Maps of Music

Rainier Fog (2018)

Where the lyrics of Rainier Fog take you, and where it was really made.

The album was partly recorded in the same Seattle studio as the band's 1995 self-titled album, yet its sessions also ran in Nashville, Los Angeles and Pasadena.

Key places

Partly recorded at Studio X (2018)

Recording site London Bridge Studio — Part of the album was recorded at Studio X in Seattle, the same studio used for the band's 1995 self-titled album. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Vocals and lead guitars in the Nashville area (2018)

Recording site Sound Kitchen — Credits list Nathan Yarborough as recording engineer at Dark Horse and Rock Falcon, and the band went to Nashville to record vocals and lead guitars. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Vocals and solos recorded at Cantrell's house (2018)

Recording site Motown Recording Studios — While Cantrell recovered in Los Angeles, engineer Paul Figueroa recorded many of his vocals and solos at Cantrell's house. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Rainier Fog: sixth studio album by American rock band Alice in Chains
• Released 24 August 2018 through BMG, the band's first release on that label
• Title taken from Mount Rainier, a volcano that overlooks the Seattle-Tacoma area
• Title track is a tribute to the Seattle music scene
• Third album with William DuVall sharing lead vocals with Jerry Cantrell
• Third collaboration with producer Nick Raskulinecz
• Four singles: The One You Know, So Far Under, Never Fade and Rainier Fog

Background

• The band completed its previous two-record contract with Universal Music Group before signing with BMG
• Recorded partly at Studio X in Seattle, the studio used for the 1995 self-titled album
• That 1995 album was the band's last record with original lead vocalist Layne Staley
• First Alice in Chains album in 22 years recorded in their hometown of Seattle
• Raskulinecz had produced the two previous albums, Black Gives Way to Blue (2009) and The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here (2013)

Recording

• Sessions started on 12 June 2017, according to William DuVall's Instagram account
• Band recorded at Studio X in Seattle, then went to Nashville to record vocals and lead guitars at Raskulinecz's home studio
• Cantrell fell ill on a trip to Cabo San Lucas and was sidelined for six weeks to recover in Los Angeles
• During that break, engineer Paul Figueroa recorded many of Cantrell's vocals and solos at Cantrell's house
• Recording was finished at Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles
• The album was mixed at JHOC Studio, Joe Barresi's studio in Pasadena
• One of Chris Cornell's sisters brought one of his acoustic guitars to Studio X, and DuVall and Cantrell both played it on the album

Cover

• Cover art revealed on 27 June 2018
• Black-and-white image of a triangle with an eye floating on fog-covered sea
• Artwork designed by Ryan Clark, who also designed the art for The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · es.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Formed in Seattle in 1987; the original lineup was Jerry Cantrell, Sean Kinney, Layne Staley, and Mike Starr.
• The name came from Staley's earlier band, Alice N' Chains.
• Signed to Columbia Records in 1989 after The Treehouse Tapes demo.

Members

• Current lineup since 2006: Jerry Cantrell (vocals/guitar), William DuVall (vocals/guitar), Mike Inez (bass), Sean Kinney (drums).
• Original vocalist Layne Staley died in 2002; former bassist Mike Starr left in 1993 and died in 2011.

Career

• Rose to fame in the early 1990s grunge movement with Facelift (1990) and Dirt (1992).
• Jar of Flies (1994) and Alice in Chains (1995) both topped the US Billboard 200.
• Hiatus from 1996 due to Staley's substance abuse; reunited in 2005.
• Released Black Gives Way to Blue (2009), The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here (2013), and Rainier Fog (2018).
• Has sold over 30 million certified records in the US and received eleven Grammy nominations.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Revolver: album delivers something for old and new fans, and leaves listeners with a feeling of anticipation and optimism about the band's future
• Metal Hammer: each track shows masterful songwriting and inspired lyricism, with a deeply emotional collection
• Metal Hammer ranked the album No. 25 on its list of the 50 best albums of 2018
• Billboard: Cantrell's increased vocal presence and tandem vocals with DuVall make this version of the band a vital force in hard rock on modern radio
• Loudwire: possibly the finest album from the current lineup, with Cantrell and DuVall described as a very good vocal team
• Exclaim!: Joe Smith-Engelhardt praised the album, saying the band's doom and sludge elements are the best aspect of their sound
• Pitchfork: Robert Ham rated the album 5.7/10, writing that recapturing the band's heyday was an impossible feat
• AltWire: ranked the album No. 5 on its Top 10 Alternative/Metal Albums of 2018 list

Records

• Debuted at No. 12 on the Billboard 200, selling 31,000 copies in its first week (29,000 in traditional album sales)
• Debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Rock Albums, Alternative Albums and Hard Rock Albums charts
• No. 3 on the Vinyl Albums chart
• UK: No. 9, the band's first top 10 there, and topped the UK Rock & Metal Albums chart
• Switzerland No. 3, Germany No. 8, Finland No. 7, Canada No. 11, Japan and Netherlands No. 16
• The One You Know spent 17 weeks on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart, peaking at No. 9
• Nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Album in 2019
• Won a 2018 Metal Storm Award for Best Alternative Metal Album

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · fr.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• Vinyl: an alternative white-background cover was made for UK indie stores, limited to 1,000 copies
• Seattle Mariners held an Alice in Chains Night at Safeco Field on 20 August 2018 to promote the album, and Cantrell threw out the ceremonial first pitch
• The album closes with the seven-minute track All I Am, which Rolling Stone described as a swirling hard-rock tune
• Black Antenna, a 10-part sci-fi web series released in 2019, was made as a companion piece to the album
• A full-length Black Antenna film was announced, but no release date had been set as of 2020

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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