Baldy Checks In

Here we are in December, the holiday season is in full swing, and William & Jerry are just a few days away from recording vocals. Guitars and bass are heading down the home stretch, and although the drums are done, Sean is coming in almost every day to provide input and give full body massages to anyone he can get his hands on.

There's not a lot to report because it's pretty much like the movie Groundhog Day in here, just with a different soundtrack each day. Recording an album can be a long and laborious process. Play the song. Tune the guitar or bass. Play the song again. Tune again. Play a different part of the song with a different guitar. Tune again. Try something different on the bridge. Tune. Play a 12 string on the chorus. Tune. And so on and so on and so on…

Are you bored yet? Try doing it 'til two or three A.M. six days a week for three months and you'll be amazed that the upcoming album isn't just the sound of four guys smashing their heads against the wall in beautiful Dolby surround sound.

Although I'm still under a gag order concerning the material, I think I can get away with saying that this album will run the stylistic gamut as far as the songs are concerned.

A couple of uptempo crushers? Check.
A few droning mid-tempo head trips? Check.
A couple of radio friendly super catchy tunes? Check.
A pair of straight up white-knuckle mind-f*%# sonic roller coaster rides? Check.

Lyrically speaking, it's going to be more of what you've come to expect from Alice In Chains: rainbows, kitty cats, bubble gum, and skateboards. Words & songs that make you want to go to the mall and buy hair care products.

The further we get into this process, the more excited I get for it to see the light of day. The economy is a mess, record stores are closing down all over the country, and the music industry is a disaster, but I know a good song when I hear it, and this album is gonna be full of them.

Hopefully that, along with the support of all of you guys, will be enough to put this band back on top where it so rightfully belongs.

Happy Holidays.

-Baldy

Where We're At…

Sean finished drums two weeks ago and we all celebrated by taking a few days off for Halloween. This also gave us time to have our molars refitted and let our internal organs settle back into place (drums are LOUD).

So now we're all buckled up and ready for a month or so of guitar & bass.

Jerry started off with what will more than likely be the first single off of the new album, and it's sick. The riff on this thing is just monsterously wrong, and yet so damn right. It's a classic Cantrell slice of aural evil that will crawl into your ears and lay little Alice eggs in your brain.

Much like the drums, the guitars and bass on this album are going to be dense and heavy and disgusting and beautiful. In other words, for those of you who have voiced concerns as to how the new stuff will sound, rest assured. This record will sound different for obvious reasons, but the musical spell this band put you under years ago is still as potent today as it was back in 1990, and I'm not just saying that because Jerry bought me breakfast this morning.

So what have we learned in the last month?

Well, we've learned that prolonged exposure at a close proximity to excessive drumming can result in hearing loss, jittery nerves, blurred vision, & slight bladder leakage. We've also learned that an incomplete song that only has guitars, bass, and drums laid down without being mixed or mastered can still be crushingly satisfying.

There you have it. Progress continues to be made, and piece by piece this album is coming together.

I hope all of you in the States got out & voted. God bless America, and God bless the sonic depravity that Alice In Chains is producing in the studio right now…

-Baldy