Tracklist front / back album covers
1. "All Secrets Known" 4:42
2. "Check My Brain" 3:57
3. "Last of My Kind" 5:52
4. "Your Decision" 4:43
5. "A Looking in View" 7:06
6. "When the Sun Rose Again" 4:00
7. "Acid Bubble" 6:55
8. "Lesson Learned" 4:16
9. "Take Her Out" 4:00
10. "Private Hell" 5:38
11. "Black Gives Way to Blue" 3:03
Total length: 54:12
iTunes bonus tracks
12. "Black Gives Way to Blue" (Piano Mix) 3:01
13. "Your Decision" (Live) 4:48
Total length: 62:01
Japanese bonus
12. "Down in a Hole" (Live at the Ricardo Montalbán Theatre, 7 July 2009) 6:46
Total length: 60:56
Alice in Chains Band Members / Musicians
Jerry Cantrell – lead and backing vocals, lead guitar
William DuVall – backing vocals, rhythm guitar, lead vocals in "Last of My Kind"
Mike Inez – bass, backing vocals
Sean Kinney – drums, percussion
Elton John – piano on "Black Gives Way to Blue"
Lisa Coleman – vibraphone on "Black Gives Way to Blue"
Chris Armstrong – tabla on "When the Sun Rose Again"
Stevie Black – string arrangement, performance, and engineering on "Your Decision" and "Private Hell"
Produced by Nick Raskulinecz and Alice in Chains
Recorded by Paul Figueroa with additional engineering by Nick Raskulinecz, assisted by John Lousteau, Martin Cooke, and Kevin Mills
Mixed by Randy Staub
Mastered by Ted Jensen
Art direction by Alice in Chains & Matt Taylor
Artwork and design by Matt Taylor
Band photography by James Minchin III
Package interior photography by Rocky Schenck
Illustrations pages 7 & 11 by Emmanuel Polanco
Management by Velvet Hammer Music and Management Group and Susan Silver Management
Black Gives Way to Blue is the 4th studio album by American rock band Alice in Chains, released on September 29, 2009—coinciding with the 17th anniversary of their landmark album Dirt. Marking a significant turning point for the band, this is their first album without original lead singer Layne Staley, who tragically passed away in 2002. Vocal duties are shared between new frontman William DuVall and longtime guitarist Jerry Cantrell, who leads most tracks with his distinct voice.
The album’s title track, a heartfelt tribute to Staley, features a memorable piano performance by Elton John, highlighting the band's emotional connection to their late bandmate. Black Gives Way to Blue also represents a new chapter for Alice in Chains as their first release on Virgin Records, ending their long partnership with Columbia Records.
Upon release, the album debuted impressively at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 chart and achieved Gold certification by the RIAA within eight months, with over 500,000 copies shipped in the U.S. and more than one million sold worldwide. The album’s first digital track, "A Looking in View," gained early popularity and reached No. 12 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Tracks despite not being an official radio single.
The singles "Check My Brain" and "Your Decision" topped the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, while "Lesson Learned" also performed strongly, reaching No. 4. "Check My Brain" further became Alice in Chains’ breakthrough on several charts, hitting No. 1 on the Alternative Songs and Hot Rock Songs charts, and even reaching No. 92 on the Billboard Hot 100—an unprecedented achievement for the band.
Both "Check My Brain" and "A Looking in View" earned Grammy nominations for Best Hard Rock Performance in 2010 and 2011, respectively. The album’s critical acclaim was further cemented when it won Revolver magazine’s Golden Gods Award for Album of the Year in 2010, affirming Alice in Chains’ successful comeback and lasting influence in the rock and metal scene.
