 On March 21 , 2011 , Alice in Chains announced that they were working on a fifth studio album , and both Cantrell and Inez later made statements that they had begun the recording process . The album was expected to be finished by summer of 2012 and released by the end of 2012 or beginning of 2013 . While Alice in Chains were writing for the album in 2011 , Cantrell required surgery , which delayed recording the new material . In an interview published in May 2012 , Cantrell explained , " The thing that set me back is I had some bone spurs [ and ] cartilage issues in my shoulders . I had the same issue in the other shoulder about six years ago so I 've had them both done now . It 's a repetitive motion injury from playing . " 
 On March 21 , 2011 , Alice in Chains announced that they <a href='uninflect' title='1'><mark>were</mark></a> working on a fifth studio album , and both Cantrell and Inez later made statements that they <a href='been_done' title='2'><mark>had</mark></a> begun the recording process . The album was expected to be finished by summer of 2012 and released by the end of 2012 or beginning of 2013 . While Alice in Chains <a href='uninflect' title='3'><mark>were</mark></a> writing for the album in 2011 , Cantrell required surgery , which delayed recording the new material . In an interview published in May 2012 , Cantrell explained , " The thing <a href='null_relcl' title='4'><mark>that</mark></a>set me back is I had some bone spurs [ and ] cartilage issues in my shoulders . I<a href='been_done' title='5'><mark></mark></a> had the same issue in the other shoulder about six years ago so I 've had them both done now . It 's a repetitive motion injury from playing . " 
On March 21 , 2011 , Alice in Chains announced that they was working on a fifth studio album , and both Cantrell and Inez later made statements dat they done begun the recording process . da mixtape was expected to be finished by summer of 2012 and released by tdaend of 2012 or beginning of 2013 . While Alice in Chains was writing for the album in 2011 , Cantrell required surgery , which delayed recording the new material . In an interview published in May 2012 , Cantrell explained , " The thing set me back is I had some bone spurs [ and ] cartilage issues in my shoulders . I done had the same issue in thdather shoulder about six yrs ago so I 've had em both done now . It 's a repetitive motion injury from playin . "