Jerry Cantrell is kicking off a summer tour alongside Bush and Candlebox today (July 26th), and to celebrate, the legendary Alice in Chains guitarist-vocalist has released a brand new, grunge-heavy song called “Vilified.” Better yet, the single features bass playing from none other than friend and Metallica rhythm-stringer Robert Trujillo.
News of the single, which will appear on Cantrell’s forthcoming I Want Blood album, arrived earlier in the week. The Seattle rock icon mentioned in an Instagram post that the song was jammed out in the studio between himself, Trujillo and former Dillinger Escape Plan drummer Gil Sharone, and was tracked with producer-engineer Joe Barressi (TOOL, Kyuss).
As you’ll hear up above, “Vilified,” which Cantrell dubbed a “beautiful bastard,” is pure Pacific Northwest gloom. A panic-waltzed pace and wah-corroded licks set the tone for the anxiety-stirring tune, which also thrives on Cantrell’s instantly recognizable, and absolutely eerie vocal layering.
Just before Cantrell rips into a vibrato-freaked guitar solo, he sings out a kind-of braggy, “As if you don’t know, it’s a hell of a show.” And you know what? He’s right. This rips!
Details on Cantrell’s next full-length have yet to be revealed in full, but it will be his first solo outing since 2021’s Brighten. Trujillo previously appeared on Cantrell’s Degradation Trip double album from 2002, while Sharone also performed on Brighten.