Alice in Chains, the Seattle grunge mainstay who actually broke big before Nirvana or their other peers, will be releasing their first album since 1995. It's also their first new music since the passing of lead singer Layne Staley from a heroin overdose in 2002. The band reformed with new singer William DuVall in 2005 and toured with Velvet Revolver in the summer of 2007.

The LA Times stopped in to catch the final days of their recording with producer Nick Raskulinecz (Queens of the Stone Age, Foo Fighters, Rush, Superdrag) and found the band in good spirits.

Will the first grunge band to break be the last one standing? The new album is slated for a September release by Virgin/EMI -- we'll find out then.

It's been over six years since Superdrag released an album, and sensibly so. They had to break up, have kids, reform their classic lineup, play a few shows, discover they like writing music together again, actually write it, and then record it. The result is Industry Giants, their first since 2007's spotty-with-moments-of-greatness Last Call for Vitriol.

Often mentioned with the Foo Fighters as one of the last really great straightahead hard rock acts, the 'Drag's gimmick-devoid approach is welcome at a time time when bells and whistles are discounted and plentiful. Check out "Filthy and Afraid", the first new Superdrag song in seven years.

Industry Giants comes out March 17th.