Jerry Cantrell doesn’t need to prove anything. Decades into a career that helped define the grunge era and beyond, the Alice in Chains guitarist and vocalist could have easily coasted. Instead, with I Want Blood, he’s swung for the fences again—and nailed it.
“It’s a big commitment,” Cantrell tells Kyle Meredith about the creative process. “When you decide to make a record and tour it, you’re looking at a three-year window of your life. You don’t do that lightly.”
Cantrell’s latest solo effort blends heaviness and melody with the precision of an artist who’s mastered his craft. It’s a record full of grooves that hit hard, hooks that linger, and riffs that feel effortlessly cool. But Cantrell is quick to note that it’s never as easy as it sounds.
“You’ve got to surprise yourself,” he explains. “I never start with a preconceived idea of what the record will be. You just jump in and see where it goes. That’s the exciting part—you’re always discovering.”
While I Want Blood is unmistakably Cantrell, it stands apart in its relentless heaviness. “I didn’t set out to make a heavy record—it just turned out that way,” he says. “Sometimes, that’s the itch that needs scratching. It’s all subconscious. I didn’t know where I’d end up when I started, but this is where the music took me.”
Despite the album’s weight, there’s a lightness to Cantrell’s confidence. He knows who he is, and he’s not trying to be anyone else. “I’ve been doing this long enough to trust myself,” he says. “If I’m excited about what I’m making, there’s a good chance other people will be, too.”
Though I Want Blood is technically a solo record, Cantrell bristles at the term. “It’s a misnomer,” he says. “Nothing is solo. It’s always a collective effort.”
That collective includes longtime collaborators like Duff McKagan and Robert Trujillo, whose contributions bring unique textures to the record. “Everyone has their own flavor,” Cantrell explains. “You can hear Duff’s style, Robert’s style—it’s all there, blending with mine. That’s the magic of collaboration. The album wouldn’t be what it is without them.”
One standout moment comes from “Echo of Laughter,” a track co-written with composer Tyler Bates. “I’d heard Tyler play that riff for years,” Cantrell recalls. “One day, I told him, ‘We need to record that.’ The song came together organically—just two guys with guitars figuring it out.”
After more than three decades, Cantrell remains as relevant as ever. But he’s the first to admit that maintaining a career in music is no small feat. “Bands aren’t built to last,” he says. “It’s rare to still be making records that matter in your third, fourth, or fifth decade.”
For Cantrell, the key is to keep swinging. “As long as I feel like I’m hitting homers, I’m going to keep stepping up to the plate,” he says. “You never know how long you’ve got, so you’ve got to give it everything.”
With I Want Blood, Jerry Cantrell has done just that—delivering a record that’s as heavy, heartfelt, and honest as anything he’s ever released. And for fans who’ve followed his journey from Facelift to now, it’s proof that some artists only get better with time.
Watch the interview above and then check out the video below.
