Show Review + Photos + Setlist: Alice in Chains and Creature with the Atom Brain at the Pageant, Monday, February 22

Alice in Chains has done the unthinkable. The Seattle band lost its original lead singer, Layne Staley, to a drug overdose in 2002, regrouped with a new vocalist, William DuVall, recorded a new album, Black Gives Way to Blue -- and hasn't tarnished its legacy. That was clear at a smoke-hazed Pageant last night, when the band powered through a strong, engaging 100-minute-plus set.

Photo: Todd Owyoung

Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains last night at the Pageant. See a full slideshow from last night here.

The sold-out crowd cheered in anticipation as a replica of a beating human heart - the same figure shown on Blue's album cover - was projected onto a translucent curtain, before fading away in favor of silhouettes of the band. As the curtain fell, AIC launched into "All Secrets Known," Blue's lead-off track. Vocalist/guitarist Jerry Cantrell -- who resembled a member of Nelson thanks to long, platinum-blonde hair -- stood center stage, flanked by wild-haired bassist Mike Inez and DuVall. But Cantrell's voodoo vocal drone meshed perfectly with the new singer's harmonies, their voices a perfect complement to the sludgy, prog-lite tune.

Cantrell's presence has much to do with AIC's longevity - after all, his ominous vocal tones and guitar solos are integral to the band. He displayed these talents early and often, first unleashing a wicked solo on "It Ain't Like That" and then immediately tearing off the granite riffs of "Again." A monstrous, gnarled version of the rock hit "Check My Brain" followed; it's yet another song to feature the snake-charmer-hypnosis harmonies from Cantrell and DuVall.

Photo: Todd Owyoung

The sold-out Pageant last night. See a full slideshow from last night here.

Yet the rhythm section of Inez and drummer Sean Kinney deserves just as much kudos. Neither flashy nor overstated, the pair is just steady - capable of handling AIC's tempo shifts and nuanced stylistic morphs with ease. Exhibit A: The insane, one-two face-punch of Dirt's lightning strike "Them Bones" and grungy trudge "Dam That River," which satisfied both the headbangers and dudes throwing touchdown arms.

Photo: Todd Owyoung

New Alice in Chains singer William DuVall. See a full slideshow from last night's concert here.

Besides bringing energy and charisma to the stage, DuVall adds a blues-soul vocal edge to the band's songs. This both elevates ("Rain When I Die") and reinforces ("Your Decision") AIC's psychedelic or funk-rock tendencies. (And he even hit the screaming high notes on the sludgy testosterone surge "Man in the Box" and on a ferocious take of the guttural "Would?") But DuVall is more than just a replacement singer: His bluesy guitar on "Got Me Wrong" added a nice Santana-like edge to the tune.