Creed and Alice in Chains Stage Big Comebacks

There’s some good news and bad news today. We’ll let you decide which is which.

Seminal 90’s grunge band Alice in Chains and mega-selling modern rock warriors Creed will both stage comebacks this year. The three original members of Alice in Chains, who lost their singer Layne Staley to a heroin overdose in 2002, will release a new album via Virgin in mid-September. The album will be their first with new singer-guitarist William Duvall. The album was recorded in Dave Grohl’s Los Angeles studio. You can read a behind the scenes look here.

Creed (okay, we’ll just come out with it — this is the “bad news” part) also plan to record a new album this year, to coincide with their reunion tour which stretches from August into October.

“I wouldn’t call it a reunion,” singer Scott Stapp tells Rolling Stone. “It’s a renewing and a rebirth. I missed my boys and wanted to create music with them again. We’re all thrilled to have a second chance to make a first impression.” Creed’s last album was 2001’s Weathered. The band broke up in in 2004 amidst serious acrimony.

“We’re reached out to Brendan O’Brien, Mutt Lange, Bob Rock, Steve Lillywhite and six or seven more,” says Stapp. “We want to put ourselves around the best and have them bring out the best in us and challenge us as artists.” Oh brother.

Stapp also commented on the status of a followup to his 2005 solo effort, The Great Divide. “I’m not really thinking about that right now,” he says. “It would be irresponsible for me to think about anything but Creed. This band is my first love and a first love that’s stood the test of time. It’s not hard to step away from any kind of personal agenda when you are totally fulfilled.”