Alice in Chains’ Jerry Cantrell Shows Off Hard Rock Edge on ‘Brighten’ Single

2021-09-17

Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains posing for a press photo with a black top hat.

Jerry Cantrell – Story by Charles Ken, photo by Jonathan Weiner

Jerry Cantrell goes for a straight-ahead hard rock approach with the title track off his third solo album, “Brighten”

Alice In Chains co-founder Jerry Cantrell has released the title track off his upcoming album, “Brighten.” The collection is slated to arrive Oct. 29.

“Brighten” is the second track to debut off the new album, the first being “Atone,” which Cantrell unveiled in July. “Atone” took the musician in a slightly country direction, but “Brighten” is more in line with what Alice in Chains fans expect from Cantrell, with hard rock guitars and dissonant vocal harmonies.

Cantrell debuted the music video via Consequence of Sound’s Heavy Consequence, telling the publication, “It’s pure rock and roll. Vince Jones, on keys, added a really great track and brought it to a new level. I can picture myself playing it on a stage for people, and it feels good. It’s a big rock song.”

He added, “Pretty early on, I knew ‘Brighten’ was the cornerstone track of the album, and it seemed to fit the body of work as a title. There’s plenty of darkness and edge, but there’s also some light, space, and good vibes.”

Along with the new song, Cantrell has released an accompany music video for “Brighten,” directed by Gilbert Trejo, son of renowned actor Danny Trejo. The video, according to a release, is loosely based on the “Lotus Eaters” from Homer’s Odyssey.

“Brighten” marks Cantrell’s third solo album, having previously released 1998’s “Boggy Depot” and 2002’s “Degradation Trip Volumes 1 and 2.” The set features a range of high-profile musicians, including Guns N’ Roses’ Duff McKagan, former Dillinger Escape Plan frontman Greg Puciato and Gil Sharone and Abe Laboriel, Jr. of Paul McCartney’s band. The last song on the set is a cover of the Elton John classic “Goodbye,” which Cantrell included with the pop star’s blessing.

Charles Ken
Posted by Charles Ken | Music, Rock, Rock News

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