At the risk of sounding ignorant, during the early days of Alice in Chains, few truly know how entwined Jerry Cantrell’s voice was in the music. With the highly distinctive tone of the late Layne Staley, he unquestionably took center stage for the band as their frontman, but in the backdrop was Jerry Cantrell. Possessing a voice that some take a double take when hearing, believe it or not, a broader audience was not truly enlightened to learn how important Cantrell’s singing was to Alice in Chains until witnessing him perform with the band at 1996’s MTV Unplugged. A not-to-be-missed album, and live concert that is haunting to feast your eyes, we all know the Alice in Chains’ MTV Unplugged album marked the end of an era for the band who would go on hiatus, and sadly never truly rematerialize with Layne Staley, and tragically died in 2002 after a long battle with drugs.
History no one will soon forget, in those years of limbo of Alice in Chains before they returned in 2005 with William DuVall taking the lead as their vocalist, Cantrell dove into some solo work. Taking the Hard Rock world by storm, his 1998 debut Boggy Depot was dubbed by many the missing link between Alice in Chains’ continuation and a newly founded discovery. A bit of a turning point for Cantrell, he soon was deservedly recognized as the exceptional guitar, songwriter, and vocalist he truly was. Taking full advantage of the time, 2002 saw the release of not one, but two full-length albums under the titles Degradation Trip Volumes 1 & 2. A great follow-up, of course with Alice in Chains fully returning just a few years later, many years of touring, and a few albums followed, but devoting all of himself to the band, Cantrell had little time for other solo efforts.
With this in mind, it was a bit of a surprise to some fans that after nearly two decades Cantrell was putting out a solo record in 2021 with Brighten. Exciting, the album had a steady progression from his earlier work, showed a few different elements, and still struck curiosity years after its release. However, in 2024, Cantrell follows with the boldly titled I Want Blood. What is now his fourth solo album, I Want Blood was preceded by some stunningly good singles like “Vilified,” and “Afterglow,” but also the title-track. Showing off a grungier, heavier brand of tunes, could they be a prelude to a full-length album that again feels like a long-lost cousin to Alice in Chain’s Dirt era?
Not mentioned to minimize Cantrell’s progression as a songwriter and guitarist, but it is more as a compliment; because the mood and atmosphere of I Want Blood perfectly fits with some of Alice in Chain’s most beloved music. Released on October 18th through Double J Music, the album is overflowing with aggressive riffs, haunting vocal lines, and superb production. Joining Cantrell for the ride you an all-star lineup of Rock leads including co-production from the highly accomplished Tyler Bates, mixing of Joe Barresi, the bass playing of Guns N’ Roses’ Duff McKagan, drumming from Gil Sharone (who has played with everyone from Stolen Babies to Marilyn Manson), background vocals from Lola Colette and Greg Puciato (ex-Dillinger Escape Plan), and piano/keyboard/strings from the Emmy-nominated Vincent Jones.
Something to consider, their presence is extremely evident throughout the album which seems to hit on so many levels it is hard to quantify just how rich it all sounds. Attempting to do just that, I Want Blood is nine carefully crafted songs with balance, consistency, and ample intrigue. With this, you cannot just single out one or two songs as a favorite, but you soon recognize the saturation of standout moments from start to finish. However, if you are seeking somewhere to start with I Want Blood, you will find little disappointment in the aforementioned leading singles, but also “Off The Rails,” the striking “Echoes of Laughter,” “Held Your Tongue,” or the gloomy “It Comes.”
Introspective, the lyrics are further pronounced by some delightful plotted vocals that make the hit of dark emotion that much more powerful. Altogether, I Want Blood could be one of the best Jerry Cantrell solo albums to date and should be ranked right up there with any classic era Alice in Chains albums. Poignant and impossible to get out of your head, Cryptic Rock gives I Want Blood 5 out of 5 stars.
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