Alice In Chains Eye New Album In 2008

It's been nearly two years since the surviving members of Alice In Chains — guitarist Jerry Cantrell, bassist Mike Inez and drummer Sean Kinney — announced they'd be returning to action for a series of reunion gigs. At the time, some in the band even hinted at the possibility of some fresh Alice tunes somewhere down the line.

Now, two highly successful tours later, Alice In Chains — with Comes With The Fall frontman William DuVall stepping in for late singer Layne Staley — are ready to write and hope to have an LP recorded by the end of 2008.

"Definitely possibly," Cantrell responded with a healthy guffaw when asked whether fans could expect an Alice record next year. "I don't think you can put a time limit on it, because first we have to come up with a record we're satisfied with, and I think we can do that."

No, Alice In Chains haven't written any complete songs for their forthcoming record yet, but Cantrell said they have been tinkering with a few ideas here and there, and they'll start writing in earnest after the holidays.

"The body of stuff that's been coming out so far — all the riffs and song ideas — are really cool," Cantrell explained. "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. I couldn't put a time on it, but I can tell you that [writing songs] is what we are working toward. We're gathering material and doing other business to help this band move forward."

Read the entire article at MTV.com.

Comments

[Raf2411]

Definitely a good thing - LONG LIVE A.I.C.!

[route61racing]

sounds great....saw them with their new singer in Bethlehem,PA...he def. is a worthy replacement...can't wait to here the new stuff!

[boor]

should be interesting

[Hexagram]

I've had this discussoin every time I hear that they are to release new material--I really don't want them to release a bombshell. as much as I love the fact that they are touring again, I sometimes wish they would have just left AIC when Layne died in 2002 because THAT Alice in Chains was untouchable. Please let their new material be good

[Kozworth]

Layne really didn't add a lot to the writing portion of their music, this is especially apparent in the latter years. And to be honest, Jerry's voice and talents were probably pretty than Laynes. I say this could be a good thing if done right.

[OneOfTheseDays]

Hexagram wrote:

I've had this discussoin every time I hear that they are to release new material--I really don't want them to release a bombshell. as much as I love the fact that they are touring again, I sometimes wish they would have just left AIC when Layne died in 2002 because THAT Alice in Chains was untouchable. Please let their new material be good

Good point. I really hope its good but i have faith it will be.

[Comeback Kiddd]

I think they should at least change the band name so they wont mess with their rep if the new album sucks...

[perilouspete]

i think they should most definitely KEEP the band name, it's what they've been touring under for the last 2 years and regardless of how the album is it isn't gonna do shat to how they were regarded in the 90's. i believe it they will lay down some good tunes, and they should continue writing under the AIC moniker. it would be stupid to try and promote themselves under a new name.

[P.B.]

they should keep the name, ACDC kept thier name when Bon died. worked out fine.

[thadedan(CFH)]

guys you should check out aic playing a cover of 'kashmir'with a seattle orchestra. i dunno, i gotta say i was well impressed with duvall's singing.
Check it out!

[jpast]

I respect Layne Staley and think he was a great musician but I always said that AIC could move on without him. Jerry Cantrell is AIC and without him the band would never have amounted to anything. Layne is replacable but not Jerry. No way no how.

[Caustic]

Layne was a massive, massive talent. Irreplaceable.

But I really think their new vocalist is a great guy. He has a fantastic voice, great respect for AiC's music, has worked with Jerry before, they do great with him on tour. Compared to all the other bands who have lost a key member and iconic presence in the band and tried to carry on (Van Halen... two in the case of The Who), Alice in Chains are doing great. I think they'd be able to put out some very good music. They should go for it, and the best of luck to them.

[Fly-swatter]

perhaps Jerry himself should have taken over the lead vocals, hes got the voice for hit and william could back...?
Long live AIC

[PowrSlave]

Plus, think about the live possibilities. DuVall would be able to play guitar for a lot of the rythm parts that are usually left out in concert, but are present in the recordings. Would make for a more full, live sound instead of having to rely on the bass to hold everything together while Jerry is doing solos and melody type stuff.

[Ferrarone]

hell yeah!

duvall is great too!

[roarinflames]

yes yes
this is the news i have been waiting for for nearly five years now.
btw Frenchy your post looks like square boobs.lolol

great news.

[bmarlatt1685]

Comeback Kiddd wrote:

I think they should at least change the band name so they wont mess with their rep if the new album sucks...

A new lead singer worked AC/DC with Brian Johnson, and it worked for Van Halen with Sammy Hagar, so why can't we give Alice in Chains the benefit of the doubt? Obviously, Duvall's no Layne Staley, but from what I hear he's at least a worthy replacement.

[NoiseBox]

Aw man... I donno.. I love alice in chains. definately my favorite band. The world changed forever when layne died, changed again when they started touring again. I donno if I can deal with it if this album turns out to suck...

[CousticStrangla]

No Layne No care


at least have some respect and change the damn bandname

[blueseattle]

The world changed forever when layne died, changed again when they started touring again. >>>

Really? Not to be a dick, I love this band, but I don't think too many people were shocked or moved when Layne died. It was a flash and the pan in the news.

[Deliriumbassist]

To get this in before there's all the "oh noes, they shouldn't be called AIC" stuff...

AIC were a band of FOUR people. Layne Staley may have been a big part of how they sounded, but there were 3 other guys there, and Jerry did as much songwriting than Layne did. Bands kick out or lose band members all the time, with no name change. Look at Metallica and NIN for crying out loud.

There are 3 other guys in AIC, and it's their band as much as it was Layne's. Why should they stop being AIC to please a few purists?

[Angelic_Demon]

You know what would be great? If they had like 3 or more vocalists and for every song or so they would use a different vocalist. They could dedicate the album to Layne and make it like Temple of the Dog. Speaking about TotD, Chris Cornell would sound amazing on a AiC album. Like that one song on Sap with Layne and Chris singing together. That's such an amazing song!

[Andras5soul]

I actually think this is a good idea. Im against Queen doing another album, but This could turn out really well. Ofcourse the vocals will not sound the same, but AIC wasnt entirely dominated by the vocals anyway..

[dickie_kak]

Long Live Layne, this will be interesting. I saw them this summer and the new singer rocks, but I mean how do you compare to someone who sang with so much emotion. The able will do well regardless of how good the material is.

[Regular_Guy]

Layne was a terriffic singer, and Duvall isn't half as good. Despite this, the main songwriting force behind the band remains, and in my opinion, songwriting is much, much more important than singing (or instrumental skills, for that matter). I don't really have any problems with the fact that they will still use the name Alice in Chains, it's not like that sort of things hasn't been done before.
This could be a fantastic album.

[canadianzscarem]

AIC was not all about vocals. And the vocals that did matter were the haunting combination of layne's and cantrell's voices. If the new singer can pull that off without sounding strained or forced it will be fine. They still have good musicians behind the vocals and that was the bigger part of Alice anyway!

[aliceinnirvana]

I'm alright with Duvall touring with them and singing for Layne, but recording an album?
Nah, I don't think I'm ok with that.

[canadianzscarem]

I have faith in Jerry and the rest that they can make another Facelift or Dirt

[sowhat360]

I think they should at least change the band name so they wont mess with their rep if the new album sucks...
A new lead singer worked AC/DC with Brian Johnson, and it worked for Van Halen with Sammy Hagar, so why can't we give Alice in Chains the benefit of the doubt? Obviously, Duvall's no Layne Staley, but from what I hear he's at least a worthy replacement.

the reason why this is different is because of the subject matter of the song....without layne staley you can't sing about dying from drug and alcohol addiction and all the depression that comes with that...layne staley is dead and alice in chains should lay to rest with that....look at rage against the machine, when they formed audioslave they were no longer raging against the government, it didnt make sense to keep the same name no matter who the new lead singer was.....here i think you have a similar situation

[failingsociety$]

Comeback Kiddd wrote:

I think they should at least change the band name so they wont mess with their rep if the new album sucks...

agreed

[BlindMelon45]

im glad their back and all but the only thing i disagree with is the singer, and them not changin their name. Duvallsounds like shit,and tries way 2 hard to sound like Layne and thats not happening. i mean it would be better i think if they changed names. but im still gald their planning to record some new material.
RIP Layne Staley

[dimebagsmygod]

FUCK YEA!!!! Alice In Chains are the best band ever!!!

RIP Layne

[Ceresz]

Sounds awesome, can't wait to hear some awesome grungey music in the middle of this sea of crap beeing played on the radio nowadays. (Okay, it might not be as grungey without Layne's vocals of agony but still...)

[TC1223]

this just has to be good

[dimebagsmygod]

Ceresz wrote:

Sounds awesome, can't wait to hear some awesome grungey music in the middle of this sea of crap beeing played on the radio nowadays. (Okay, it might not be as grungey without Layne's vocals of agony but still...)

Yup!!!

[DownInAHole.]

YES! I can't wait.

[Darth_Qurashi]

Dude this is gonna be so awesome. I love Grunge. I miss it man.

[cambo187]

I saw one of their acoustic shows in Jacksonville at the end of this last tour, and I must say they were incredible. Duvall's vocals were awesome, and he even played a pretty mean guitar through most of the set. Everyone knows that Cantrell is the composing force behind AiC, so as long as they're not rushed, I don't see how a new album won't be great.
Also, people need to quit bashing Duvall. I agree that there is only one Layne and that he defined Alice, but he's gone, so you have to listen to them openly and not expect to hear Staley's voice if you see them live, or on the new cd. Duvall is as good as replacement as there can be, and should be accepted by any true AiC fan.

[I_Forgot_My_Pen]

It is not Alice in Chains without Layne.

[areyouin?]

I hope they do Layne justice.

[perilouspete]

cambo187 couldn't have said it any better.

[j-e-f-f-e-r-s]

If their new stuff is even half as good as Jar of Flies, I'll be happy.

[Saintanger20]

As James Hetfield would say, "OOH YEAH!" Kick a** Alice In Chains. It's about time they get back together and record a new album.

[BambooShadow]

finally some good news!

couldn't they release it at the end of 2007??? *sigh*

[Canucklehead]

Layne Staley had a voice that was special enough to put him on totally different level than most, that's why some are hesitant about a reformed Alice. As for the "flash and the pan in the news" comment about Layne's death...it's the mainstream media dude. AIC wasn't exactly a hot property at the time, but it mattered to a lot of music fans. Still, time marches on, I got a chance to see Duvall and I was impressed with what he could do live. And it's Jerry Cantrell, the album will have to be different for sure, but it's hard to imagine how it could suck..

[BGM>YOU]

jesus christ. why cant cantrell just stick solo. his solo stuff sounded like a lot of aic. just without layne. this sucks. i hate duvall. a lot. but i there is absolutely nothing i can do. from every preformance i hear with him. im unimpressed. they dont have the harmonization jerry and layne had. i would love it if maybe maynard james keenan was the lead singer. that would be awesome. im fine with them releasing anything new. just not with duvall.

[JL_Shredder]

Cool! I love A.I.C.

[briere]

I_Forgot_My_Pen wrote:

It is not Alice in Chains without Layne.

there are three other members man. they were still AIC when mike starr left in the early 90s. its different yes, but there are still the core of the band there. btw, jerry wrote most of the songs, not layne.

RIP layne

[Daburcor]

PowrSlave wrote:

Plus, think about the live possibilities. DuVall would be able to play guitar for a lot of the rythm parts that are usually left out in concert, but are present in the recordings. Would make for a more full, live sound instead of having to rely on the bass to hold everything together while Jerry is doing solos and melody type stuff.

My thoughts exatly. I'm not the biggest DuVall fan, I admit. But new Alive in Chains can only be a good thing.

As far as the name thing goes; The band have every right to use it. I have this argument ALL the time with my fellow Queen fans...

[Dead_End]

Never be the same without Layne but this seems pretty cool...

[16kramer05]

Man they kicked so much ass when I saw them in September. I didn't want the concert to end! But this album is going to be incredible. Imagine how much music Jerry has stored up over the last decade. There are going to be a lot of new kick ass Alice In Chains songs to come.

[InVaZi0n]

Layne put rawness into his music, hope this guy can imitate or create something new.

[recliner33]

I know you guys are saying they should keep their name just because AC/DC and Van Halen did when they lost their lead singers. But to take the otherside, Joy division changed their name to new order after Ian Curtis died. I know new order did pretty good, but I don't think it is as joy division was.

[recliner33]

as good as joy division was*

[Flying Afros]

16kramer05 wrote:

Man they kicked so much ass when I saw them in September. I didn't want the concert to end! But this album is going to be incredible. Imagine how much music Jerry has stored up over the last decade. There are going to be a lot of new kick ass Alice In Chains songs to come.

jerry has 2 solo albums,so its not like he has just been sitting around.

and if they do this record, it WILL be awesome. will duvall is awesome and brings something new to the group. and of course, you got the other three great guys who make the classic AIC sound so unique.

[screamsoftly]

Jerry looks like Zakk Wylde in that picture. I think he's a good enough guitarist that he deserves a chance to record again as Alice In Chains. Even if the vocals will never be the same.

[Layzer]

I was fortunate enough to see Alice in Chains when they came to the gorge washington as i was a friend of jerry's family, and I can vouch that William Duvall is an outstanding singer

[zartists.net]

What's in a name? Marketing purely. It doesn't matter what they are called from a musical standpoint, if they rock, then they rock.

I understand why people want them to change the name, but if, say for example, mercedes benz changed their name, would it still sell just as well? probably not. Names are a BRAND, the general population will pick up this release because it says alice in chains on it, but they wouldn't if it was some name they've never heard of.

Move past the name, listen to the music, and be thankfull that they decided to release anything at all.

[DANZIG767]

Just cuz the singer dies doesnt mean the band dies, R.I.P Layne

[Chuck_Dynamite]

Best news I've heard all day. Not comfortable with the idea of Layne being replaced, but if Jerry is confident that this the good record that he says it is, then I'll get it, no question.

[DirtyDeeds]

i signed up for this website a few days after layne died, and now 5 and 1/2 years later they are coming back... I can't wait

[BennyStruggle]

ya whats with the same name Alice in Chains? When Kurt died Grohl didnt invite Krist to play bass in Foo Fighters and keep the name Nirvana.

I love AIC...it is so dissapointing now to see this....a mockery of the name and a disrespectful gesture to Layne. RIP. Laynes side projects weren't called AIC. Cantrell needs to move on and make a name for himself and the remaining members. Why not incorporate a tribute to layne in the new name..like Alice Out of Chains or Alice In Mourn or something.

Im disappointed in this. Thats all I can really say- I won't be supporting the new band or new material until an appropriate band name is used.

[SL!!!]

Man, he is rocking a handlebar mustache in that pic. Not the one on this page but on the front page.

I wish i could grow one of those bad boys.

But i also wish dinosaurs were still alive cus i just watched Jurassic Park, and i guess we can't all get what we want.

..

and no i'm not going to/was referencing a Rolling Stone song. Good God, never.

[toimintasika]

you guys come on get a life. of course its sad that layne died but the new guy kicks ass!

[amniotic]

yer hexa.. whatever, lol sorry, as much as i love alice in chains and have accepted the fact laynes dead and so's his legendary voice, and i think it's awesome that they're touring, william's great, not layne but its still great, but not alice in chains. but i reckon if they record another album under the name alice in chains they'll let the legend slip like black sabbath did with the rio albums. alice in chains is mike, sean, jerry and layne, this new album should be mike, sean, jerry and william. still though look forward to some new material, come to big day out if you guys read this!!!!!

[KingSquall802]

u cant bring back layne. he is already dead. why not welcome william? he is a good replacament for layne. Alice in chains is a great band.

[Under_The_Oath]

No, no, no, no. Not without Layne. NOT WITHOUT LAYNE STALEY, FUCK IT.

[Bendybaws]

Kozworth wrote:

Layne really didn't add a lot to the writing portion of their music, this is especially apparent in the latter years. And to be honest, Jerry's voice and talents were probably pretty than Laynes. I say this could be a good thing if done right.

Wrong, wrong, wrong!!

Layne's vocals were just as important as Jerry's guitar sound.

Fudd

[LordArbiter]

While Layne was a great voice and very much a part of Alice in Chains, the band itself was Cantrell's - he hand picked Layne for the part. Its not like Layne started the band and Cantrell is capitalizing on it. With or without Layne, I'm sure that 'Chains will be a great band again.

[Bendybaws]

Jerry's a great ****ing musician, one of my favs, so I'm sure this new album will be awesome, but let's not deny the fact that Layne's vocals and experiences were an essential part of AiC at the top of their game.

Considering how good Degredation Trip is I'd be satisfied with ma man Jerry doing the vocals. But its great that Jerry can go back to concentrating on pummelling us with some big fat dirty riffs.

[Zaphod_Beeblebr]

Kozworth wrote:

Layne really didn't add a lot to the writing portion of their music, this is especially apparent in the latter years. And to be honest, Jerry's voice and talents were probably pretty than Laynes. I say this could be a good thing if done right.

Well obviously, I mean he only wrote what...90% of the lyrics? I think some of the lyrics on 'dirt' are still some of the best and most profound I've ever heardbut hey, if that's not important...

[fts666]

P.B. wrote:

they should keep the name, ACDC kept thier name when Bon died. worked out fine.

i was thinking the same thing

[BennyStruggle]

Zaphod_Beeblebr wrote:

Kozworth wrote:

Layne really didn't add a lot to the writing portion of their music, this is especially apparent in the latter years. And to be honest, Jerry's voice and talents were probably pretty than Laynes. I say this could be a good thing if done right.


Well obviously, I mean he only wrote what...90% of the lyrics? I think some of the lyrics on 'dirt' are still some of the best and most profound I've ever heardbut hey, if that's not important...

haha. Zaphod- ignore them- everyone supporting statements like Cantrell is better or equal to Staley, and Alice In Chains is STILL Alice in Chains without Layne don't deserve your time man

RIP Layne Staley. The end of Alice in Chains- One of the greatest bands of all time.

[Cwolf]

I remember looking through an alice chains guitar tab book in guitar center 1 time and a lot of the songs were written by jerry cantrell rather than layne so it seems to me that he was just a voice.no disrespect cuz i love alice in chains i just dont think people should be worried about it sucking cuz the primary song writer is stil there.

[Q_O_T_S_A_dude]

Alice In Chains was amazing.
Layne was a beautiful singer, with raw talent, his voice was just amazing..
But I'm definitely willing to give this a chance, I'm excited, I'm slightly nervous, but mainly positive about the outcome.
And its good to know that theres still Mike, Sean and Jerry!

[jesuswalked2008]

A.I.C.>nirvana

[SquirrelMasta]

Layne mighth ave been the voice, but he was not the band.

Voices can be replaced, emotion cannot.

I get what everyone is saying about OMGZ!1!1 DONT CALL IT AIC

but seriously, I saw them with VR and it sounded kickass to me, so a new Alice album is a great thing to hear.

Jerry did write the songs too, so while Layne was a huge force, Jerry wasthe wizard behind most of it. You're not losing much with a different guy singing it.

[metallicar0cks]

man guys cant wait to hear your new shit i have no doubt in my mind that it will rock, r.i.p layne

[DP_SF_DTX_RATM]

they should call it like Reborn or something to stop confusion between the new guy and Layne.

[FooCards]

thank god, with a talent like Jerry's, he should be forced at gunpoint to write new material haha. Jerry's my second favorite composer I cannot wait for his new stuff!

[fender_bender12]

excellent, the bands old key members we're layne and jerry, and as long as one of them is still alive the band will live.