In the early ’90s, Jerry Cantrell helped define the sound of alternative rock with Alice In Chains. Now, with his new solo album, I Want Blood, he draws inspiration from the classic two-guitar bands of the ’70s and ’80s, including Judas Priest, Aerosmith, Thin Lizzy, and Iron Maiden.
In a recent interview with Total Guitar, Cantrell shared, “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.”
Cantrell openly acknowledges that his new song “Off The Rails” features an intro influenced by Iron Maiden’s 1986 hit “Wasted Years.”
“F*ck yeah, dude!” he exclaimed. “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.”
He continued, “Earlier on, Layne [Staley, original Alice In Chains frontman] would pick up a guitar and play a little, 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 [from 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.”
Cantrell added, “And yes, I hear Iron Maiden in that intro for ‘Off The Rails.’ I’m immediately drawn to those flavors, just because I love that band. It’s cool to hear your influences come out organically; you don’t sit down and intend to do anything. It just happens, and you can tell that it’s in there.”
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