ALICE STAR'S BIG ADVENTURE
From Kerrang! Magazine • March 7, 1998
Alice In Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell unleashes his first solo album, 'Boggy Depot', through Columbia on April 7 - and Kerrang! has heard an exclusive preview of the record.
Produced by Toby Wright, 'Boggy Depot' features Cantrell on all lead vocals, guitars and piano, with his AIC bandmate Sean Kinney playing all the drums. The bass tracks are handled by several different players, most notably Les Claypool of Primus and Rex of Pantera.
While some of the album could fit easily into a fourth Alice In Chains effort - Cantrell did write or co-write all of Alice's material to date [this actually isn't true] - other tunes reflect his liking for other music, and veer into markedly different territory for the Seattle star.
To whet your appetite, here's Kerrang!'s full track-by-track low-down of Cantrell's forthcoming LP:
Dickeye - the album opens with this straightforward hard rocker, quickly locking into a mid-tempo groove.
Cut You In - features a country flavour in the verses, and a swinging chorus with big guitars and - believe it or not - a horn section.
My Song - gentle and in the vein of Heaven Beside You from the 'Alice In Chains' album, this one features laid-back, shimmering vocal harmonies very reminiscent of AIC.
Settling Down - slow and moody, with a piano-heavy lounge act intro.
Breaks My Back - a psychedelic, underwater-style lead vocal is the mainstay of this slow-moving ballad.
Jesus Hands - this gets right back to heavy, sludgy, classic AIC territory.
Devil By His Side - the tempo gets upped on this big rock tune.
Keep The Light On - more straight-ahead rock, with a tantalising vocal hook and mellow chorus.
Satisfy - back to the ballads again, but more snappy than Breaks My Back.
Hurt A Long Time - a mild detour into country territory again, with electric guitars breaking through halfway in.
Between - catchy, but much more reminiscent of indie country rock than anything by AIC.
Cold Piece - a jazzy clarinet/piano intro kicks off this haunting, epic finale.
Cantrell is expected to tour shortly after the album's release.
