Jerry Cantrell, he of Alice in Chains fame, has returned with I Want Blood (Double J Music). It is his fourth solo record and continues the Grunge flavoured Hard Rock and Metal he is known for with an array of famous friends popping in, including Duff McKagan (Guns N Roses), Robert Trujillo (Metallica), Mike Bordin (Faith No More), Greg Puciato (The Dillinger Escape Plan, Better Lovers) and the production help of Joe Barresi (Slipknot, Clutch, Tool, Mastodon) amongst others. 

“Vilified” starts things off with a blast of moody Hard Rock and it contains the things this album does well; melancholy melody and a stomping groove. This record is full of lean, mean, and heavy tracks, the menacing “Off The Rails” – with its emphatic, Metallica-style riff and short but sweet solo – especially. The title track is an aggressive, take-no-prisoners number with a non-stop, locomotive beat and a tasty chorus, bristling with energy. “Throw Me a Line” is a woozy slice of stoner metal, with a measured pace and welcomed Black Sabbath influence seeping through.

Although the best track, “Afterglow,” is neither hard nor heavy – it is a heartfelt ballad with an addictive, slow-burning hook and a touch of Classic Rock feel to it. 

There is a propensity for the ponderous here, which drags the record down a bit. “Let It Lie” has a grungy stomp to it and a hazy guitar solo, but it plods its way to a drawn-out ending. The pseudo ballad “Echoes of Laughter” is well-intentioned and emotive, but its pedestrian pace right in the middle of the record is a momentum killer. The same goes for the closing track “It Comes” which, aside from a small burst of life midway through, aimlessly drifts by.

With lots of bruising hard rock and metal, packed with sweet melancholic melodies – I Want Blood is a good album let down by one too many slow moments. 

Buy the album here:
https://amzn.to/3YrTyqa

7 / 10
THOMAS THROWER