For the nearly four decades Jerry Cantrell has been strapping on a guitar and hitting the stage, he’s continued to relish the grind that comes with creativity. That’s been true whether if was as a founding member of Alice in Chains back in 1987 or when he released his 1998 solo debut “Boggy Depot.”
When Cantrell rolls into town to play Huntington’s Paramount on Feb. 11, he’ll be dipping into his considerable back catalog along with his latest solo outing, last year’s “I Want Blood.” And while there was a nearly two-decade gap between his second and third solo albums, 2002’s “Degradation Trip” and 2021’s “Brighten” respectively, the positive experience he had recording the latter inspired the Tacoma native to keep his creative mojo rolling forward.
“I had a good time doing the ‘Brighten’ album and tour, which is something I hadn’t done in like 20 years cause I’ve got a day job,” he said with a laugh. “In the end, you want to make some good music, which is about as basic and banal as it gets. You get motivated to get into some writing and sketching and you just kind of follow it. We had a little window where we didn’t have a bunch of stuff planned, so I took the opportunity to do that and enjoyed it. When I got home from that tour, I just got right into writing again. I felt like I wanted to do more and ‘I Want Blood’ is the result of that.”
For “I Want Blood”, Cantrell gathered up several regulars to help out with the heavy lifting including Duff McKagan [Guns N’ Roses], Robert Trujillo [Metallica] and Mike Bordin [Faith No More]. Recorded from January through April 2024, these nine songs run on what longtime fans have come to expect from Cantrell—riffs that are both heavy and melodic and a foreboding tone that veers somewhere between Black Sabbath and Kyuss. Highlights range from the hypnotic “Off the Rails” and haunting “Echoes of Laughter” to the dirge-kissed “Let It Lie” and the atmospheric closer “It Comes.”
And while Cantrell has a musical life as a solo artist and as a member of Alice in Chains, he feels there is a continuity to his music despite the perception of him going off and doing something different from his main gig.
“The solo record thing is a real misnomer,” he explained. “The only thing solo about it is the name on it. That’s pretty much it. It’s a group effort and it requires a team and a band. It’s no different than when I’m making music in the band that most people know me for or outside of it. The ingredients and method are all the same. I’ve made multiple records with all these guys. They’re my friends and also inspire me as artists in the bands that they’re part of. And we make good music together—the proof is in the vinyl.”
With four solo records, numerous soundtrack contributions and the Alice in Chains canon to work with, Cantrell has the good problem of having a plethora of material to play on the road.
“I’ve been writing songs for a long time and I’ve got a lot to draw from,” Cantrell said. “It’s fun taking all of those things into a different venue and a different group of people and sharing them with folks who show up. Life is in motion and I’m doing what I’ve always liked to do. I think I’m operating at a pretty high level with a good group of people and I’m having fun doing it.”
And as much of a grind as it might be balancing life with a band and as a solo artist, you’ll never hear Cantrell complain. For him, it’s about embracing the struggle and coming out satisfied on the other side.
“Making records is hard and challenging,” he admitted. “But there are a lot of things I like about it. You’ve got to have your long view tuned in because it can be kind of a grind day-to-day that is very methodical and takes time. But I like working that way. I’m a pretty patient guy when it comes to that. Once the process starts, it doesn’t matter how long it takes, how much it costs, what kind of hassle you have to go through—you’re going all the way. You’re committed to going all the way to push yourself to make the best record that you can, write the best songs you can and then the payoff is throwing it out there in the world, satisfied that you did a good piece of work. And then having people respond to it and you get to go out and play it for people. It’s awesome.”
Jerry Cantrell will be playing on Tuesday, Feb. 11, at The Paramount (370 New York Ave., in Huntington). For more information, visit www.theparamountny.com or call 631-673-7300.
