10-ALICE IN CHAINS-Black Gives Way To Blue (Virgin)
The hardest sounds kept on enjoying an excellent health. The extraordinary rebirth of metal in all its varieties –from Baroness’ sludge to Isis’ post- was joined by such veterans of the genre as Converge, receiving career best reviews for their latest offering. The Supergroup Them Crooked Vultures comprised of Josh Homme, Dave Grohl and John Paul Jones; plus Alice In Chains’ comeback having found a replacement for their late singer Layne Staley; coped the headlines. Meanwhile, lovers of distortion and noise kept on finding new reasons to explore in the shape of recent works by Pissed Jeans or Health. Last but not least, White Denim revealed themselves with an unpredictable and eclectic shift towards harder ways.