Jerry Cantrell confirms new Alice in Chains record, tour

Rainier Fog gets its title from Mount Rainier in the band’s hometown of Seattle

Guitarist Jerry Cantrell has confirmed that Alice in Chains will tour and release a new album, Rainier Fog, on August 24th. The ten track album was recorded last year with drummer Sean Kinney, bassist Mike Inez and singer-guitarist William DuVall. This is the third album with DuVall following the unexpected death of original singer Layne Staley in 2002.

“I get excited when I hear that shit,” Cantrell tells Rolling Stone. “That’s a real test. If music makes you want to dance, makes you want to headbang, makes you want to air guitar, then the emotion is being conveyed. That’s what music is all about: that transfer of energy and a shared experience.”

“The One You Know” is the first single and album opener. The second single, “So Far Under,” was written by DuVall and features a guitar solo by the singer. The snarling title track is a tribute to the Seattle grunge scene the group stems from.

“This song is a little homage to all of that: where we come from, who we are, all of the triumphs, all of the tragedies, lives lived,” states Cantrell, who took the title from Mount Rainier, which overlooks the region.

The original “Rainier Fog” demo was recorded at Cantrell’s home studio in Los Angeles. Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan, who also hales from Seattle, laid down the bass on the track stating, “That’s your first single, man!”

The bulk of the basic tracks were recorded at Studio X in Seattle last summer. Queensrÿche guitarist Chris DeGarmo played acoustic guitar on “Drone,” a song Cantrell confirms he struggled with in the studio. The band spent two months in Nashville where they focused on vocals and guitar solos at producer Nick Raskulinecz’s studio. He finished most of the vocals and solo in his Los Angeles living room after becoming ill at rocker Sammy Hagar’s Birthday Bash in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. The final sessions were completed at Hensen Studios in Hollywood.

The group is launching a three month North American tour in August to support Rainier Fog. The trek kicks off August 22nd in Vancouver with stops in Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Tucson, El Paso, Dallas, Oklahoma City, San Diego, New Orleans and more. It wraps October 28th in Hollywood, FL.

Tour Dates:

Aug 22 – Vancouver, Canada – Queen Elizabeth Theatre
Aug 25 – Seattle, WA – White River Amphitheatre
Aug 26 – Portland, OR – Sunlight Supply Amphitheater
Aug 28 – Paso Robles, CA – Vina Robles Amphitheatre
Aug 29 – Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Palladium
Aug 31 – Riverside, CA – Riverside Municipal Auditorium
Sep 1 – Las Vegas, NV – Pearl Concert Theater At Palms Casino
Sep 3 – Tucson, AZ – Tucson Convention Center
Sep 4 – El Paso, TX – Abraham Chavez Theatre
Sep 6 – Austin, TX – ACL Live
Sep 7 – Houston, TX – Revention Music Center
Sep 8 – Dallas, TX – The Pavilion At Toyota Music Factory
Sep 10 – Tulsa, OK – Brady Theater
Sep 11 – Kansas City, MO – Arvest Bank Theatre At The Midland
Sep 13 – Denver, CO – Fillmore Auditorium
Sep 15 – Phoenix, AZ – Comerica Theatre
Sep 16 – San Diego, CA – Kaaboo Festival
Oct 14 – Sacramento, CA – Aftershock Festival
Oct 16 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Depot
Oct 18 – Colorado Springs, CO – Pikes Peak Center
Oct 20 – Newkirk, OK – First Council Casino
Oct 21 – Durant, OK – Choctaw Grand Theatre
Oct 23 – New Orleans – Saenger Theatre
Oct 24 – Birmingham, AL – BJCC Concert Hall
Oct 26 – St. Augustine, FL – St. Augustine Amphitheatre
Oct 27 – Orlando, FL – Hard Rock Live
Oct 28 – Hollywood, FL – Hard Rock Events Center

Buddy Iahn
Buddy Iahn

Buddy Iahn founded The Music Universe when he decided to juxtapose his love of web design and music. As a lifelong drummer, he decided to take a hiatus from playing music to report it. The website began as a fun project in 2013 to one of the top independent news sites. Email: info@themusicuniverse.com