In music, there are certain artists/bands that are defined by their lead performer. When that person dies, more often than not, the band dies with them. Nirvana is an oft used example as the aftermath of such tragedy.
However, there seems to be a growing trend of bringing back bands that had been presumed dead with their singers. Two recent examples include Sublime & Alice in Chains.
I wish to discuss the latter. Like Nirvana, AIC was a staple of the early 90's grunge music that remains iconic to this day. From a business standpoint, I can get using the AIC name to come back into the industry. Easier than starting from scratch.
What I cannot fathom however is how they chose to do nothing new vocally. They have taken two of their members and made themselves sound as close as possible to deceased singer Layne Staley. Hell even Drowning Pool which lost their first singer to heart problems didn't do that. They knew their friend was irreplaceable.
Lane Stanley was not a perfect person. He had a well known history with drugs that delayed the band from making new material. He even predicted his own death from his addictions. He was eventually killed by a speed ball overdose in 2002. But there could be no denial of the man's talent. His real life pain seemed to seep through the words he sang. You can tell this in hindsight but the proof is in the pudding. When he wails in "I Stay Away" for example, you can actually feel the man's loneliness. How lost he feels. That kind of emotion cannot be duplicated.
It would be like someone trying to start Nirvana again. There would be riots in the streets. So AIC, try something new on the next album. Let a dead man lie and be at peace. Stop pissing on the grave of the man you called your friend.
Until next time, fly high and fly well.
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To tell you the truth I have mixed feelings regarding this post. I generally agree with the idea that after a frontman of a band dies the band usually dissipates, and rightly so. (Exception of the century - AC/DC.) But after listening to AIC's new material on their album Black Gives Way to Blue, I actually kind of like it. Perhaps its nostalgia or my general hatred of most of the crap that passes for music these days. Either case I kind of like it. It also seems to have sold well and garnered generally positive reviews. But, I will concede that it's probably not a good idea to go on forever sounding EXACTLY like 90's era AIC. Eventually they should branch out kind of like Pearl Jam.
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