The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here
Stone earns its name before the singing begins. The low riff has a blunt physical presence, while the vocal melody seems to lean against it rather than ride comfortably above. The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here often works through that same friction between heavy instruments and surprisingly inviting tunes.
Alice in Chains' 2013 album sounds settled in its own skin. Jerry Cantrell and William DuVall combine so closely that the vocal parts can feel like another guitar layer, adding tension without demanding attention for themselves. Hollow establishes the scale with a patient riff and a chorus that opens the arrangement out. Pretty Done stays closer to the grind, making Stone's more definite hook especially welcome.
Voices provides a needed change in texture. The acoustic guitar gives the singing room, and the tune remains easy to follow without becoming emotionally simple. Scalpel is another strong example of the band's melodic side. Its lighter touch makes the surrounding heavy songs seem more purposeful, because the record has somewhere else to go.
The title track is one of the more interesting extended pieces. Its uneasy guitar movement supports a criticism of religious certainty, and the arrangement grows more forceful rather than simply repeating its opening mood. Phantom Limb places DuVall more clearly at the front and adds a sharper attack. There is plenty of character in these individual performances.
The sequencing does not always serve them equally well. Several songs spend a long time at a similar weight and pace, so the distinctions can become less clear across a full play. Breath On A Window helps by finding extra momentum, and Choke makes a measured closing statement, but the record could use another change as decisive as Voices.
Even so, the album offers more than reliable heaviness. The best melodies push against the guitars, and the arrangements reward attention to their smaller turns. It is an assured Alice in Chains record whose strongest songs make a persuasive case for this version of the band.
