Alice in Chains New Album Set for 2018 Release

Fans can expect new Chains music in 2018

Well, looks like Alice in Chains fans will have to shop for some other stocking stuffers this Christmas, because the new album won't be out until 2018.

That's the word from guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell, who had originally hoped the latest Chains offering would be ready this year, but clearly that won't happen.

"We’ve been working all summer on writing some tunes. We worked a little bit in Seattle over the summer. We’re just kind of taking our time. Hopefully we’ll get something together for you guys next year," said Cantrell, 51. "We’re in the process of cobbling together some tunes, and hopefully in the very near future we’ll have something out for you guys."

The upcoming record will be Alice in Chains' third studio effort since the passing of original vocalist Layne Staley in 2002.

Their previous two records, Black Gives Way to Blue and 2013's The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here, were both fairly well received by most fans of the band, although a vocal minority wants nothing to do with them since Staley overdosed and Cantrell, stalwart drummer Sean Kinney and bassist Mike Inez carried on with William Duvall handling Staley's vocals during concerts.

And the guy who produced their last two albums, Nick Raskulinecz, is again handling production duties for the upcoming record, which is being worked on at Studio X in Seattle. It's the same venue they recorded their 1995 self-title "tripod" album.

While fans don't' know much about what what direction Alice in Chains will go this time around, one thing they can count on is a good-sounding record with thick, sludging guitars, good overall tone and Alice in Chains exceptional vocal harmonies.

Let's hope the new albums sees the band stretch itself out more than they did on the last record, where several songs lacked a spark and seemed a bit too formulaic.

Read about how Degradation Trip is such a window into Jerry Cantrell's soul

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"Degradation Trip": The Window into Jerry Cantrell's Soul

The eyes might be the window into someone's soul, but for Alice in Chains guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell, his second solo album Degradation Trip (which was dedicated to Layne Staley) is the window into his soul.

Released in June 2002, just two months after Staley was found dead of an overdose in his Seattle apartment, Degradation Trip is a vivid showcase for what Cantrell was going through emotionally when he wrote it from the fall of 1998 into spring of 1999. Alice in Chains was on its last legs as Staley had been in seclusion for some time.

Holing himself up in seclusion in a house located in Washington's Cascade Mountains, east of Seattle, Cantrell poured himself out emotionally into 25 songs, writing on an old Les Paul using a four-track recorder.

"I rarely bathed during that period of writing; I sent out for food; I didn't really venture out of my house in three or four months. It was a hell of an experience," said Cantrell in his Roadrunner Records bio. "The album is an overview of birth to now. . . Boggy Depot (his first solo record) is like kindergarten compared to this. The massive sonic growth from Boggy Depot to Degradation Trip is comparable to the difference between our work in the Alice in Chains albums Facelift to Dirt, which was also a tremendous leap."

"I got into a writing session which lasted for three or four months where I just continued to spew and pour all of this shit out of the depths of myself from every level and aspect of my life. I dealt with a lot of issues that aren't easy for me to verbally get across," said Cantrell. "I think it's easier for me to do it in a musical venue. But it was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. I'm glad I did it and I'm glad I went through the experience, but it's certainly something I don't ever want to do again."

The album, recorded with Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo and Faith No More Drummer Mike Bordin, was first released as one record consisting of 14 tracks, at the request of Roadrunner Records. Then, five months after that was out, the label put out another version, Degradation Trip Volumes 1 & 2 with all 25 songs, which was the way Cantrell intended.

With more of an Alice in Chains vibe than Boggy Depot, you kind of think Cantrell may have been writing for the band, however that never materialized. But he played two of the songs, "Died" and "Get Born Again" to Staley, who helped finish them. "Get Born Again" appeared on the Nothing's Safe: Best of the Box album, while "Died" showed up on the Music Bank collection in 1999. It was the last song Staley recorded with the band.

Lyrically, Cantrell opens up about his relationship with Staley, especially on songs like "Bargain Basement Howard Hughes", which appears to be nod towards Staley's reclusiveness and the relationship the two had, with Cantrell confessing he broke Staley's trust in him and stole his dignity when he sings "Dignity I'd steal, now I know how it feel". It's that interpersonal turmoil that really comes through on this song.

You Do Your Thing, I'll Live My Life

Another is "Locked On" with its pretty clear lyrics like "Fallen rock star pushing needle. You don't know? Well that's alright. You do your thing, I'll live my life."

And to get a sense of Cantrell's mindset in late 1998, there's "Psychotic Break", which was sort of prophetic ("Thinking 'bout my dead friends whose voices ring on") after Staley died months before the record's release. Another is "Solitude", where Cantrell discusses the self-imposed isolation he put himself in and how he had to "take the time to pull the weeds choking flowers in your (his) life".

Then there's the track "Spiderbite" (one of the best on the record), which depicts how Cantrell got hooked on cocaine after doing it for the first time at 19 years old in Houston. While the songs "Dying Inside" and "Pro False Idol" take a cynical look at what being a rock star is all about.

Through every dark, visceral track, Cantrell leaves something from his psyche and it certainly makes for great listening and a phenomenal album.

If you're an Alice in Chains fan and haven't listened to Degradation Trip, it's a must.

Check out our look at the five most underrated Alice in Chains songs with Layne Staley on vocals

Angry Chair: Layne Staley's Insight into Rehab

Layne Staley (August 22, 1967 – April 5, 2002)

When you look at Alice in Chains' finest album, Dirt, there is a chain of songs, all in a row, dealing with heroin and being an addict. Now, all the lyrics for those tracks ("Junkhead", "Dirt", "God Smack", "Hate to Feel" and "Angry Chair") were written by Layne Staley and they ultimately tell the tale of getting into heroin, becoming addicted, then trying to kick it.

While many addicted rock stars shy away from publicly talking about their drug use, Staley did it as a warning for people to stay away from smack.

And, ultimately, "Angry Chair" is about being in rehab and Narcotics Anonymous (NA).

Staley composed both the music and lyrics for "Angry Chair", a great song which has a very cool vibe with lots of echo and reverb, as he tells the tale of being right in rehab, dealing with being dopesick and the messages he's getting from counsellors at NA.

When you examine the lyrics from that point of view, Staley gives listeners insight into exactly what he's going through as he sits in an angry chair (a metaphor for rehab), feeling claustrophobic as his stomach hurts with the pain of withdrawal, but he doesn't care. Feeling apathetic is part of the withdrawal process, according to those who have been through it.

Then come the hallucinations as moderate to severe withdrawal sets in, as he sees himself across the way, moulded in clay. It seems real, so he's afraid as the face changes shape.

Following that, withdrawal gets worse as he goes through hell, "Burning on the angry chair". People going through withdrawal from heroin and other opiates say it's like going through hell.

Pink Cloud Has Now Turned to Grey

Then he realizes that "little boy made a mistake" as he knows the full consequences of getting into smack.

Then comes the "pink cloud" reference, which is a term used in NA to describe being sober, but it turns to grey as the withdrawal exerts its hold on him. But all he wants is to keep doing it, yet they tell him to get on his knees and pray, – another nod to NA, which often brings spirituality into the process to kick drugs – explaining why so many former addicts are born-again Christians.

Field of Pain is Where I Graze

Then Staley talks of being lonely in the the field of pain where he grazes. Of note here is he says "serenity is far away". Serenity is apparently a mantra of NA, but for him, it's far away.

Another reference, when he says "weight of my heart, not the size" is about an addict's heart actually swells up the more they use and can kill them. Interestingly, a person who's good has a big heart, but Staley turns it around to say it's the weight, not the size, meaning drugs have made him bad.

But even while he's trying to kick, Staley's not buying what NA is selling as he says "feed me your lies, open wide" and the line "So I'm strung out anyway" kind of says it's no big deal being an addict. Then the chorus of "lost my mind, yeah. I don't mind. Can't find it anywhere, I don't mind" is almost like Staley is saying he ultimately doesn't care about rehab.

In David de Sola's book "Alice in Chains - The Untold Story" Staley's mom estimated her son had been to rehab "12 or 13 times".

Check out how Alice in Chains created Dirt

Digging For Dirt: How Alice In Chains Made Their Ultimate Album

Among the truly great heavy metal albums, Alice in Chains' masterpiece Dirt is easily a cut above the rest.

Released in September, 1992, Dirt took the Seattle band to No. 6 on the U.S. Billboard chart, no small feat for band that got little airplay and a record with drug addiction, depression and anger as central themes.

But, aside from the lyrics and amazing songs, what makes Dirt such a great record is how good it sounds.

Produced by Dave Jerden, who also worked with AIC on their debut Facelift album, Dirt has a doomy, heavy sound that announced the band as one of the heavy hitters in rock at the time.

And central to that amazing sound is how guitarist and principal music writer Jerry Cantrell got those super thick and heavy guitar tones.

Turns out Cantrell actually recorded each riff through high, mid and low frequency amps to get three different tones. Then those tracks were double and triple tracked to fatten up the sound. Jerden and engineer Bryan Carlstrom built a customized splitter box that split the guitar into the three amps and cut down on the hissing and buzzing created from such a process.

You can really hear the thickness in songs like "Them Bones" and "Rooster".

In an interview with Music Radar, Jerden credits Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich for helping him find the right drum sound at One On One Studio in LA that helped Sean Kinney sound like a monster on Dirt.

"We recorded it at One On One, where Metallica did their "Black" album. Lars told me that they had this 31-inch woofer for the kick drum. I rented a PA system and put the kick drum, toms and snare through this woofer plus these huge side monitors," Jerden told Music Radar. "That went into the room sound, and it made the drums sound like artillery going off. I credit Lars with turning me on to that room."

Those who have read David de Sola's book "Alice in Chains: The Untold Story" will know that Layne Staley didn't like anyone watching him lay down the vocals. And that was the case recording Dirt. Staley would go into the booth by himself and cut vocals. He usually did them very quickly, with minimal retakes, in total privacy.

Staley's Vocal Booth Shrine

Dave Jerden behind the board

In de Sola's book, Carlstrom recalls Staley had created an inspirational shrine in the booth that included candles and a picture of the Last Supper, as well as a dead puppy in a jar.

As for how Jerden produced Staley's booming voice, he said he had two 24-track machines and used 16 tracks for Staley's vocal parts.

"I tripled-tracked him, and he sounded great. He knocked out his parts and just sang great. I made this effect using delays on Layne’s vocals with an Eventide Harmonizer; in fact, I called the effect ‘Layne Staley.’ Reverb can darken things up, but delays keep things hard and powerful," said Jerden. "None of the mixes took long. A lot of them were done in just half an hour."

Naturally, the songs speak for themselves on Dirt: A collection of phenomenal music with nary a filler track to be found (except for the 44-second "Intro: Dream Sequence). The songs are propelled by the stunning harmonies of Staley and Cantrell's voices, particularly on "Down in a Hole", "Them Bones", and the Staley-penned "Angry Chair", which those who have gone through drug rehab say is a song about the process of being in treatment and trying to kick heroin.

As for the album art, many wrongly believe the woman on the cover is Staley's then-girlfriend, Demri Parrott. In fact it's an actress named Mariah O'Brien who is laid out in the dirt of the desert. But she does look a lot like Parrott.

Suffice it to say, Dirt is a timeless album for the ages that will be enjoyed by many more generations of music fans.

Check out the five most underrated Alice in Chains songs with Layne Staley.

Five of the Saddest Songs Ever Written

Elton John famously sang that "Sad songs say so much" and it's true, even though that song is too chipper sounding to make this list. When you're down or unhappy, a sad song can sound so good and speak to what you're feeling. Many of the most famous songs of woe include lyrics about a real-live event or tragedy, which make them even more poignant. Check out our list of five of the saddest songs:

"Everybody Hurts" - R.E.M.

R.E.M.'s "Everybody Hurts" is a song urging someone not to commit suicide, backed by mournful verses, strings and an organ that sounds straight out of a funeral parlour. While the overall tone of the 1992 track is desperately depressing, the chorus is one of hope and inspiration. As guitarist Peter Buck said of the song, the lyrics are very straightforward because they wanted the song to resonate with teenagers - the group that has the highest suicide rates. This amazing track was used in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie.

"The Grace" - Neverending White Lights (Vocals by Dallas Green)

Written by Canadian Daniel Victor and sung by fellow Canuck Dallas Green, "The Grace" is another song about taking one's own life. The narrator has lost hope in life and love, and begins wondering if dying is a positive thing given all the negatives surrounding him. It's a sorrowful song where the narrator does end up committing suicide. Green's vocal performance is nothing short of stunning. He adds the perfect inflection to the lyrics, as if he wrote them himself.

"All of My Love" - Led Zeppelin

Taken my most to be a love song, "All of My Love" from 1979's In Through the Out Door is in fact a tribute to Robert Plant's son, Karac, who died in 1977 when he was just five years old. He likely dies of stomach enteritis. Knowing the song's subject matter turns it into a father mourning his dead son and the lyrics take on a new life. Plant, in interviews, calls the song one Led Zeppelin's "finest moments".

"Empty Garden (Hey, Hey Johnny)" - Elton John

"Empty Garden (Hey, Hey Johnny)" deals with the 1980 murder of John Lennon, who was good friends with Elton John and Bernie Taupin, who wrote the song's lyrics. John was even named godfather to Lennon's son, Sean, in 1975. The melancholy music is perfectly suited to the words of the song as Elton struggles to comprehend the suddenness of Lennon's passing after being murdered by crazed superfan Mark David Chapman. Over the years, John has rarely played this song live because the memory of Lennon's death is too painful.

"Tears in Heaven" - Eric Clapton

"Tears in Heaven" is a Clapton acoustic ballad about the death of his four-year-old son after falling from the window of a New York high rise in 1991. It was co-written with Will Jennings. Clapton, who said writing the song helped him heal, wrote the words for the first verse, and urged Jennings to come up with the release ("Time can bring you down, time can bend your knees ..."). The track was featured in the 1991 movie Rush.

Bonus: "Nutshell" - Alice in Chains

When an artist foretells his or own death in a song, it really hits home after the fact. That was the case with Alice in Chains' "Nutshell" and vocalist Layne Staley, who died of a heroin overdose in 2002. Not only is the tone of the song about as sombre as it gets, lyrically Staley warns of fighting "this battle all alone. No one to cry to, no place to call home." He sticks to the song's mantra that "if I can't be my own, I'd feel better dead." And that was the case with Staley, who slowly became more and more reclusive after Jar of Flies was released in 1993 until he was found dead in his Seattle apartment.

Check out our look at 5 of the hottest women in heavy metal and rock today

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Five of the Greatest Metal Concerts Recorded on Video

There's nothing like watching a great band rocking at their peak on a night when they really have their proverbial shit together. These five videos are among the best hard rock/heavy metal concerts ever recorded live. Not necessarily the best ever, but certainly among them.

Guns N Roses live at the Ritz in 1988

This amazing gig was recorded on the second leg of their North American tour at the Ritz in New York on Feb. 2, 1988 for MTV. The pro-shot video captures the Gunners at their best, well before they became the world's biggest rock band. The punky rawness and intensity are there as Slash, Axl, Duff, Izzy and Steven Adler give 'er on stage. It's a great look at the band in such a small setting.

Judas Priest Live Vengeance Tour in Memphis (1982)

Judas Priest were peaking when they released Screaming for Vengeance in 1982 and the concert footage filmed in Memphis, Tenn. shows how good they sounded live. Sadly, there used to be the full concert shown on one Youtube video, but Sony has monetized it and broken it down song by song (17 tracks in all). But it's still worth watching as the band absolutely kicks ass. There's hardly a mistake throughout and Priest vocalist Rob Halford doesn't miss a note in this show. It's a must see for Priest and classic metal fans. "Riding on the Wind" is stellar, as is "Victim of Changes".

Iron Maiden Live After Death from 1985

Released as video along with a double album of the same name, Live After Death captures Iron Maiden on their first ever released pro-shot video. The video was shot during the World Slavery Tour in 1985 in Long Beach, Calif. At that time, Iron Maiden was the biggest metal band in the world and it features their classic lineup in fine form. Again, there is no single youtube video of the entire show, but all songs from the full video can be found.

Van Halen Live Without a Net from 1986

Recorded on the 5150 tour in 1986 at New Haven, Conn., Live Without a Net captured the mighty Van Halen on its first tour without David Lee Roth. The video shows Sammy Hagar - their newly minted vocalist at the time - and Eddie Van Halen getting along famously, while the band is simply kicking it - just watch "5150".

Alice in Chains live at the Moore in 1990

This is one of the few pro-shot Alice in Chains shows with Layne Staley and was recorded in December, 1990 at the Moore in Seattle, before the band would begin a year on the road touring to support the Facelift album. The video captures a night where Staley is dialled in, his voice simply booming as the band cranks out material from Facelift. This was Alice in Chains before Staley and bassist Mike Starr became addicted to heroin. The sheer power they had live is all right there on tape.

The Five Most Underrated Alice In Chains Songs with Layne Staley

Alice in Chains have produced a stellar catalogue of albums and amazing songs over their career. Hardcore Alice in Chains fan no doubt love these five most underrated tracks with the late, great Layne Staley, but newer Chains fans should definitely check them out to get a feel for some of the songs that don't get all the glory, yet are still powerful examples of the band's finest work.

"Real Thing" from Facelift

One of the most pro drug songs off Alice in Chains' debut album, "Real Thing" was written by Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell and, lyrically, it details a love for drugs, presumably cocaine here (at the time of writing and recording Facelift, he claims he wasn't a heroin user). The chorus is typically good Chains with a swinging Cantrell riff carrying it along. It might be the last track on Facelift, but "Real Thing" is one of the most underrated AIC songs.

"Rain When I Die" from Dirt

"Rain When I Die" is an exemplary song from Dirt: A slow, grinding track that's both ominous, freaky and depressingly beautiful all at the same time. Staley wrote the lyrics, while Cantrell, drummer Sean Kinney and bassist Mike Starr contributed the music. It's certainly got a grunge feel to it with its slow, plodding pace and wah wah parts. Kinney and Starr give "Rain When I Die" an amazing groove. While a pretty depressing song lyrically (it's also one of the most ambiguous tracks in terms of the words), the chorus is amazingly powerful with Staley's vocals right on point.

"What the Hell Have I" from Last Action Hero Soundtrack

Seems strange to have an Alice in Chains song on the soundtrack for an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie, but that's where "What the Hell Have I" ended up, after not making onto the Dirt album. The verses have an Eastern feel to them with Staley and Cantrell both handling vocals, but the chorus is pure, powerful Chains at their best with amazing harmonies and a heavy riff. Check out the Toby Wright remixed version on Music Bank as it sounds better than the soundtrack version.

"Over Now" from Alice in Chains

This song became a bit of a hit after the Unplugged album, but when Alice in Chains was released in November 1995, this track stood out because it was the last on the album that happened to be their final studio record with Layne Staley. Fans at the time knew AIC was on their last legs because of Staley's overwhelming heroin addiction. They'd cancelled tours and took a hiatus as Staley tried to get clean. During that time he recorded the Mad Season Above album before, rejoining Chains in the spring of 1995. Written mostly by Cantrell with help from Sean Kinney, "Over Now" is essentially about the end of the band. The verses are sung by Cantrell, with Staley helping out on the chorus, where there's a melancholy guitar lead behind the vocals, as if Cantrell knew this was over. But the real sadness comes out of Cantrell's guitar at the end in the form of a long emotive solo. The final note stretches on for 15 seconds, as if Cantrell doesn't want it to end. It's very poignant.

"Junkhead" from Dirt

If one song could sum up the Dirt album, it would be "Junkhead". It's heavy, ominous, boasts amazing harmonies on the chorus, and probably features the most pro-drug lyrics on the entire record. Written by Staley and Cantrell, the opening and verse riffs are dark and heavy with a Black Sabbath feel, then it changes and almost turns to happy, sunshine for the chorus as Staley and Cantrell sing out "What's my drug of choice? Well, what have you got? I don't go broke, but I do it a lot." Now, Junkhead isn't one of the best songs off Dirt, but it's definitely an underrated Alice in Chains song.

See how Alice in Chains recorded their amazing Dirt album and what Layne Staley kept in the vocal booth

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