Album Review: Jerry Cantrell "I Want Blood"

Jerry Cantrell is a highly successful stalwart in the hard rock and metal world. He rose to fame as the riff master of Alice in Chains, and played an instrumental role in critically acclaimed records such as Facelift and Dirt. After releasing 3 LP, 2 EP, and an unplugged live recording from 1990-1996, AIC did not release another record with vocalist Layne Staley, and would go thirteen years between the final Staley release and debut of current front man William DuVall.

During the AIC hiatus, Cantrell embarked on a solo career, releasing the well regarded Boggy Depot in 1998 and Degradation Trip in 2002. When AIC became active with DuVall fronting the quartet after the late, great Staley's tragic passing, Cantrell focused his efforts on touring in support of three AIC releases.

In 2020, Cantrell revealed he was writing the follow-up to Degradation Trip. The recording was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Brighten was released in late-2021 to rave reviews. Cantrell then toured in support of Brighten for the first time as a solo artist in nearly two decades, performing an array of AIC classics as well as material from his three solo LP. In summer 2024, Cantrell again hit the road with his eponymous band, supporting Bush and Candlebox across the United States. During the tour, he debuted two new songs – “Afterglow” and “Vilified” – from his forthcoming, highly anticipated I Want Blood release.

On October 18, Cantrell released I Want Blood, featuring nine songs in 46 minutes of heavy rock magic. The record is replete with thundering mid-tempo hard rock and metal, Cantrell’s most aggressive work since the legendary Dirt. An apt comparison is a fusion with the song structures and vocal melodies of Black Gives Way to Blue and Degradation Trip, with a heavier element. Opener “Vilified” and follow-up “Off the Rails” set the tone for the rest of the record, with Cantrell’s distorted guitar leads on full display in the former and the latter taking on a doomier feel.

“Afterglow” is a slower number that showcases Cantrell’s ageless voice, complete with a layered chorus of “[w]here you go, ash and cinders form thе afterglow. Blowing over."  The record’s title track is a straight-forward up-tempo rocker, yet again featuring layered Jerry along with guest appearances by Guns n' Roses bassist Duff McKagen and Faith No More drummer Mike Bordin. The album also features a guest contribution by Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo. Suffice to say, this constitutes a veritable "all-star cast" of elite hard rock and metal talent.

“Echoes of Laughter” harkens back to AIC classic “Rain When I Die” (with all due respect to the incomparable Staley). “Throw Me A Line” sounds like it could have been recorded during The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here sessions. “Let It Lie” is reminiscent of early-Black Sabbath with the steady, prodding riffing, and “Held Your Tongue” is in a similar vein. The closer “It Comes” is a moody track, with Cantrell singing “it’s time to say goodbye” during a passionate chorus before an effect-driven solo and repeat of the appropriate chorus.

Overall, I Want Blood is a fantastic addition to Cantrell’s deep catalogue, and one of the best records of 2024.

Rating: 8/10

Cantrell announced an early-2025 U.S. solo tour in support of the record with special guest Filter, and tickets are available on jerrycantrell.com.