Alice In Chains

Seattle legends hit the studio to record their first album in 14 years.

"It's gonna sound a little different but we're still Alice In Chains.

Legendary grunge titans Alice In Chains are putting the finishing touches to their first album of new material since they reformed in 2005. The album, which will be the band's first since 1995's self-titled effort, was recorded at Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl's Studio 606 complex in California with renowned producer Nick Raskulinecz, who has previously worked with Stone Sour, Trivium and Rush amongst others. As drummer Sean Kinney says, it's been a perfect match.

"When we decided to make a record, we met with a bunch of producers and Nick was obviously the guy, you know?" he says. "We really dug him as a guy. A lot pf producers have their own sound and all the bands they work with end up sounding similar. Our band has a core sound to it, so we're never really needed a producer to do anything other than record us. Nick's an old-school amps. You really play, and that's what we're used to."

This will be the first AIC album to feature new vocalist William DuVall, who has been with the band since 2006, but even though his voice is noticeably different from his predecessor's - the late, great Layne Staley, who passed away in 2002 - Sean is adamant that the new material will make long-time fans of the band feel much at home.

"It's gonna sound a little different, inevitably, but the songwriting and the guys playing sounds like Alice," he states. "It's the only thing we know how to do. If it was a problem I'd say, 'Man, it's too vintagel!' or some shit. There's not enough drum machine! Ha ha ha! I don't know. It sounds like us. With our music, the people that loved it loved the shit out of it, to this day, and the people that never got it didn't dig it. Nothing's changed!"

Alice In Chains' as-yet-untitled return is due to hit the shops and the band will be embarking on an intensive bout of festivals and headlines shows to promote it. And having already weathered a storm of cynicism and proved that this reunion is worth supporting, Sean and his band mates are relishing a second bite at the rock'n'roll cherry.

"It's just feels right so we're going to see where it goes, " he concludes. "When our time comes, hopefully someone will tell us, 'Hey, you're too stupid-looking to be doing this shit!' Rock'n'roll's a young guy's game and we were 20 when we started the band. But in the end, I'm digging the record. The music just continues, man."