Jerry Cantrell

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Jerry Cantrell

Jerry Cantrell playing with Alice in Chains, October 2006
Born March 18, 1966 (age 41)
Tacoma, Washington
Genre(s) Heavy metal
Grunge
Affiliation(s) Alice in Chains

Cardboard Vampyres
Label(s) Roadrunner Records
Notable guitars G&L
Gibson Les Paul
Years active 1987 - present
Official site Official website

Jerry Fulton Cantrell Jr. (born March 18, 1966, Tacoma, Washington) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter best known for his work with the grunge/metal band Alice in Chains. He performs lead vocals on his solo projects, and was part of Alice in Chains' distinctive dual-vocal harmonic style. He currently resides in Los Angeles and spends time on his family ranch in Oklahoma. His musical influences are Jimi Hendrix, Heart, and Queensrÿche.

Contents

[edit] Alice in Chains

Cantrell was the lead guitarist, songwriter, and occasional vocalist for Alice in Chains from the group's formation in 1987 until the group's near-permanent hiatus in the late-1990s due to lead singer Layne Staley's drug problems.[1]

Beginning in 2005, Cantrell has joined Alice in Chains in a number of performances featuring singers such as Maynard James Keenan, James Hetfield, Phil Anselmo, and William DuVall. Although he acknowledges the benefits of working as a solo artist, Cantrell has expressed his happiness with being back in the band culture.[1]

[edit] Solo career

Cantrell's career outside Alice in Chains has consisted of three solo albums, as well as many appearances with other musicians and on film soundtracks.

[edit] Solo albums

Following his tenure with Alice in Chains, Cantrell released the song "Leave Me Alone", featured on "The Cable Guy" soundtrack in 1998 featuring Alice in Chains drummer Sean Kinney and bassist Les Claypool of Primus. The Boggy Depot album contains several odd time signatures, something Cantrell is well known for.[2] He said of the experience of writing the album, "In '98, I locked myself in my house, went out of my mind and wrote 25 songs. I rarely bathed during that period of writing, I sent out for food, I didn't really venture out of my house in three or four months. It was a hell of an experience. The album is an overview of birth to now."[3]

In June 2002 Cantrell issued his second album Degradation Trip with Ozzy Osbourne's then live rhythm section, Faith No More's Mike Bordin (drums) and Robert Trujillo(bass); it was followed in November of that year by a re-release as a double album on the same label, featuring eleven additional tracks. The release of Degradation Trip was soon after Staley's death, and the album is dedicated to him. The Degradation Trip song "She Was My Girl" was included on the soundtrack for the 2002 movie Spider-Man.

He is rumored to have been working on his third full solo album for quite some time, and this album was to have been released in 2006, but subsequent work with the revamped Alice in Chains may have stalled the release of that record.

[edit] Collaborations

Cantrell has appeared as guest guitarist on several albums and projects, including the Danzig album "Blackacidevil" and the Metallica album Garage Inc. In early 2004, Jerry Cantrell collaborated with The Cult guitarist Billy Duffy to form the rock supergroup, Cardboard Vampyres. The group performed mostly cover songs at several venues across the nation (but mostly the west coast), and continues to exist, though no formal albums have been released.

[edit] In film

Cantrell is featured in the movie Singles along with the rest of Alice in Chains performing the songs "It Ain't Like That" and "Would?". He is also featured as an actor in the movie Jerry Maguire. He also wrote a song "Leave Me Alone" for the 1996 dark comedy The Cable Guy, which can be found on that movie's soundtrack. Cantrell returned to the movie scene in 2004 to write, with the newly-formed metal band Damageplan, the song "Ashes to Ashes" for the movie The Punisher. That song can be found on that movie's soundtrack, and as a bonus track on the Japan version of the Damageplan album New Found Power.

[edit] Equipment

Cantrell is known to prefer G&L and Dean Guitars, as well as Gibson Les Pauls. He is currently working with Dean to design a signature model that will be based on his Les Pauls. Recently, he has been using two prototype Deans on tour.

He is also said to be working on a signature amp with Bogner,[4] whose amps he has used for a long time. His collection includes the extremely rare Fish Pre-amp responsible for many of the famous Alice in Chains sounds, as well as the Shiva and Ecstasy models. He also has a Peavey 5150 head that was given to him by Eddie Van Halen.

Cantrell recorded all of the demo tracks for his recent album Degradation Trip at his Seattle home using a four-track recorder and his white Les Paul.[3]

[edit] Recognition

In July of 2006, British hard rock magazine Metal Hammer awarded Cantrell the title of Riff Lord, at its annual Golden Gods Awards show, held last year at the London Astoria. He was apparently thrilled at winning the title, over several famous artists such as Slash, James Hetfield, and Jimmy Page.[5]

[edit] Discography

[edit] Solo

[edit] With Ozzy Osbourne

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b McLennan, Scott. "Alice in Chains regroups after its leader's death", Worcester Telegram & Gazette, 2006-08-06.
  2. ^ Weingarten, Marc (June 1998). "Unchained". Guitar World. 
  3. ^ a b Jerry Cantrell biography. Roadrunner Records. Retrieved on November 13, 2006.
  4. ^ Jerry's Gear. Retrieved on November 13, 2006.
  5. ^ Golden Gods Awards Winners. Metal Hammer Magazine. Retrieved on November 13, 2006.

[edit] External links

Alice in Chains
Jerry Cantrell | Mike Inez | Sean Kinney | William DuVall
Layne Staley | Mike Starr
Discography
Studio Albums: Facelift | Dirt | Alice in Chains
EPs: We Die Young | Sap | Jar of Flies
Live Albums: MTV Unplugged | Live
Compilations: Nothing Safe: Best of the Box | Music Bank | Greatest Hits | The Essential Alice in Chains
Singles: "Bleed the Freak" | "'We Die Young" | "Man in the Box" | "Sea of Sorrow" | "Would?" | "Them Bones"
"Angry Chair" | "Rooster" | "Down in a Hole" | "What the Hell Have I" | "Got Me Wrong" | "No Excuses"
"I Stay Away" | "Grind" | "Heaven Beside You" | "Again" | "Over Now" | "Get Born Again" | "Fear the Voices"
Videos
Live Facelift | The Nona Tapes | MTV Unplugged | Music Bank: The Videos
Related content
Articles: Grunge music | Singles | Mad Season | MTV Unplugged
Categories: Alice in Chains | Alice in Chains Albums | Alice in Chains songs
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