Alice in Chains confirm new album complete

Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell has confirmed the band have finished their as-yet-untitled fifth studio album.

Speaking to Guitar World, Cantrell said he had joined bassist Mike Inez, drummer Sean Kinney and vocalist/guitarist William DuVall to finish recording sessions for the album with producer Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters, Deftones) and engineer Paul Figueroa.

The new album is the follow-up to 2009’s Black Gives Way to Blue and is the band’s second without longtime vocalist Layne Staley, who passed away in 2002.

"In my opinion, (Black Gives Way to Blue) stood up to anything else we’ve put out in our career and this new one is right up there as well," Cantrell told Guitar World.

The new album is expected in the first few months of 2013.