News: Alice In Chains Announce 15th Anniversary Reissue Of ‘Black Gives Way To Blue’

Craft Recordings celebrates the 15th anniversary of Alice In Chains‘ seminal 2009 album, Black Gives Way to Blue, with a special vinyl reissue. The LP, out-of-print since its original release and a long-sought treasure for hard rock devotees, will arrive on September 27th and is available for pre-order today. In addition to the wide 2-LP release, fans can also pick up the album on three limited edition color pressings: “Black Widow” (available exclusively through the Alice In Chains store), “Black Smoke” (via the Craft Recordings store), and “Electric Smoke” (available at Revolver).

Black Gives Way to Blue is Alice In Chains’ fourth studio album, first released on September 29th, 2009. The project marks a significant moment in the band’s history, being their first record to feature William DuVall sharing vocal and guitar duties with founding member Jerry Cantrell, alongside bassist Mike Inez and drummer/founding member Sean Kinney.

Upon release, Black Gives Way to Blue was an instant smash hit, debuting at No.5 on the Billboard 200 and achieving Gold certification from the RIAA by May 2010. It includes singles “Your Decision,” “Lesson Learned,” “Check My Brain,” and “A Looking in View,” plus the poignant title track “Black Gives Way to Blue,” which features a guest performance from Elton John on piano. This song, a heartfelt tribute to late frontman Layne Staley, captures the band’s process in coming to terms with their loss while finding a path forward. Both “A Looking in View” and “Check My Brain” were GRAMMY Award nominated for Best Hard Rock Performance in 2010 and 2011, respectively. Additionally, Black Gives Way to Blue won Revolver‘s Golden Gods Award for Album of the Year in 2010.

Consequence praised Black Gives Way To Blue as “11 songs that will remind listeners of why Alice was and is so vital to the hard rock scene,” while Blabbermouth described the album as achieving “a newfound level of clarity and humanity that only comes from putting everything [in] the past where it belongs; this could mark the beginning of a new era of stellar music from the band that broke through the grunge barrier and redefined modern rock.”

Despite the near unanimous acclaim, the band felt apprehension in pursuing new music after the tragic death of founding frontman Layne Staley. In a 2009 interview with Billboard, the band discussed the delicate balance between honouring their beloved band member and continuing to evolve the group’s sound in new directions. “It took a lot to get through this process and to even take the chance and stand up and risk,” Jerry Cantrell said.

DuVall added: “I think initially people came [with] arms crossed, sort of hoping against hope. I hear that a lot. I’m not trying to do a Layne. One of the things I loved about him was how individual he was. He was just being himself, so that’s what I do.”

Cantrell also reflected on that era in a 2024 interview with Metal Hammer, sharing details about the recording process, which took place at Studio 606 in LA, owned by the band’s friend Dave Grohl. Cantrell explained that the new chapter of Alice In Chains was a pure artistic pursuit of creating excellent music: “There was no master plan, despite what people think,” he continues. “This felt right, so we did the next thing, and then the next thing… It’s more than just making music and it always has been. We’ve been friends a long time. We’re not doing this to please anybody. It had to be OK from here,” he says, pointing to his chest.

Now, 15 years on, the band still feels deeply connected to Black Gives Way to Blue, which signalled a significant turning point in their legendary career. All these years later, the album remains an important touchstone for the group and their millions of devoted fans. Blending heavy grunge with pummeling, unrelenting hard rock, the album was both a tribute to Staley’s impact on the band and a map for moving forward.

Check out the video for the track Check My Brain, below: