Enmore Theatre, NSW
25th February 2009

Alice In Chains finally returned to Australia, sixteen years after their first visit that ended in disarray with cancelled shows in Perth and in Auckland, New Zealand. In the intervening years enigmatic singer Layne Staley tragically lost his battle with drug addiction (2002), solo and best of albums were released and just a handful of live shows were played with Jerry Cantrell and guests on vocals. Fast forward to 2009 and they have a new album recorded and a new singer in William Duvall who has large steps to follow in after the unique voice of Staley.

The Enmore’s slowly filling theatre was warmed up by the southern christian metal band Maylene and the Sons of Disaster. Theirs was a mix of many metal styles as they dabbled in thrash, hard rock and classic metal, often with a southern flavour. Singer Dallas Taylor prowled the stage with a point to prove, pumping his fist and spitting towards the rafters. He cut a rather non metal figure, at times looking very similar to Tex Perkins. Drummer Matt Clark was often the centre of attention, full bodied, bald headed and bearded he dwarfed his kit as he pounded out the metal rhythms. Their set improved towards the end as the songs got heavier and more clinical but their stage schtick was unconvincing as was the quality of their songs, especially in light of what was to come.

Often when attending gigs there is a vibe and sense of expectation in the air. This show didn’t have that so it was even more of a shock as the lights dimmed and the figures of the band strode onto the stage through the darkness. As soon as the lights went up and the first dense and dark riffs of ‘Again’ blasted out it was clear this was going to be a special night. The crowd embraced Duvall from those opening moments, his voice a dead ringer for Staley’s as he nailed the creepy incantations that rose into the tortured wail of the chorus. He does the songs justice without question and there is no hint of it being a Staley impersonation as Duvall has his own look and stage persona.

The fans couldn’t have wished for a better setlist as the screams of recognition grew louder and louder with each song. Their 1992 classic album Dirt delivered the biggest highlights with ‘Them Bones’, ‘Dam That River’, ‘Rain When I Die’, ‘Junkhead’, ‘Dirt’, ‘Angry Chair’ and ‘Down In A Hole’ all featuring. The claustrophobia of Cantrell’s guitar and the darkness of Staley’s lyrics are the essence of the Alice In Chains sound and live they provide a drama and intensity that is often overwhelming. On a song like ‘Angry Chair’ the twisted and pained verse ascended into a glorious chorus that was one of many singalong moments for the audience. ‘No Excuses’ demonstrated how they can coax a gentle weaving melody and reminded us that they were never a band that needed to play fast songs to convey intensity or anger.

Early in their set the band ventured back to their debut album for their breakthrough single ‘Man In The Box’ and toward the end they brought things full circle back to the Facelift album with the chugging metal of ‘We Die Young’. On that song’s searing pure metal solo Cantrell stood front of stage and the floor area of the Enmore was a sea of arms and glowing mobile phones reaching out toward him. Cantrell is the heart and soul of the band and live that was highlighted by his his precise and economical guitar work and the amount of singing he did. His harmonies with Duvall filled out the songs beautifully and gave them a texture and nuance that many fans may have taken for granted on their albums.

It was great to see the band enjoying the show and perhaps now they are able to relax and play without the peripheral pressures of addiction affecting their moods. They seemed genuinely blown away by the audience response and it has been a long time since an Enmore crowd has so rapturously embraced a band. By the end of the night the top levels of the balcony were all standing, screaming along to the encore, a perfect encore of ‘Would’ and ‘Rooster’. The latter used the impressive projected images, that accompanied the band all night, to make comment on today’s issues of war, energy use and financial greed.

Drum sticks and picks were thrown to the sweating masses as Duvall proclaimed that when they return to Australia it will be with a new album of AIC songs. As the audience stumbled out into the foyer and spilt onto the street there was still a delirious feeling in the air from a show that was almost perfect in every way and most surprisingly of all, without a hint of nostalgia.