Alice In Chains: In Mixing Mode

Alice In Chains was interviewed by Altitude on the "black carpet" of Tuesday night's (April 7) Epiphone Revolver Golden Gods Awards at Club Nokia in downtown Los Angeles. Watch the chat at this location.

Alice In Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell recently spoke with Australia's Courier-Mail about the group's upcoming album, its first full-length set of new material in more than 13 years and first without lead singer Layne Staley, who died in 2002 after a long battle with drug addiction. Handling lead vocals is William DuVall, who has sung with the group ever since it reactivated in 2005. Cantrell said, "The new stuff is cool. It's pretty goddamn crushing. I've stepped up a little bit from where I was before . . . obviously, it'll be a new sound from William being there — but it sounds like an Alice In Chains record and a kick-ass one. There's everything from the darkest of dark, heavy shit to acoustic stuff. Throw all that together and that's what you'll get."

Cantrell told The Pulse of Radio when the band first got back together that they did not have a set plan to tour or make a new album. "You know, if you were looking at how to really capitalize on this experience and really make dough and make it a profitable thing, a band might, you know, would come out with a singer, have a record ready and all that," he said. "But that's not where we're coming from with this thing. We're coming from the place of 'It feels good, and we're having a good time, so we'd like people to be a part of that.'"

Alice In Chains is scheduled to play at Columbus, Ohio's Rock On The Range festival in mid-May.

Thanks for the report to Blabbermouth.net.

Comments

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

SWEET!

[Villevalo462]

This is great. I really hope this is a good album. New CKY next month is the only thing I have to hold me over until September.

[rogermstinson]

****in awesome

[TGautier13]

you know, i had an epiphany the other day. since layne is obviously no longer in the band, its almost a stretch to call this group alice in chains. instead, i would call the band alice unchained, because it sounds badass and it is relevant to the situation. who's with me?

[Whiskey Tango]

Jerry ****in' rocks! So does AIC!

[ghoztofcasper]

No where it says "mixing" but it's gonna be great to hear the record when it finally surfaces. I am really curious how "dark" it can get. Also, I haven't really been able to hear William's voice when I see them live cause the crowd sings so loud you can't hear him. Hope for some Summer tour dates other than Rock On The Range.

And regarding the name changing ideas with Alice... I personally don't care, but bands like Metalica (Dave Mustaine and Cliff Burton), Rolling Stones (Brian Jones and pianist Ian Stewart), Red Hot Chili Peppers (Hillel Slovak and Jack Irons), etc. etc. all aren't with their original line ups and no one is out there trying to say they should change their names. F--k, what about AC/DC??

[Gettinbroady]

the mixing thing was said on that black carpet event thing. and i totaly agree with that...some bands cant pull it off or have the sound to do it.layne was amazing and miss that voice behind the mic man but things change and shit happens alice in chains wasent just layne tho so just shut up and listen to the ****in music lol

[tenacioust04]

i thought this was coming out in june but now i have to wait until september

[godberry]

i can't wait. this is gonna kick so much arse.

[higherworlds]

love this band, Cantrell was the band anyway, so if laynes not there i dont think it will make much a difference.

[David_Bowie=GOD]

Can't wait for the new album

Does anyone know if Jerry is singing any of the songs off of the new album or if its all just DuVall?

[shwilly]

higherworlds wrote:

love this band, Cantrell was the band anyway, so if laynes not there i dont think it will make much a difference.

He was the main songwriter, but don't say he WAS the band because Alice would've been nothing without that amazing drummer and jaw-dropping singer (hell, even Mike Inez who only came on after Dirt made a pretty noticeable impact). Cantrell released some great solo albums as well but they still weren't quite as legendary. If he really had been the only member that mattered there really would've been no point in getting a new singer...

[Luppi]

TGautier13 wrote:

you know, i had an epiphany the other day. since layne is obviously no longer in the band, its almost a stretch to call this group alice in chains. instead, i would call the band alice unchained, because it sounds badass and it is relevant to the situation. who's with me?

I agree lol

[a drummer]

[quote]Luppi wrote:

TGautier13 wrote:

you know, i had an epiphany the other day. since layne is obviously no longer in the band, its almost a stretch to call this group alice in chains. instead, i would call the band alice unchained, because it sounds badass and it is relevant to the situation. who's with me?

haha thats actually funny

[AngryGoldfish]

A band won't be the same band, even if you didn't have the same manager.

[RazorStradlen]

Layne Staley is irreplaceable, this isn't Alice In Chains.

[the1]

This will be awesome!

[Dymencion]

Very exciting, I am a die hard fan and feel like if people gave Duvall more of a chance they would be pleasantly surprised, he is extremely talented, though nobody compares to Layne

[gemainchains]

hmmm i just can't get myself to buy this album...

they should just change the band name, it's not alice in chains anymore...
same thing if jerry, sean or mike would've died, it would just not be alice.

[pearlJam_31490]

TGautier13 wrote:

you know, i had an epiphany the other day. since layne is obviously no longer in the band, its almost a stretch to call this group alice in chains. instead, i would call the band alice unchained, because it sounds badass and it is relevant to the situation. who's with me?

for sure! but they wont

[Diadema]

im looking forward to this. total respect to jerry cantrell

[jod23]

i feel very confident in the upcoming album. i have total respect for jerry cantrell and the rest of the members. Alice in Chains will live on forever, heart and soul!!!

[TBezza]

AWESOME

[RyanInChains9]

Can't wait to hear it, still without Layne a record from "Alice in CHains" is unsettling to me...

Hope it's still good though, I'm just not 100% sold on them still going by Alice in Chains

[Gh.]

Great news. But still, for me, it shouldn't be called Alice In Chains.

[Badfish3]

Jerry Cantrell kicks ass

[SirShredfast]

RazorStradlen wrote:

Layne Staley is irreplaceable, this isn't Alice In Chains.

very ignorant

[acesorcerer17]

SirShredfast wrote:

RazorStradlen wrote:

Layne Staley is irreplaceable, this isn't Alice In Chains.

very ignorant

/agree

this is going to be ****ing sweet.

[chickenbuttlips]

What made Alice In Chains so great was the way Layne and Jerry's voices harmonized. When I first heard "Anger Rising" from Degradation Trip, I thought it was unreleased AIC. If they can some resembleance of that harmony, this album is going to be worth a try.

[RockGuitar92]

Can't really get into the band as much with a diff singer.

[tin5123]

''Can't really get into the band as much with a diff singer''

They didn't even put out a record yet, give them a chance.

[Paramecium302]

AIC forever

[DimeForever]

Layne or not, I'll be buying it. I love Jerry's guitar playing and have been a fan of the band since '90.

It's a shame that Layne was taken so tragically and suddenly. He had such a great vocal style. He and Jerry complimented each other so well. There would have been a lot more for him to give to music, but his demons silenced him.

I think William will add his own unique style to the sound and structure of the band. I'm excited to hear some new material from Alice In Chains. Can't wait!!!

Cheers!

[lopezmetalmunky]

Being open to new ideas, I would buy this. Listening to William, he sounds good with the band, the voice fits and it makes good sound.
However, of course, he will never replace Layne nor will anyone for that matter, but William is a good fill-in. I can dig it.

[guitarman47]

i cannot wait for this. they've been my favorite band since i was 9 and i've bought every album released by this band... regardless if it was bad or not (19995 self-titled) just so show my support for them

[Mad-Season]

shwilly wrote:

higherworlds wrote:

love this band, Cantrell was the band anyway, so if laynes not there i dont think it will make much a difference.

He was the main songwriter, but don't say he WAS the band because Alice would've been nothing without that amazing drummer and jaw-dropping singer (hell, even Mike Inez who only came on after Dirt made a pretty noticeable impact). Cantrell released some great solo albums as well but they still weren't quite as legendary. If he really had been the only member that mattered there really would've been no point in getting a new singer...

The same could be said for Tony Iommi and Black Sabbath. Iommi is the core member of the band, yet Sabbath may have eventuated to nothing without Ozzy from the start. Look what Dio has done for Sabbath -give DuVall a chance.

[Riffrocker83]

I can't F***ing wait!

[Rokeman]

DuVall was probably the best guy for the job they could have found after Layne.

Can't wait. They're all legends.

[SirShredfast]

I think DuVall didn't have such a fitting voice at first, but now that I've seen some recent performances of Man In The Box and Angry Chair... I don't know, man...

close your eyes and listen, it sounds really good, and it definitely sounds like Alice In Chains

[perilouspete]

There haven't been many times in my 20 years of life that I have been as excited about a record coming out....this thing is gonna legendary. I have a great feeling about it. And seeing them live is just an awesome experience, electric and acoustic.

[gitplayer27]

TGautier13 wrote:

you know, i had an epiphany the other day. since layne is obviously no longer in the band, its almost a stretch to call this group alice in chains. instead, i would call the band alice unchained, because it sounds badass and it is relevant to the situation. who's with me?

Not me. Why would it be a stretch? Jerry was the main songwriter and sang on alot of the classic songs. If he was gone then it would be a stretch. This is Alice In Chains.

[gitplayer27]

Oh and to the person who asked if Jerry is singing on this - yes he is. Theres a write up in one of the last issies of guitar world where he says he sings more on this album than he has on any previous AIC album before.

[Ledforthehead]

David_Bowie=GOD wrote:

Can't wait for the new album

Does anyone know if Jerry is singing any of the songs off of the new album or if its all just DuVall?

I'm sure Jerry will sing at least 70% of the songs. Backup, Lead, or shared vocals.

[guitarfreak222]

This is going to be f*cking Awesome!

[Skittles135]

TGautier13 wrote:

you know, i had an epiphany the other day. since layne is obviously no longer in the band, its almost a stretch to call this group alice in chains. instead, i would call the band alice unchained, because it sounds badass and it is relevant to the situation. who's with me?

that's a pretty rad idea, dude.

[Hungry_Hameds]

DimeForever wrote:

Layne or not, I'll be buying it. I love Jerry's guitar playing and have been a fan of the band since '90.

It's a shame that Layne was taken so tragically and suddenly. He had such a great vocal style. He and Jerry complimented each other so well. There would have been a lot more for him to give to music, but his demons silenced him.

I think William will add his own unique style to the sound and structure of the band. I'm excited to hear some new material from Alice In Chains. Can't wait!!!

Cheers!

Yeah he needs to be given a chance, plus layne did bring it on himself, which doesnt make it any less of a shame but you know if he had sorted himself out we would not have this news anyway.

Dont change the name, that makes it a different band, keeping it the same shows they want to keep laynes contribution alive and not forget it

cant wait!

[ricardosevillav]

DuVall is no Layne Staley but i guess AIC choose him for a reason! I can't wait for the new album to come out!

[InMyHead_x]

ricardosevillav wrote:

DuVall is no Layne Staley but i guess AIC choose him for a reason! I can't wait for the new album to come out!

finally someone's talking sense! i totally agree, he wouldn't be in the band if the guys didn't like his style. thats one to look forward to, woo!

[cooljew]

higherworlds wrote:

love this band, Cantrell was the band anyway, so if laynes not there i dont think it will make much a difference.

you sir, are an idiot...
by the way, in no place in this article does it talk about them mixing the album

[Pontius2000]

I wish all the "this isn't AIC" people would find a high bridge and jump off in unison. if Jerry Cantrell says it's AIC, then it's AIC. why don't you go back and look at the liner notes from all their cds and see how much of a hand Staley actually played in their music? he wrote about 20% of the lyrics and maybe 3% of the music. everything else was Jerry.

and btw, Mike Inez isn't AIC's original bassist. and from what I understand, Mike Starr also left the band due to heroin use (though he didn't die). so if they were going to change the name of the band, they should've done it when Starr left, BEFORE Layne died.

ChEcKeD.

[A-440]

ghoztofcasper wrote:

No where it says "mixing" but it's gonna be great to hear the record when it finally surfaces. I am really curious how "dark" it can get. Also, I haven't really been able to hear William's voice when I see them live cause the crowd sings so loud you can't hear him. Hope for some Summer tour dates other than Rock On The Range.

And regarding the name changing ideas with Alice... I personally don't care, but bands like Metalica (Dave Mustaine and Cliff Burton), Rolling Stones (Brian Jones and pianist Ian Stewart), Red Hot Chili Peppers (Hillel Slovak and Jack Irons), etc. etc. all aren't with their original line ups and no one is out there trying to say they should change their names. F--k, what about AC/DC??

well since the young bros. are the primary song writers, the creative flow of the band didn't change much. also brian johnson has practically the same tonality as bon scott so it would be silly to rename the band. idk what the AIC situation is, but those are my two cents

[BillR87]

Cant wait to get my hands on the new album should be sic as

[stoltobot]

TGautier13 wrote:

you know, i had an epiphany the other day. since layne is obviously no longer in the band, its almost a stretch to call this group alice in chains. instead, i would call the band alice unchained, because it sounds badass and it is relevant to the situation. who's with me?

Can't be in that myself. Makes it sound as though Staley was holding them back and his departure has set them free. That's not the case.

[str84ever]

guitarman47 wrote:

i cannot wait for this. they've been my favorite band since i was 9 and i've bought every album released by this band... regardless if it was bad or not (19995 self-titled) just so show my support for them

What you talking about.. tripod is the best album by them..

[Scick]

I saw them live recently and they ****ing rocked. If the new stuff is anything like the old, I'll be a happy man.

[DouglasDisaster]

I love AIC. I want a re-master of Mad Season's album.

[fishee9857]

hard to call this AIC.....just like that was NOT GNR that released chinese democracy lol

[Rokeman]

fishee9857 wrote:

hard to call this AIC.....just like that was NOT GNR that released chinese democracy lol

Sorry? Jerry Cantrell is the main song writer, and he is still in the band. So is there original drummer. Mike Inez has been their bassist for quite a while, and fits in well. Now William has been accepted into the band.

It IS Alice in Chains.

[saad_nirvana]

higherworlds wrote:

love this band, Cantrell was the band anyway, so if laynes not there i dont think it will make much a difference.

-10000 man,Layne made the biggest impact. You know the thing that sticks out most from AIC's music is the vocals where there'd be like 1000 of overdubs . That was all Layne's idea.

Don't go putting him down. AIC was a band. Not Cantrell.

[fishee9857]

Rokeman wrote:

fishee9857 wrote:

hard to call this AIC.....just like that was NOT GNR that released chinese democracy lol

Sorry? Jerry Cantrell is the main song writer, and he is still in the band. So is there original drummer. Mike Inez has been their bassist for quite a while, and fits in well. Now William has been accepted into the band.

It IS Alice in Chains.

dont get me wrong i know the other members are there but without layne on vocals its not the same. Dirt is one of the best albums and he did write some great songs on there...