Search Results for: Alice in Chains

One of rock’s current hottest songs, “Hero,” appears on the soundtrack to one of the hottest movies around, Spider-Man. The soundtrack, which debuted at Number Four on the Billboard 200, includes the hit featuring Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger, Pearl Jam drummer Matt Cameron, and Saliva frontman Josey Scott. It’s currently moving up the Billboard Modern Rock chart. “Hero” was also going to feature former Alice In Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell, but when the all-star project entered the studio, Cantrell had to go to the funeral of his friend, drummer Randy Castillo. Scott revealed about the video clip for the song. “We… Read more »

Alice in Chains’ Layne Staley died from a mixture of heroin and cocaine, an autopsy and toxicology report revealed Monday. Laboratory results determined the singer died April 5, according to a spokesperson for the King County medical examiner’s office, the same day fellow grunge pioneer Kurt Cobain committed suicide in 1994. Staley was found dead two weeks later, surrounded by intravenous drug paraphernalia in his Seattle apartment. The death certificate reads Staley’s death resulted from “an acute intoxication due to the combined effects of opiate (heroin) and cocaine.” The death was classified as “accidental.” The lethal combination goes by the… Read more »

With funeral plans remaining to be announced, family, friends and fans said a second good-bye to the late Layne Staley on Friday night. Though the singer’s Alice in Chains bandmates, friends and family members gathered on April 20, the day after police first discovered Staley’s body in his home, for a small and impromptu candlight vigil, fans then organized a much larger eulogy to the singer at the same location, the International Fountain at the Seattle Center. Close to 400 people came to the tribute, which was promoted via fan sites and word of mouth, despite rainy weather that made… Read more »

While Alice in Chains – whose singer, Layne Staley, was found dead Friday – influenced an incalculable number of bands, perhaps no one echoes their legacy like Godsmack. From Tony Rambola’s jarring bursts of guitar to Sully Erna’s angry, impassioned vocal delivery, Godsmack have sonically followed Alice in Chains’ lead while adding their own distinctive edge. To Erna, Staley was more than just part of the grunge foundation on which bands like Godsmack, Creed, Tantric and Puddle of Mudd built their sound. The Alice in Chains singer’s raw urgency vaulted the former drummer front and center before one of today’s… Read more »

Of the many fans and musicians devastated by Layne Staley’s death, his former Alice in Chains bandmate Jerry Cantrell was perhaps most affected upon receiving the news. The pair formed the backbone of the seminal Seattle grunge band in 1987, and it was their dichotomy – the tension of Cantrell’s hardened riffs that plodded along as Staley’s sinister vocals crept behind at a skulking pace – that gave the band its appeal to metalheads and grunge punks alike. Cantrell and Staley remained the group’s creative force until their swan song, 1995’s Alice in Chains. In the wake of Staley’s death,… Read more »

With the passing of Layne Staley, those who knew him best remember him as deeply troubled yet immensely talented. Described as a caring person, he made great strides to elevate an underground genre to the mainstream. In the early ’90s, Alice in Chains, along with Pearl Jam and Soundgarden, were directly behind Nirvana on the grunge wave that began in Seattle and cascaded throughout the country. The singer’s Alice in Chains bandmates – guitarist Jerry Cantrell, bassist Mike Inez, drummer Sean Kinney and former bassist Mike Starr – their manager and Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell gathered Saturday, a day after police… Read more »

With a sound that blends ’90s grunge with polished pop, it’s probably safe to assume that Nickelback spent their high school years listening to Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains. So, aside from the fact that they’re now labelmates, it’s easy to understand why Nickelback asked Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell to open a bunch of dates for them this summer. The tour will kick off May 13 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and the jaunt will pass through many major West Coast, Midwest and Southern cities. During the tour, Nickelback and Cantrell will perform at Country Jam USA… Read more »

The web of intrigue surrounding the “Spider-Man” soundtrack continues to grow, but a few additional details have emerged from the sticky strands. An anthem called “Hero,” a collaboration between Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger, Saliva vocalist Josey Scott, Theory of a Dead Man guitarist Tyler Connolly and Pearl Jam drummer Matt Cameron will be the second single on the album, a source close to Nickelback said. Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell was originally believed to be on the recording, but a publicist at his label said his participation was never confirmed. On March 24, the supergroup shot a video for… Read more »

The 16th annual South by Southwest music conference drew to a close Sunday, and the only thing that lasts longer than the seemingly perpetual hangover that results from four debauched days of a music industry on spring break is the buzz emanating from the bands and key moments that defined this year’s festival. Of the more than 1,000 bands showcasing their chops before press, radio programmers, managers, lawyers, label execs and promoters in 48 venues strewn throughout Austin, Texas, a handful traditionally rise above the chaff to become the targets of hype hucksters and topics of critical discussion for weeks… Read more »

Songs by Sum 41, Alien Ant Farm, Default and Slipknot’s Corey Taylor as well as a collaboration between Jerry Cantrell and members of Nickelback and Saliva are being considered for the upcoming “Spider-Man” movie soundtrack. Sum 41 plan to contribute a Rick Rubin-produced version of “It’s What We’re All About,” and they’re shooting a video for the tune Wednesday (March 20) in their hometown of Toronto, according to an Island Def Jam spokesperson. The song, a live version of which appears on the four-song EP Motivation, is expected to be the soundtrack’s first single. Alien Ant Farm recorded the track… Read more »