Metal Underground.com

"Black Gives Way To Blue" was the Alice In Chains equivalent of AC/DC's "Back In Black," in that it found the band rebounding from the death of its frontman with an album that both respected what came before and charted a new direction. Little wonder then that the follow-up to that 2009 masterpiece, "The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here" seems to be the equivalent of "For Those About To Rock ..." in that it finds the band replicating much of the sound and style of the previous groundbreaking album, but to an ever so slightly lesser effect.

As with "Black Gives Way To Blue," this album finds singer-guitarist Jerry Cantrell as the main creative force. He at least shares songwriting credit on all 12 tracks — with seven of them written solely by Cantrell. Just like "Black Gives Way To Blue," he's the primary lead vocalist, delivering performances that are more than adequate on tracks like "Breath On A Window" and the "Jar Of Flies"-like "Scalpel."

Cantrell and fellow singer William DuVall mesh very well on tracks like "Hollow," "Stone" and the fundamentalist Christianity-mocking "The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here." DuVall's presence is felt a little more strongly on this album, with "Phantom Limb" and "Hung On A Hook" giving him more of a place in the spotlight than he had on the previous album.

Instrumentally speaking, there are plenty of crushing riffs to be had here, with the opening track (and first single) "Hollow" feeling reminiscent of "Grind" from the band's self-titled 1995 album. Those looking for a classic metal sound will enjoy the '70s-style stomp of "Phantom Limb." Listeners who appreciate the sounds of "Sap" and "Jar Of Flies" will find it on the likes of "Voices," "Low Ceiling" and the closing track, "Choke."

All that said, there are a few quibbles to be had. The sequencing on this one is a little weird in places — most especially at the beginning, with "Hollow" followed by the much too similar "Pretty Done." Also, it'd be nice to give DuVall more to do. Yes, he's more pronounced here than he was on the last album, but his solo showcases are feeling more and more like afterthoughts, which is a shame, because he's quite a singer in his own right.

"The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here" largely replicates the formula that the 21st century incarnation of Alice In Chains laid down on 2009's masterpiece "Black Gives Way To Blue." Is "Devil" as good as "Black?" No, but it's still a pretty impressive album in its own right.