Alice In Chains Guitarist Talks About Their Upcoming Fifth Album

Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell has revealed in a recent interview with Rolling Stone, that the band have begun work on the follow-up album to 2009’s Black Gives Way To Blue. The four-piece will head into the studio in the coming months.

Also talking about the delay between beginning the initial writing process way back in 2010:

“We started writing [in 2010],” Cantrell said. “[Then] 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. But we’ve been writing through the whole process.”

Following their self-titled record in 1995, the Seattle-based band went into a long period of inactivity, mainly due to the drug habits of singer Layne Staley. Staley passed away in 2002, but it was another four years until the three remaining members of the band, Jerry Cantrell, bassist Mike Inez and drummer Sean Kinney, first regrouped for a benefit show and then officially returned with new frontman William DuVall.

Previously Elton John appeared on their album, but this time Cantrell says there won’t be any special guest appearances, adding: “That’s just the universe lining up right. I had nothing to do with that other than asking. What he is, beyond anything else, is a fucking amazing musician … he’s the guy who inspired me to start playing music, so to have him play on one of our records – especially such a meaningful record, where we’re restarting our musical careers and saying goodbye and honoring our buddy – it’s a tremendous thing.”

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