To many bands have tried and failed to continue after the death of a charismatic member.

And the late Layne Staley really did embody Alice in Chains – in the fans' eyes at least. So, after earning its right to exist by releasing one of its best albums in 2009, the Seattle band is now stepping into what are pretty much uncharted territories for rock music. What's a band supposed to do after passing such a dramatic turning point? To go on, apparently. And that's exactly what Alice in Chains are doing with 'The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here.'

And they do it by pointing fingers at a group of people that have a problem exactly with forward movement, in the philosophical sense at least. Religious fundamentalists and their denial of the evolution theory are the starting point for the sarcastic social commentary that is the title track. And while this engaged approach may be a small step out of the introspective, borderline egoistic nature of most of Alice in Chains' work, on the musical front there are no such mini-revolutions.

'Hollow' opens up the album rather loudly, setting the tone for its overall heavier sound – it's like the sadness and melancholy that had soaked every note of 'Black Gives Way to Blue' have made way for some inspiring vitality here. What follows is over an hour of the trademark mix of heavy riffs, psychedelia and dragged out vocal harmonies that have made this band one of the most universally admired in the world of rock. Alice in Chains have always relied on a wide palette of sounds and it comes as no surprise that here it stretches from the crushing sludge riff of 'Stone', goes back to the days of 'Facelift' with 'Phantom Limb's sharp metal guitarwork, and then descends into borderline country croons over acoustic guitars in 'Scalpel.' The band's undeniable class makes everything work together perfectly and saves the album in the moments where Alice in Chains seem to tread water (the title track and 'Low Ceiling').

And actually this is exactly the next logical step after the big breaking point for the band – with no drama, no tensions and no new lineup changes Alice in Chains have just made a new album. In 'The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here' we hear a band for which the past is... well, the past. And the present is just as interesting and inspiring.