Introducing: William DuVall

New singer for Alice in Chains has an interesting history of his own

January 19, 2009, 12:19 AM

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There is no scientific formula or mathematical calculation that can predict the correct combination of talent to make a legendary band and there is no way to pin down exactly where and when a musical movement will take place. Alice in Chains were a phenomena unto themselves, but also a major participant in the perfect storm that would come to be known as the Seattle Grunge Movement of the 1990's. Jerry Cantrell and Layne Staley joining forces to form Alice in Chains in the first place seems improbable. Their brand of brooding melodic rock influencing an entire generation seems even less likely. When Layne Staley died of an overdose in 2002, the band carrying on seemed impossible.

Like I said, there is just no way to predict what will happen, and I'm sure when Jerry Cantrell walked into that Los Angeles club in 2000 to check out an unknown band named Comes With the Fall, he didn't know he was looking at his future bandmate. As the stars align once again and Alice In Chains prepare to release their first new album in more than a decade, let's stop and take a closer look at their new vocalist, William DuVall.

William DuVall got started in music at an early age. While most of the country was flashdancing to lighthearted synth pop, a then 16 year old DuVall was setting Atlanta on fire with his politically charged punk band, Neon Christ. Blending genres that didn't even really exist yet, Neon Christ garnered a lot of underground attention for their unique style of melodic hardcore mixed with thrash. The band blazed trails up and down the East Coast, sharing a stage with bands like Corrosion of Conformity, BL'AST!, The Dead Kennedys and many more. William DuVall used the band's popularity through the early 80s to raise awareness about important causes, notably the effort to free Fela Anikulapo Kuti, the Afrobeat pioneer and Nigerian civil rights activist, as well as political prisoner Nelson Mandella.

Taking a break from touring to head off to college and earn a degree in Philosophy, William DuVall began trying his hand at songwriting for others. He penned 2 songs for his friends in BL'AST!, being credited as 'Dr. Twang' on their second album. He then co-wrote the hit song “I Know” for Dionne Farris, earing an ASCAP award in 1994. Anxious to get back on the road and perform his own music, DuVall formed the band Madfly. The funk-rock group was around for 2 years and released 2 albums on William's label, DVL Recordings. The second album, White Hot in Black, was distributed through Poly Gram and received a fair amount of radio attention.

In 1999, DuVall's band renamed themselves Comes With The Fall, adopted a more classic rock vibe and soon headed to Los Angeles. The group quickly grabbed the attention of Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains. Impressed with the band's unique style and high energy, Cantrell invited Comes With The Fall to open his Degredation Trip tour in 2001, and a number of times performed as his backing band. Bandmate, Nico Constantine left the group before the tour to create Program the Dead, a band DuVall would later produce and tour with. Jerry Cantrell and William DuVall became fast friends, with their friendship only growing stronger while touring and playing together.

DuVall's band, Comes With The Fall recorded a few songs before hitting the road with Cantrell called The Murder Scene EP. The group was forced to put these CDs together by hand to sell at shows after selling out of their properly pressed self-titled debut within a matter of days. With an affinity for the organic feel of live recordings, Comes With The Fall swore off digital conveniences like Pro-Tools and made a commitment to record and mix directly on to tape, often in one live take. Their next album The Year is One was recorded in this manner with engineer Russ Fowler. Receiving positive press reviews for both their recording and live performances, Comes With The Fall released a Live album and DVD in 2002. That same year, Layne Staley of Alice in Chains died of a drug overdose.


Throughout 2003, DuVall and Comes With The Fall toured across the country with short-lived band Dropsonic. During the tour, drummer Bevan Davies left the band to go on the road with Danzig. The remaining members managed to finish the tour, but decided to take a break once they returned to Los Angeles. During hiatus, William DuVall joined a number of friends on stage, touring with various projects. He joined kindred musical spirits, MC5 to sing for their new group DKT across Europe. He also hit the road with Octone Records artist, Michael Tolcher, playing guitar. In 2005 Alice in Chains reunited for the first time since Staley's death to put on a benefit show for the victims of the tsunami disaster in South Asia. The band performed with a number of guest singers including Maynard James Keenan of Tool, Wes Scantlin of Puddle of Mudd, Ann Wilson of Heart, and of course, William DuVall. Jerry Cantrell made the new relationship with William DuVall official in 2005 and he joined the band the following year for VH1's Decades of Rock Live. The performance sparked such renewed interest in Alice in Chains by a whole new generation of fans that the band was soon on the road playing club gigs and festival shows across the United States and select dates throughout Europe and Asia, all fronted by DuVall.

In the fall of 2006, DuVall found himself reunited with former bandmate, Nico Constantine, this time to produce Program the Dead's second full-length album Ginger. William also played bass on the album, and can be seen in the Atlanta Sessions documentary performing with the band. He produced Program the Dead's next release as well, the 4-song Sticks and Bricks EP. The same year, DuVall's band Comes With The Fall recorded and released the Reckoning EP, to the praise of critics and fans around the world. He spent most of 2007 on the road with his band, but somehow found the time to record the Comes With The Fall's 4th album, Beyond The Last Light.


DuVall then rejoined the rest of Alice in Chains to start working on the new material for the new album. Jerry Cantrell said to MTV in late '07, “The body of stuff that's been coming out so far - all the riffs and song ideas - are really cool. It's really aggressive and everything Alice was, but it's moved on into a different thing too. It's indicative of the transformation of this band. The dynamic is different, and it should be. But Mike, Sean and I, we're still here. We're still a big part of how this band sounds. The elements that remain and the element that William brings to the band are powerful things. We're gathering material and doing other business to help this band move forward.”

Alice in Chains announced in 2008 that they would be heading into the studio late in the year to record their first new album in 14 years. In October, they entered the Foo Fighters' Studio 606 with Producer, Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters, Rush, Stone Sour, Trivium, Shadows Fall, Death Angel), with the new album expected around the summer of 2009. The group also announced that they will be touring through most of the new year, kicking off with a main-stage slot on Australia's Soundwave Festival on February 21. Even though DuVall has more than proven himself on stage over the last 4 years, performing classic Alice in Chains hits, some are skeptical about new material. Has it been too long? Do they still have the goods? Is there a place for them in modern music? Can DuVall fill the massive shoes he was asked to step into?

Velvet Revolver and ex-Guns N' Roses bassist Duff McKagan said in a recent Seattle Weekly, "I have had the good fortune to hear a lot of the new music that the guys have put together for their upcoming recording: Fucking Awesome! I believe we need a band like Alice In Chains now more than ever. A band who always has worn their heart on their collective sleeve. A band who couldn't give two shits about what is 'hip' or current. These guys have always set trends. With what I have heard of the new music, they will continue to do so."

Alice in Chains were forced to remove themselves from the scene for many years while Staley waged a deadly war within himself. Some AiC fans are still mourning the loss of Staley and find it hard to accept that there is still life in the band. However, I think if the options are to either never see the band again or see them with a new addition, the choice is obvious, especially when that addition is William DuVall. A band of Alice in Chains' stature could have selected absolutely anyone to take over vocal duties, but they specifically chose DuVall. After reading through his personal history, it starts to make sense. He is not after fame and he is not trying to revive a lost career. William DuVall has never been someone particularly interested in or influenced by 'what sells.' He didn't audition to be a part of Alice in Chains, he and Jerry Cantrell connected instantly, and independently of the band. AiC was originally born out of great friendships and shared musical ideals, and that is exactly what will allow them to reclaim their title as the most important band in rock music.


Keep checking Altsounds for new music and information as Alice in Chains set out on their new journey.

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