Jerry Cantrell’s ‘I Want Blood’ Review: Alice in Chains vocalist/guitarist shines on a sullen yet gorgeous new solo album.
Jerry Cantrell is one of the most consistent and tasteful songwriters in the business.
His work in Alice in Chains shows a distinctive talent for off-kilter sonics, emotive vocals, and a sublime mix of heaviness and harmony that has cemented their legacy as one of the best bands of the 90’s and beyond.
He’s also an accomplished solo artist, and his new release, I Want Blood (Oct 8, Double J Musi), his first since 2021’s Brighten, proves he hasn’t lost a step. Working with collaborators including Duff McKagan, Mike Bordin, Robert Trujillo and Greg Puciato, he’s crafted a satisfying and savory feast for the ears.
Opener Vilified grasps the listener by the throat and refuses to let go with its powerful catch and release riff and his patented Gregorian style vocals that ruminate on the ethical pitfalls of A.I.: Simulate the feel/Of all that’s true and real/Heya schadenfreude crescendo/A.I. skew the innuendo.
Off The Rails’ main riff recalls Iron Maiden’s Wasted Years through a grunge filter, while Afterglow offers a slithering, emotive melody, displaying his expert songcraft.
Echoes of Laughter (co-written with film composer Tyler Bates) shifts into ballad territory, with the sepia-shaded melodrama that only Cantrell can deliver, and lyrics that espouse heartache at its most primal: Not gonna see ya or hold you close again/Touched my heart when the landslide came down the mountain/At the end.
Hold Your Tongue begins with Cantrell going acapella in his trademark drone, before the warped, doom-laden sonics kick in.
Cantrell saves the best for last with It Comes, featuring dark, cinematic psychedelia cascading over repetitive guitar figures and Cantrell’s haunting vocal melody which veer from restrained verses to a forceful, cathartic chorus.
I Want Blood is a considerably darker affair than Brightened, offering his classic sound, but featuring enough twist and turns to sound fresh and vital. Fans can take solace that he hasn’t lost a step, and his mastery of musical melancholy keeps him in a musical category unto himself.