I Want Blood

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What’s that? Jerry Cantrell is finally reviving his legendary group Alice In Chains? Not quite—it’s actually a new solo album! And what an album it is. After Brighten, whose name was quite fitting given how it was a bit more upbeat than usual, the guitarist and vocalist returns to his roots: gritty riffs, and a heavier sound, over which his exceptional vocals soar, all of it revolving around the harmonies that made Alice in Chains so successful, forging a unique identity, unmistakable amongst thousands of other early-90’s bands. I Want Blood has everything that made the Seattle group so successful, without sounding too cut-and-paste or formulaic. That’s exactly where Cantrell’s strength lies: in managing to keep the flame alive (because let’s be honest, Cantrell is Alice in Chains), without ever repeating himself, which would be all too easy to do. The title track and “Off the Trails” prove it– these truly hard-hitting tracks are a masterclass in guitar. He doesn’t show off, but his playing is still intense enough for us to realize that the musician is at the peak of his craft.

Dark, melodic, and relentlessly engaging, the nearly sixty-year-old Cantrell could have easily used this record to surf a wave of nostalgia by teaming up with old friends (and yes, the album does feature some big names like Robert Trujillo and Mike Bordin, who also joined him on 1998’s Degradation Trip, as well as Duff McKagan, Greg Puciato). But he doesn’t. Instead, I Want Blood is a raw, inspired album dripping in dense guitars and perfect vocal harmonies, hitting you right in the gut and not letting go until its splendid final track “It Comes.” Lasting over six minutes, it’s a deeply melancholic stroke of genius that leads us to ask the eternal question: when is this unfailing inspiration going to bring life to a new Alice In Chains album? Because let’s be honest, it’s almost unfair for this level of genius to stay solo! © Guillaume Ley/Qobuz