Jerry Cantrell Confirms Alice in Chains are Writing a New Album

2012-01-12

Story by Cat Badra

Alice in Chains’ Cantrell: ‘We started writing last year’

It’s confirmed: Alice in Chains are working on the follow up to the band’s 2009 release, “Black Gives Way to Blue.” The news comes straight from guitarist / vocalist Jerry Cantrell, who ran into Rolling Stone magazine at the recent Dimebash tribute in Los Angeles, the annual gig in honor of late Pantera and Damageplan guitarist “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott. “We started writing last year,” Cantrell told the magazine.

The grunge guys, at long last, plan to hit the studio early this year. Cantrell says Alice in Chains weren’t planning on waiting a full three years to release a new album, but Cantrell had to undergo some unexpected shoulder surgery, which set them back. “I had shoulder surgery. I had to get some bone spurs and torn cartilage taken care of, so that put me back a little bit,” he said. “But we’ve been writing through the whole process.”

“Black Gives Way to Blue” featured an appearance by pop sensation Elton John, something that still gives Cantrell goose bumps. “That’s just the universe lining up right. I had nothing to do with that other than asking,” he said. Still, he says the next album likely won’t feature any high-profile contributors. Just the guys in the band making raw, gut-wrenching alternative rock in Alice in Chains tradition.

“Black Gives Way to Blue” was the band’s first album featuring new singer, William Duvall. It debuted inside the Top 10 of the Billboard Top 200 and garnered a few Grammy nominations. Do you think the next album will repeat that success?

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Cat Badra

Meet the expert - Cat Badra is a music writer for Audio Ink Radio and a range of other music, sports and lifestyle publications. She's a graduate of Michigan State University with a master's degree in theater and speech. Contact her at cat@audioinkradio.com.

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