Full Review by The Riff Report Blog โ July 5, 2025
Stage: Back To The Beginning Main Stage
Band: ALICE IN CHAINS (USA)
Time: Twilight. Between shadow and scream. ๐
๐ค โDOWN IN A HOLE, FEELINโ SO SMALLโฆโ โ ALICE IN CHAINS LURED BIRMINGHAM INTO THE DARKNESS ๐ณ๏ธ
When the sun dipped behind Villa Park and the stage lights glowed blood red, something shifted in the air. The crowd โ still buzzing from the dayโs chaos โ fell into a reverent hush. The kings of the Seattle sound, Alice in Chains, had arrived. ๐ท๏ธ
And what followed? A dark, hypnotic, sludge-laced sermon that bled with emotion, pain, and pure, raw riffage. This was less a gig and more a ritual. One that left the whole crowd spiritually ruined in the best way possible.
๐งฑ SETLIST: A MONUMENT TO MELANCHOLY & METAL
- Again
- Check My Brain
- Them Bones ๐
- Dam That River
- Man in the Box (still hits like a sledgehammer to the soul)
- The One You Know
- Grind
- Nutshell (mass singalong, full-body goosebumps)
- No Excuses
- Down in a Hole
- Rainier Fog
- Angry Chair
- Would?
- Rooster (tears. absolute tears.) ๐
A perfect blend of old wounds and new triumphs โ slow burns, seismic riffs, and harmonies so ghostly they could wake the dead. ๐งโโ๏ธ
๐๏ธ WILLIAM DUVALL: CARRYING THE LEGACY WITH FIRE & GRACE ๐ฅ
Taking on Layne Staleyโs legacy is no small ask โ but William DuVall doesnโt imitate. He inhabits the music with his own power and pathos, blending beautifully with Jerry Cantrellโs eerie harmonies.
When they hit the opening lines of โNutshell,โ the entire arena held its breath. No pyro, no smoke โ just two voices and a crowd that forgot how to blink.
๐ธ JERRY CANTRELL: RIFF MASTER, SORCERER OF SADNESS
Cantrellโs guitar tone should be bottled and classified as a controlled substance. Every riff was thick, sludgy, and dripping with dread โ but weirdly comforting, like a weighted blanket that screams in drop D.
His solo on โRoosterโ? Straight into the chest. Like being hugged by a ghost with calloused fingers. ๐ธ๐ค
๐ฏ๏ธ MOOD: HAUNTED. BEAUTIFUL. BROODING.
Alice in Chains donโt bring mosh pits โ they bring existential dread with a beat you can nod to. That Villa Park crowd wasnโt bouncing, it was swaying. Thousands of people, eyes closed, mouthing along like this was group therapy for broken-hearted grunge kids.
And during โDown in a Holeโ? One bloke near us collapsed on his knees. A woman clutched her mate and said, โThis is the saddest thing Iโve ever loved.โ Same, girl. Same.
๐ง๏ธ CROWD AESTHETIC: 90s GLOOM & GLORY
Flannel? Everywhere. Beanies in 23-degree heat? Obviously. Sunglasses at night? I mean, why not.
The vibe was full-on โI cried in my room listening to Dirt in โ94 and never recovered.โ
Grunge is alive and well, butt โ and itโs beautifully miserable. ๐๐ชฆ
๐ฅ SURPRISES? EMOTIONS, BABY. PURE EMOTIONS.
- “Nutshell” opened with a dedication to Layne Staley and Mike Starr. Screen lit up with old footage. People cried.
- A surprise duet moment: DuVall & Cantrell harmonised unplugged mid-set, and it was so gorgeous we forgot where we were.
- Someone proposed during โNo Excuses.โ Bold move, considering the bandโs entire vibe is emotional collapse.
๐ฏ FINAL VERDICT: A MASTERCLASS IN BEAUTIFUL DARKNESS
Alice in Chains didnโt come to blow minds. They came to break hearts โ and they did it with elegance, sludge, and soul.
There were no gimmicks. No fire. No confetti. Just haunting harmonies, gorgeous grief, and riffs you could sink into like emotional quicksand.
Score: 10/10 Sadcore Saints ๐ค๐ซ๏ธ
Mood: Lost in the darkโฆ and totally fine with it.
Diolch, Alice in Chains โ for showing us that even the heaviest music can still float.
Michael is the founder, editor, and chief riff wrangler behind The Riff Report, an independent Welsh rock and metal publication built by fans, for fans. With a lifelong passion for loud guitars, unforgettable live shows, and the incredible community that surrounds rock and metal, he created The Riff Report to celebrate everything that makes the scene specialโfrom legendary headline acts and grassroots venues to rising bands that deserve to be heard.
A familiar face at festivals across the UK, Michael spends much of the year covering events including Download Festival, Bloodstock Open Air, Steelhouse Festival, Firevolt, Plumpton Revival, and many more. Whether heโs battling the Welsh weather on a mountainside, surviving a weekend in a muddy campsite, or squeezed against the front barrier with thousands of fellow fans, heโs always searching for the next great story to share.
As editor of The Riff Report, Michael writes festival guides, breaking news, album reviews, gig reviews, interviews, opinion pieces, nostalgia features, and behind-the-scenes stories from across the rock and metal world. His writing combines honest opinions, humour, and a genuine love for live music, bringing readers closer to the bands, festivals, venues, and people that keep the scene alive.
Michael is particularly passionate about supporting independent artists, local venues, charities, and the wider UK rock and metal community. He believes every band deserves a chance to be discovered and every festival has a story worth telling. Through The Riff Report, he aims to shine a spotlight on both the biggest names in rock and the future stars waiting to break through.
When heโs not writing or interviewing artists, youโll probably find him exploring festival campsites, photographing live shows, chatting with fellow fans over a pint, or planning the next road trip in search of more riffs, bigger crowds, and unforgettable moments.
Above all, Michael believes rock and metal are about more than musicโtheyโre about community, friendship, and creating memories that last a lifetime. Thatโs exactly what The Riff Report exists to celebrate.
Proudly Welsh. Proudly Loud. Always chasing the next great riff. ๐ค
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