Alice in Chains

Mike Starr's Death Should Be A Warning, Addiction Specialist Says

09 Mar 2011 19:49:18 EST

'As tragic as that is to watch, almost 20 million people are living in recovery,' Robert J. Lindsey says of ex-Alice in Chains bassist's death.
By Ryan J. Downey

The death of ex-Alice in Chains bassist Mike Starr raised a number of questions for his fans, as the loss of anyone who publicly struggled with drugs or alcohol often does. Why wasn't his treatment, documented on VH1's "Celebrity Rehab" and "Sober House," a success? Why can't someone like Starr just stop using drugs?

"[The addiction] literally hijacks the person's brain and takes over," Robert J. Lindsey, president and CEO of the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, told MTV News on Wednesday (March 9). "For somebody who has become physically and emotionally addicted, stopping and staying stopped is the hardest thing in the world to do.

"The first thing to understand about alcoholism and addiction is that it's similar to other chronic illnesses, like heart disease or diabetes. It's chronic, it's progressive and it's fatal if it's untreated," he added. "Some people, despite the best efforts on their part and others, will die from their addiction. It's our hope that Mike's death will serve for many as the opportunity for them to either seek help for themselves, a friend or family member."

The NCADD estimates that there are more than 23 million people in the United States who are addicted to alcohol and other drugs. "That's almost 10 percent of the population," Lindsey pointed out. And while Starr's death made headlines, as the seemingly endless relapses of other celebrities do as well, he's quick to illustrate the growing picture of treatment. "It's equally important to highlight the fact that we estimate that maybe 20 million individuals and family members are living lives in recovery today."

The history of Alice in Chains is unfortunately tied to drugs, specifically heroin, in many ways. The group wrote several songs about it and regularly disappeared from the limelight while singer Layne Staley battled his demons. He eventually died of an overdose of heroin and cocaine in 2002 while living as a virtual recluse. Starr had been gone from the group for nearly two decades already, reportedly fired for his inability to manage his own drug habits.

In more recent years, he seemed to be doing well on "Celebrity Rehab" and "Sober House." He was living in Salt Lake City, Utah, and reportedly making music with Days of the New when he was arrested on suspicion of drug possession during a traffic stop last month. TMZ reported on Wednesday that Starr had been mixing methadone and anxiety medication just hours before his death, according to his roommate. The report maintains that Starr was using the drugs as part of his effort to stay clean and had been "doing a pretty good job."

"In terms of recovery, for most that are successful, it starts with abstaining completely from the use of alcohol or other drugs," countered Lindsey. "At the same time, we certainly have had some experience that in some cases some medications can be very helpful in people's recovery. But it needs, absolutely, to be managed by a physician who is both specifically trained, experienced and certified in addiction medicine. This is not something that can or should be done by the individual or done with a physician who is not certified in addiction medicine."

So what separates someone like Starr from rockers like Keith Richards or Lemmy from Motörhead, who seem to be managing their lives just fine while actively engaging in the use of alcohol and most likely other substances? In the recent documentary "Lemmy: 49% Motherf---er, 51% Son of a Bitch," much was made of the 65-year-old rocker's seemingly consequence-free use of Jack Daniels and methamphetamine. Metallica's James Hetfield, who himself has been in treatment for alcoholism and other addictions, was in awe of Lemmy's resilience.

"Well. the keyword there is that he seems to be OK," Lindsey explained. "If you talked to his family, his friends, his physician, would they agree with that statement? The important point is the other pieces that are at play here are both physiology and genetics. For some people, they are able to use alcohol and other drugs with little or no consequence in their life, whether that be physically, emotionally, financially, legally or at work.

"People ask us all the time: 'How do you define alcoholism and addiction?' " Lindsey said. "Our best and simplest definition is continued use despite negative consequence. It doesn't talk about how much, how often or what. The only thing that matters is what happens when you drink or use. If it causes problems for your relationship, your health, or you get arrested and you continue to drink or use, it's time to get to somebody who is both trained and successfully experienced in dealing with alcoholism and addiction."

Perhaps the saddest part of Starr's story is that the last memory his fans had before his death was his appearance on "Celebrity Rehab," where he encouraged new castmembers with his own six months of sobriety.

"[Many people] tend to approach the issue from a commonsense perspective, and common sense says: 'If I haven't drank or used for six months or more, I should be able to go back and use a little bit like a regular person does,' " Lindsey said. "But addiction is chronic, progressive and fatal if untreated. The addiction literally starts up right where the person left off. That's why abstinence is the basis for most people's long-term successful recovery.

"[Starr's death] is alcoholism and addiction played out to its logical conclusion [when] absent recovery," he added. "As tragic as that is to watch, almost 20 million people are living in recovery. The public needs to know that story.

"There's hope, there's help, and there's healing."

If you or someone you know is struggling with alcohol or other drugs, please visit NCADD's website for information on how to get help.

Share your well-wishes for Starr's friends and family in the comments.

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Mike Starr's Death Continues Alice In Chains' Dark Legacy

09 Mar 2011 14:01:20 EST

Singer Layne Staley died of a drug overdose in 2002.
By Gil Kaufman

The death on Tuesday of former Alice in Chains bassist Mike Starr continued the tragic legacy of one of the most beloved bands to emerge out of the early 1990s grunge scene in Seattle.

Largely because of late singer Layne Staley's debilitating drug addiction, in their heyday, AIC were known almost as much for their long periods of inactivity as they were for their gloom-laden, brooding music.

Melding hard-rock guitars and the sludgy grunge aesthetic of the time, AIC stood out from the pack thanks to their adoption of a more classic heavy-metal sound and intense, almost unrelentingly bleak lyrics that touched on everything from drug addiction and isolation to the plight of Vietnam veterans.

The seeds of the group were formed in 1986, when a then-teenage Staley quit his first group, Sleeze, and formed a new band, Alice N Chains, which followed the lead of a number of other Seattle bands at the time in mixing up the gender-bending look and sound of glam metal with the more hard-hitting sound of speed-metal acts such as Slayer.

The rail-thin, enigmatic Staley met future AIC guitarist Jerry Cantrell when both were working at the Music Bank rehearsal studios, and they soon became roommates. When Alice N Chains fizzled out, Staley joined forces with Cantrell, who brought along his bandmates from the glam act Diamond Lie, drummer Sean Kinney and bassist Starr. They considered a number of names for their new group, including Mothra, but decided to go with Alice in Chains because Staley thought it suggested the image of a cross-dressing speed-metal band.

After working on their patented mix of brutish, crunching guitars and grim psychedelic blues, the group quickly stood apart from future Seattle peers by honing a menacing sound that owed more to the work of metal icons Black Sabbath and Deep Purple than the punk-derived sound of such grunge contemporaries as Nirvana and Soundgarden.

A demo called The Treehouse Tapes in 1988 won them a major-label deal with Columbia Records the next year. A three-song promotional EP, We Die Young, was released in July 1990, spawning the hard-rock radio hit in the title track, followed by their first full-length effort, Facelift, in August of that year.

The album was a landmark in contemporary hard rock, mixing the over-the-top guitar heroics of the previous decade with grinding tempos. Staley's rumbling vocals were hypnotic, ominously singing lines such as "Love, sex, pain, confusion, suffering/ You're there crying/ I feel not a thing/ Drilling my way deeper in your head/ Sinking, draining, drowning, bleeding, dead" on the track "Confusion."

The album produced a bona fide hit with a song that bore the band's soon-to-be hallmark music signature, "Man in the Box." It was inspired by a story Staley reportedly overheard about how veal were raised in tiny spaces, and it combines his haunted vocals with Cantrell's fuzzed-out, choppy guitar. Other songs, such as "Sea of Sorrow" and "Bleed the Freak," set out the template for Staley's emerging creative voice: a morbidly disaffected social outcast fighting to survive in mainstream society.

AIC hit the road for their first U.S. tour that year, followed by a summer swing with Anthrax, Slayer and Megadeth the next summer under the title Clash of the Titans. They were back in March 1992 with a largely acoustic four-song EP called Sap, which featured the vocals of Ann Wilson of Heart and Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell. Thanks to the smash success of Nirvana's Nevermind and the inclusion of the AIC song "Would?" on the soundtrack of the grunge movie "Singles" in the summer of 1992, Columbia began marketing AIC to both metal and alternative fans, which greatly increased the group's fanbase.

Work on their second full-length, Dirt, began in Los Angeles on the same day riots erupted in that city, postponing the sessions for two weeks. The resulting music was another bleak manifesto from the now commercially successful, Grammy-nominated group. While Staley sang about the ravages of drug addiction and self-destruction ("Junkhead," "God Smack," "Sickman," "Angry Chair"), Cantrell attempted to make peace with his father through the dramatic Vietnam-themed epic "Rooster."

The album was influential in a number of ways. Singer/songwriter Ryan Adams and the hard-rock band Fuel have covered "Down in a Hole," and rockers Godsmack chose their name from a song with that title.

After the album's release, Starr, then struggling with drug problems, was replaced by former Ozzy Osbourne bassist Mike Inez. Though rumors of Staley's drug issues were rampant at the time, the band successfully hit the road as part of the third Lollapalooza tour in 1993, and Dirt went on to sell more than 3 million copies.

Another EP of mostly acoustic tunes, Jar of Flies, was released in January 1994. It features two of the group's most iconic songs: the power ballads "I Stay Away" and "No Excuses." Staley broke off for a tour and album by his side project, Mad Season, in 1995, and AIC came back later that year with a self-titled album that debuted at #1 on the Billboard chart. But, as with Jar of Flies, there was no tour to support the album, and a long period of inactivity followed its release.

They got together for their first live show in three years for MTV's "Unplugged" in April 1996, an intense performance that was released on CD in July 1996. With the exception of a few opening gigs for Kiss that summer, the "Unplugged" show would be the final time the group performed live.

Cantrell released his solo debut, Boggy Depot, in 1998, with contributions from Inez and Kinney, but Staley was replaced by Screaming Trees singer Mark Lanegan on Mad Season's second album. A four-disc box set featuring rare and previously released AIC material entitled Music Bank was released in 1999 and a live album followed a year later. Staley became a recluse, rarely seen or heard from until news of his death emerged in early April 2002, when he was found dead of an overdose of cocaine and heroin at the age of 34, almost eight years to the day after Nirvana singer Kurt Cobain's suicide.

Cantrell continued to work solo, while Inez joined Slash's Snakepit, Black Label Society and the short-lived grunge supergroup Spys 4 Darwin. Kinney joined his former bandmates in 2005 for a benefit concert for tsunami relief, and the three original members regrouped under the AIC banner in 2006 with Comes With the Fall's William DuVall on vocals.

The re-formed bandreleased Black Gives Way to Blue in September 2009.

The original AIC had a short-but-crucial period of creativity that helped reshape the face of heavy metal in the 1990s after the excess and pop trash of the late 1980s L.A. glam-rock scene. Their nihilistic, brooding tone and dark edge helped inspire a new generation of bands, from Creed and Godsmack to Theory of a Deadman, the Deftones and Staind, and their songs remain a staple of hard-rock radio to this day.

Share your memories of Mike Starr and Alice in Chains in the comments.

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Mike Starr Mourned By Former Alice In Chains Bandmates

09 Mar 2011 08:46:00 EST

Bassist, 44, was found dead in his Salt Lake City home on Tuesday.
By Gil Kaufman

The original members of Alice in Chains reacted to the death of the band's former bassist Mike Starr.

Guitarist Jerry Cantrell and drummer Sean Kinney released a statement on Tuesday in which they said, "Jerry and Sean are mourning the loss of their friend and ask that the media respect their privacy — and the privacy of Mike's family — during this difficult time. Their thoughts & prayers are with the Starr family."

Starr, 44, was found dead Tuesday afternoon in his Salt Lake City home. A co-founding member of the pioneering Seattle grunge band, Starr appeared on VH1's "Celebrity Rehab" in 2009. He was arrested on February 18 for felony possession of a controlled substance. Salt Lake City police said he had several painkillers on him when he was arrested.

The bass player's death unleashed a flood of comments from Alice in Chains fans and fellow rockers including former Guns N' Roses members Steven Adler and Matt Sorum, as well as ex-Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy, Mötley Crüe's Nikki Sixx, former "Celebrity Rehab" castmate Mackenzie Phillips and "Rehab" host Dr. Drew Pinsky.

Slash weighed in on Twitter as well, writing, "really tragic news about Mike Starr. RIP."

The Salt Lake City Tribune reported that police do not suspect foul play and have turned the investigation into the cause of Starr's death over to the medical examiner's office.

Mike's dad told TMZ his son's death is "a terrible shock and tragedy."

Starr left Alice in Chains while touring behind their second album, Dirt, in 1993. Years later, he would reveal on "Celebrity Rehab" that his reason for leaving was his growing addiction to drugs. He briefly joined former Black Sabbath singer Ray Gillen in Sun Red Sun. Their self-titled debut was released in 1995, two years after Gillen died from AIDS-related complications.

Heroin addiction sent Starr to "Celebrity Rehab," which was followed by a stint in the spin-off show "Sober House."

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Mike Starr's Death Leaves Fans 'Heartbroken'

08 Mar 2011 22:28:44 EST

'My heart goes out to everyone he left behind,' one commenter writes after ex-Alice in Chains bassist's death. 'Addiction is very hard to kick.'
By Katie Byrne

News of former Alice in Chains bassist Mike Starr's death on Tuesday (March 8) had a big impact on his famous friends, including Mötley Crüe's Nikki Sixx and Dr. Drew, who treated Starr on "Celebrity Rehab." But the hardest hit may have been fans of the late musician, who flooded MTV News' comments section with memories of his music and well-wishes for his family.

"Very Sad," Cheryl wrote. "My heart goes out to everyone he left behind. Addiction is very hard to kick."

Kim added: "Not only do I love Alice in Chains, but I watched Mike on 'Celebrity Rehab' and 'Sober House' and you get to where you feel like you know them. This breaks my heart in two...there are not words. RIP, Mike."

Other commenters echoed those thoughts, lamenting Starr's fatal addictions.

"Such a sad story about him," Kandi wrote. "I guess it's not a shock because I was watching him on 'Celebrity Rehab' & 'Sober House.' Drugs are no joke at all. RIP Mike Starr."

"Very sad to hear. My thoughts are with his family," said fellow "Celebrity Rehab" viewer Michiangel. "I watched him struggle on 'Celebrity Rehab' and really hoped that he would surpass his addiction."

Teegee16 hoped other addicts would take Starr's death to heart: "They say you can't scare an addict but here's proof again that we can most certainly die from drugs. Hopefully he didn't die in vain and someone out there got the message about how serious addiction is."

"I am so heartbroken, I don't have words," Sometimes_Charlotte wrote. "My heart goes out to his family. He meant a lot to me; I have personal reasons for this. I can only imagine how devastated his family is."

Other fans remembered Starr's musical legacy as bassist for Alice in Chains from their inception in the late '80s until 1993.

"Rest in peace brother," Thorum wrote. "Thanks for the music and good times!!"

"You made a difference in my life, however humble that might be," James A. Brennan wrote to Starr. "Rest in peace dude."

Kevin called out his favorite album by the band: "Alice in Chains, Dirt...no substitute. God bless."

This isn't the first loss for Alice in Chains fans: Frontman Layne Staley died of a drug overdose back in 2002.

"Another great loss to the band and great bassists; too young brother," Joe wrote.

"Layne has some more company in Rock 'n Roll Heaven now," Sonia wrote. "R.I.P.,Mike. Alice In Chains fan forever."

Share your memories about Mike Starr and Alice in Chains in the comments.

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Mike Starr Remembered By Dr. Drew, Nikki Sixx, Steven Adler

08 Mar 2011 21:11:30 EST

'Celebrity Rehab' castmates Mackenzie Phillips and Lisa D'Amato also tweet about late ex-Alice in Chains bassist.
By Ryan J. Downey

Mike Starr's friends and fans have taken to Twitter to express their grief about the ex-Alice in Chains bassist's death on Tuesday (March 8).

"Devastating to hear of Mike Starr succumbing to his illness," tweeted Dr. Drew Pinsky, who treated Starr on VH1's "Celebrity Rehab" and the spin-off show "Sober House." "So very sad. Our prayers are with his family."

Former Guns N' Roses drummer Steven Adler — another founding member of a hard-rock powerhouse whose career was sidelined by drug addiction — also hit Twitter: "R.I.P. Mike Starr!! Such a sad day! :( :(" Adler is also a "Celebrity Rehab" alum, though the two men appeared on separate seasons. Starr would have turned 45 next month.

"Drugs and alcohol aren't a joke," tweeted Velvet Revolver drummer Matt Sorum, who replaced Adler in GN'R. "Please take care of yourself and respect yourself. We lost Mike Starr today. Rest in Peace man."

Ex-Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy, who filled in with Avenged Sevenfold after they lost Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan to an overdose, had this to say via Twitter: "RIP Mike Starr... I watched his struggle on Celebrity Rehab and had my fingers crossed for his recovery... this disease kills... sad stuff..."

Starr was found dead in a Salt Lake City house on Tuesday. He played bass for Alice in Chains from their inception in the late '80s until 1993, when he left the Seattle grunge stars while touring for their second album, Dirt.

Alice in Chains have several songs dealing with addiction. "You can't understand a user's mind," former singer Layne Staley sings on "Junkhead." Staley died in 2002 after overdosing on a mixture of heroin and cocaine.

Mötley Crüe's Nikki Sixx — a fellow hard-rock bassist who has made his own struggles with heroin very public (even calling his book and accompanying album with side project Sixx AM "The Heroin Diaries") — tweeted: "RIP Mike Starr. Another fallen Soldier to addiction... :("

"Mike Starr was a great and troubled guy," tweeted actress Mackenzie Phillips, who appeared on "Celebrity Rehab" with Starr. "I loved him. He would be so happy to know he's a #TT right now. Rest in Peace, brother. #dopekills"

Another of Starr's season-three castmates, Lisa D'Amato from "America's Next Top Model," tweeted: "My stomach is in my throat. We love U, Mike. #RIPMikey," with @ replies to Dr. Drew, Phillips, counselor Bob Forrest and Jennifer Gimenez, the actress known to reality-TV watchers as the house manager on VH1's "Sober House."

"I'm SHOCKED and SADDENED for the loss of MIKE STARR," Gimenez tweeted.

"Mike Starr was my homey," D'Amato tweeted a short time later. "He had a larger than life heart. My last visit w/him was a funny & sweet one. I'll always rmbr that. <3 #RIPMike."

"Mike Starr may you RIP," tweeted comedian Dane Cook. "Your music loves on forever."

Pro wrestler and hard-rock musician Chris Jericho tweeted, "Sorry to hear about Mike Starr's death. Amid all of the joking about tiger blood and winning, let's not forget that drugs kill people."

"Horrible news," tweeted Mark Morton, guitarist with heavy-metal band Lamb of God. "RIP Mike Starr."

Share your condolences for Starr's family and friends in the comments.

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Ex-Alice In Chains Bassist Mike Starr Found Dead

08 Mar 2011 19:40:59 EST

'Celebrity Rehab' alum was 44 years old.
By Ryan J. Downey

Former Alice in Chains bassist Mike Starr was found dead Tuesday afternoon (March 8).

TMZ reports that police found Starr's body in a Salt Lake City, Utah, house at 1:42 p.m. He was 44 years old.

A co-founding member of the pioneering Seattle grunge band, Starr appeared on VH1's "Celebrity Rehab" in 2009. He was arrested last month for felony possession of a controlled substance. Salt Lake City police said he had several painkillers on him when he was arrested. Alice in Chains have written heart-wrenching and evocative songs about drug addiction.

Former singer Layne Staley died in spring 2002 after overdosing on a mixture of heroin and cocaine, commonly known as a "speedball." The group mounted a successful comeback with 2009's Black Gives Way to Blue, which featured new vocalist William DuVall alongside guitarist Jerry Cantrell, drummer Sean Kinney and bassist Mike Inez.

Mike Starr was born April 4, 1966, in Honolulu. He rose to prominence in the Seattle scene as bassist for Diamond Lie, which featured Cantrell and Kinney. Once Staley entered the fold, they changed their name to Alice in Chains and signed a major-label deal. Starr appears on the group's debut album, Facelift, which produced the monster hit "Man in the Box." He's also on the band's follow-up EP release, Sap, and their second album, Dirt, which was released in September 1992.

Dirt is a hard rock classic, with "Rooster" remaining a radio staple. "Would?" was featured in the movie "Singles," which was set in the Seattle scene. "Down in a Hole" has been covered by Ryan Adams, Fuel and Demon Hunter. Songs like "Junkhead" dealt with heroin use head-on. The band Godsmack, whose sound owes much to Alice in Chains, took their name from track nine. Cantrell wrote the majority of the songs with some heavy contributions from Staley. Starr is credited as a co-writer on one track, "Rain When I Die."

Starr left Alice in Chains while touring behind Dirt in 1993. Years later, he would reveal on "Celebrity Rehab" that his reason for leaving was his growing addiction to drugs. He briefly joined former Black Sabbath singer Ray Gillen in Sun Red Sun. Their self-titled debut was released in 1995, two years after Gillen died from AIDS-related complications.

Heroin addiction sent Starr to "Celebrity Rehab," which was followed by a stint in the spin-off show "Sober House." He showed up on one episode of the following season of "Celebrity Rehab," celebrating more than six months of sobriety. He was arrested for possession by Salt Lake City police on February 18, 2011.

Travis Meeks of the band Days of the New was reportedly driving the van Starr was riding in when he was arrested last month. The singer/guitarist found platinum success with his band's first album in 1997 and a sound that drew comparisons to Alice in Chains. Meeks put together several different versions of the band in subsequent years, and his own drug problems landed him on the A&E show "Intervention" in 2005.

"Hey, officer, have you ever heard of Alice in Chains? I used to be the bass guitarist for them," Starr said to police, according to a local news report. "We are down here in Utah, me and Travis, putting together a new band."

According to a Ticketmaster listing, "Days of the New featuring Travis Meeks and Mike Starr" was scheduled to appear March 19 in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Mike's dad told TMZ his son's death is "a terrible shock and tragedy."

Share your condolences for Starr's friends and family in the comments.

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Alice In Chains, Mastodon Talk BlackDiamondSkye Tour, The 'Almond Joy' Of Hard Rock

29 Jul 2010 17:04:52 EDT

'You get three great flavors on one tour,' Alice in Chains' Jerry Cantrell jokes.
By James Montgomery

When it was first announced back in April, the BlackDiamondSkye Tour — which brings together three titans of hard rock: Alice in Chains, Deftones and Mastodon — instantly became a must-see show of the fall. But now, with something like two months until the first date, it's starting take on another mantle too: It may very well be the most delicious tour in recent memory.

"You've got three bands that are pretty distinct, you know, and pretty unique in their own way, and who have worked really hard at throwing out some music. And we're gonna throw it all out together," Alice in Chains mastermind Jerry Cantrell told MTV News. "It's better than a Reese's. You know, Reese's, you get two great tastes together ... we're kind of like an Almond Joy. You get almonds, chocolate and coconut, so you get three great flavors on one tour."

"It's interesting you say that," Mastodon drummer Brann Dailor joked. "Because we are currently seeking sponsorship for the tour, and I think Almond Joy would be a great one."

Someone should get the folks from Hershey's on the phone, stat. And while the guys are joking, they do make a rather important point: BlackDiamondSkye may very well be the, uh, sweetest tour to come down the pike in a long time, at least for fans of hard rock. Three heavyweight acts with three really excellent back catalogs to draw from, all sharing one stage. It'll be epic, for sure ... as long as the fans of each band can co-exist.

"I don't think that's gonna be a problem," Cantrell smiled. "We all have a fanbase that's been loyal to the band, and I think that as much as we're all unique as groups, I think we have a lot of overlap too. We're all about good music — not just creating it, but being a fan of it, too — so, for me, I'm excited to finally see each of these bands play a full set. It's gonna be cool to check these guys out."

"And get in the pit too. That'll be great," Dailor cracked. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm going in there. I got my leather pants, and I don't need a shirt, so I'm ready."

Are you looking forward to seeing the BlackDiamondSkye Tour? Let us know in the comments!

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Alice In Chains, Deftones, Mastodon Hit Road On Blackdiamondskye Tour

29 Apr 2010 09:21:00 EDT

'We're really looking forward to touring with our friends,' says Alice in Chains guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell.
By James Montgomery

After a week's worth of mysterious YouTube clips and countdown clocks, it's officially time to make the announcement: This fall, Alice in Chains, Deftones and Mastodon, three of the heaviest and most influential bands in the business, will join forces for a tour of epic proportions.

Dubbed "Blackdiamondskye" (an amalgamation of AIC's Black Gives Way to Blue, Deftones' upcoming Diamond Eyes and Mastodon's Crack the Skye album titles), the trek will kick off September 16 in Chicago and will pummel cities across the U.S. and Canada, before coming to a close on October 16 in Las Vegas.

According to a statement from tour organizers Live Nation, additional dates will be announced shortly. Tickets will go on sale in select markets beginning May 15 at Blackdiamondskye.com and LiveNation.com. Fan-club presales begin on May 10. For more information, check out the tour's official site.

And after spending all that time building up the mystery, both organizers and the bands are raring to unleash this beast on their legions of fans.

"We're really looking forward to touring with our friends, Deftones and Mastodon," Alice in Chains guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell said in a statement. "Each band has its own unique flavor and the combination of all three will make for a great show and a good time on the road."

Blackdiamondskye Tour dates are as follows:

» September 16 - Chicago, IL @ Charter One Pavilion at Northerly Island
» September 17 - Detroit, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre
» September 18 - Toronto, ON @ Molson Canadian Amphitheatre
» September 20 - Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena
» September 22 - Boston, MA @ Agannis Arena
» September 24 - New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
» September 28 - Atlanta, GA @ Aaron's Amphitheatre at Lakewood
» October 1 - St. Louis, MO @ Scottrade Center
» October 4 - Denver, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre
» October 7 - Vancouver, BC @ General Motors Place
» October 8 - Seattle, WA @ Key Arena
» October 9 - Portland, OR @ Rose Quarter - Memorial Coliseum
» October 16 - Las Vegas, NV @ The Joint

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Alice In Chains Say 'There Are Thoughts' Of A New Album

12 Apr 2010 13:14:00 EDT

'I don't see any reason why it wouldn't [happen],' Jerry Cantrell says of heading back into the studio.
By Brian Jacks

The death of Alice in Chains frontman Layne Staley in 2002 should have, by any reasonable expectation, ended the career of the platinum-selling rock act. But after an eight-year grieving period and the addition of a new singer, the group is back stronger than ever, with two consecutive singles landing at #1 on the Billboard Rock Songs chart. And nobody's more pleasantly surprised than guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell.

"I took my clothes off and ran down the street screaming at the top of my lungs," the songsmith joked to MTV News. "It's cool that we have something to say and there's somebody out there listening."

For newcomer William DuVall, replacing the enigmatic Staley has been a challenging journey as he's worked to gain acceptance from a skeptical fanbase. But if three years of sold-out shows are any indication, Duvall has surmounted any audience hesitation, and the singer is now experiencing life in the circle of a chart-topping group.

"We toured for two years before we even went into the studio, so that was interesting in itself," DuVall said. "But now this thing has become more real to us and everybody else, and it's just another important step in the journey. So yeah, I feel a lot of acceptance and it's ever-evolving."

The band is currently touring in support of Black Gives Way to Blue, their first new album with DuVall. The record, which spawned no less than two hits, has been certified gold, but the group isn't resting on their laurels. In fact, all indications are that fans of Alice in Chains may be picking up a second effort in the foreseeable future.

"There are thoughts," Cantrell said of heading back into the studio. "We'll see how far we get. Staying in the moment is a good way to live and we certainly hope that that happens. I don't see any reason why it wouldn't [happen]."

Alice in Chains' U.S. tour continues through June, before the group heads overseas this summer. But the rock act isn't the only band from the '90s hitting the road — this year brings news that fellow Seattle mainstays Soundgarden are also reuniting. With Stone Temple Pilots and Pearl Jam also on tour and the Foo Fighters back in the studio, is alternative rock coming back?

"I don't think it ever left," Cantrell said. "Yeah, there's a lot of activity from bands that were slugging it out in the '90s, us being one of them. But I think the thing that gets forgotten is all those guys were doing music all along. ... It's not like anyone quit doing stuff and we just thought, 'Hey, it's a good time to start doing it again.' We just continued to make music. But it's kind of nice because I love all those bands."

Cantrell doesn't have any specific advice for Chris Cornell and company, but he did have one statement to make on the Soundgarden reunion. "I'll buy a ticket. I want to see that."

Are you looking forward to seeing Alice in Chains on tour? Let us know in the comments below!

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Alice in Chains

Alice In Chains Take Over Malibu Mansion For 'Your Decision' Video

01 Dec 2009 12:41:00 EST

'Even though we've gone through a lot of changes, I think we're a better band for it,' Jerry Cantrell says.
By James Montgomery

MALIBU, California — "I think this is like the 20th video I've made with this band," Alice in Chains drummer Sean Kinney deadpans. "And on every single one of them, I've asked myself: 'Why am I doing this?' I still don't know the answer!"

He's kidding (we think), because AIC certainly did film a video for "Your Decision" — which premiered Tuesday (December 1) on the iTunes Music Store — in late October with director Steven Schuster (who had previously directed their "A Looking in View" clip), at an ornate Malibu mansion, with the band decked out in suits, playing a cotillion waltz for a ballroom full of well-heeled extras.

It's a dark, Kubrick-ian video, full of twists and turns — according to Kinney, there were "at least three different endings, though none of them can probably be shown on MTV" — and buttoned-up tension, the kind of high-concept, high-gloss thing that's befitting the band's resurgence. Black Gives Way to Blue, their first studio album in nearly 14 years, debuted at #5 on the Billboard Top 200 when it was released earlier this year, and has already produced two Modern Rock Radio hits.

So despite Kinney's comments, there are a lot of reasons for the band to be making this video.

"Deciding to continue, and make music together without our friend Layne [Staley, AIC's iconic frontman who died in 2002], was a huge hurdle, and then the time involved [is an issue] as well," guitarist/singer Jerry Cantrell said. "But the cool thing is, even though we've gone through a lot of changes, and we've grown a lot together as people, I think we're a better band for it. We worked really hard on this record, I think we went further that we have with any other, and ... we knew it had to be good. It had to be good for us. It would've been fine for us to have just gone through the process, and if it didn't work out or live up to expectations, we could've walked away knowing we gave it our best shot. Fortunately, it bloomed and grew into something else. We're really proud of it."

"It was important we did a couple years of touring before we even thought about going back into the studio, and it's still a process, and it's still going," new frontman William DuVall, who shares vocals with Cantrell, added. "We're still figuring it out, but it's been really rewarding too. Even the hard stuff's been rewarding."

So, in a lot of ways, the "Decision" video is sort of a victory lap for the band ... which is something Kinney expanded upon, presumably in the same spirit of his earlier comment.

"We're making a video and I let the band use one of my houses ... it's mine! I invested well. I bought Google," he laughed. "All the cars out front? They're mine too. Well, if they're really cool cars with really great rims, they're probably mine. I have too many cool things to even know what I have. I'm that rich!"

"Wow," Cantrell added. "I thought this was Britney Spears' house. I'm impressed!"

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