The second album since the band reformed after Layne Staley's death. (Wow. Ten years really flies.) And quick backstory- I was never one to say that a band needs to pack it in when a singer leaves/dies. True, the AC/DC success stories of the world are few and far between, but AIC had a uniqueness in that Jerry Cantrell really did write most of not only the music, but also the lyrics. It is also true that Layne’s voice was very unique itself and contributed a large part of the band’s sound. But what their first post-death album proved is that you can get a guy to sound enough like Layne, maintain a style, and it can turn out to be pretty decent.
The problem with “…Dinosaurs…” is a sophomore slump. And it probably would have existed with Layne, too. Musically, Jerry seems to be second guessing what he wants to do vs. what he’s expected to do. Or maybe he’s just tired of the genre. But he’s written some tunes that follow form without feeling new. A fresh batch should feel like a fresh batch. Drop-D grunge tunes that never stray from verse-chorus-verse-chorus-solo-chorus-out. Lyrics about being vaguely repressed and depressed. A song called “Scalpel” should be sharp and specifically grating. Instead, we get some reflective road tune about “frozen, dreaming of yesterday”.
And you can’t blame the new “singer’ at all. William gets one writing credit here, and his vocals are never out any farther than Jerry’s. I remember the last album having a more defined role for him, but nonetheless, that’s what we have this time.
There are some exceptions, of course. "Stone" is a huge standout. A bass dirge that is the most Sabbath-y the Chains have ever been. "Phantom Limb" also brings on the sludgy metal. More than just "grunge"- these two tracks prove that the band can hash without so much rehashing. A great platform to build from, even if they didn't reach a goal this time. Before becoming the dinosaurs left behind. (2.5 of 5 stars)
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