In the early ’90s, Jerry Cantrell shaped the sound of alternative rock with Alice In Chains. But in his new solo album, I Want Blood, he’s taking inspiration from the classic two-guitar bands of the ’70s and ’80s: Judas Priest, Aerosmith, Thin Lizzy, Iron Maiden and more.
In a new interview for Total Guitar, Jerry says: “With every record, it’s interesting to see what I can achieve through harmonies. I’m such a huge fan of guitar duos. I hear Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing [from Judas Priest].
"I hear the Schenker brothers [Scorpions]. I hear Kirk and James from Metallica. I hear Joe Perry and Brad Whitford [Aerosmith]. I love Thin Lizzy, what can I say? Those elements are always in me.”
Jerry also freely admits that his new song Off The Rails has an intro influenced by Iron Maiden’s 1986 track Wasted Years.
“F*ck yeah, dude!” he says. “I’m a huge fan of Iron Maiden. I wanted Alice to be a guitar duo band precisely because of bands like that. And we kinda are now, since [lead vocalist/guitarist] William DuVall joined.
"Earlier on, Layne [Staley, original Alice In chains frontman] would pick up a guitar and play a little bit, but we were mostly just a three-piece with a singer. Now we actually have two guys playing a lot of guitar, so I got my wish!
“But when we initially talked about starting a band I wanted another guitar player and that was purely because of Dave Murray and Adrian Smith [in Iron Maiden during the ’80s]. Or the guys from Priest and Aerosmith. I love the Young brothers [AC/DC]. There’s something special about bands with two guitar players working as a unit.
"And yes, I hear Iron Maiden in that intro for Off The Rails. I’m immediately drawn to those flavours, just because I love that band. It’s cool to hear your influences coming out organically, because you don’t sit down and intend to do anything. It just happens and you can tell that it’s in there.”
The full, in-depth interview with Jerry Cantrell appears in the final issue of Total Guitar, on sale now.
