reason alone, the album is worth getting. It also features Elton John on piano, which is another interesting, and emotional touch. I would only hope that because of Elton's appearance on the title track, it would bring extra attention to the album.

     BLACK GIVES WAY TO BLUE is not perfect, but, it is indeed a long awaited comeback that many thought would never come due to Staley's untimely death. And it just isn't merely a comeback, it is a statement that Alice In Chains have returned to the musical scene with a mission; determined to provide the world with some new ambitious music. I surely recommend this album to any fan of the band. Fans will always miss Staley, and while DuVall doesn't replace him, the band itself knows it shall never forget his memory. As Cantrell sings, "lay down, I'll remember you."

TRACK HIGHLIGHTS:
"Black Gives Way To Blue"

"When The Sun Rose Again"

"Your Decision"

"Check My Brain"

"Private Hell"

"Take Her Out"

-Kurt L.

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GUEST CRITIC REVIEW:

     It has been a long and winding road for Marilyn Manson, once one of the most popular and shocking music acts ever to grace us. Known for some of the best industrial metal songs such as "The Beautiful People" and "The Fight Song" to name a few, has taken a step back! Maybe dare I say… a step up? The new Manson album "The High End of Low" is an ode to his past but with a certain maturity that has not been seen on albums prior to "Eat Me, Drink Me". The truth is, Manson has never been this lyrically impressive. For someone who is usually yelling obscenities and singing about drugs, G-d, and bashing of government it's nice to finally see he has something else in mind for us; love and heartbreak.

    Much of his last album "Eat Me, Drink Me" was about his rough divorce from his wife Dita Von Teese and elements of this are brought back in "The High End of Low". "Eat Me, Drink Me" was not viewed as his best work, nor did many fans buy into it. However, I thought it was one of his best albums because for the first time Manson seemed...human! He picks up the same love, lust, and depression that goes with break ups in "The High End of Low." but also adds in all the Manson quirks of the past.

    The album begins with one of his best "Devour" which is one of the many love songs on the album; about being obsessively in love with someone but the person on the other end is not emotionally as attached as Manson is to her. The lyrics and music to the song could not be perfect and cannot see why anyone couldn’t relate to this song. "Running to the Edge of the World" is my favorite song on the entire album and is one of the most powerful songs Manson has ever recorded. This song proved to me just how mature the man has become and is a shame most people will probably not hear it due to a lack of interest and popularity the band has lost. This song has many meanings depending on how you interpret it that have to do with being lost in what might be a never ending losing battle. However, with all of Manson's maturity and style come some of the more childish and unnecessary songs.

    First on this list would be "Pretty as a Swastika". Although he is trying to say that this woman he is singing about is a cruel and miserable person, clearly he is using swastika to both be over the top and of course shock people. To be perfectly honest it doesn’t shock me because it is too obvious what Manson is trying to do. The song is not bad, in fact, I can’t think of a song on this entire album that sounded musically bad, only the lyrics to a few songs are old hat and too repetitive to his career. So in the long run, yes I get it Manson the person you are referring to is an awful bitch, but I would have to say she is probably not nearly as bad as a Nazi. The other two songs that are pretty much nonsense are "Arma-godd-damn-motherfuckin-geddon" and "We're From America".

  The “Arma-godd-damn-motherfuckin-geddon" can be described as let me just say, any curse my mind can think of for the next three minutes and thirty nine seconds. It’s just too much however, the style of the song is amazing and sounds like Manson back in the early 90's. It also has one of the best bass riffs I have heard in a while. "We're From America" is really just a typical America bash song that doesn't have any other purpose. This is a very popular genre in its own; one I disagree with completely. What I disagree most about it is that artists such as Manson and others who like to have an America bashing song are really just doing it to make money because they think adolescent teens are into this. The truth is most of them are not. Besides, America can't be so bad if you’re making insane amounts of money selling these America bash songs, right?

    Overall this is a very good album. Sure Manson has lost popularity in the last few years. Manson’s last album and this one were the least sold of any of his albums which is a shame because they have some of his best work. If you are a Manson fan, this album is right up your alley. If you are looking for something new look no further because this is your album. I hope this album gets heard because it is one of the best albums to come out this year (not that there was much competition). One final thought; many people would tell you they believe Manson's career to be on its way out, personally I do not see that happening. Many artists fall in the rankings after a long and successful career. To name a few Metallica, Iron Maiden, U2, Jay-Z, Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg, etc. All of them have at one point come back and put out very successful albums. So do I think Marilyn Manson will be back on the charts again? It is safe to say......YES!