In a recent interview with Mindy Novotny of the Milwaukee radio station 102.9 The Hog, ALICE IN CHAINS guitarist and vocalist Jerry Cantrell was asked if any emerging artists have caught his ear over the course of the last decade or so. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Oh, sure. We get to see a lot of great music out there, especially when we go on tour. And it's always good to see that rock and roll is healthy and thriving. It may not be the focal point that at times in history it takes over, but it's always out there. Live music and live shows are robust experiences and well attended, and rock and roll is here to stay." Cantrell also talked about his plan to hit the road in support of his upcoming solo album, "Brighten", which will be released on October 29. "It's good to see that we're moving in the right direction and I think 2022 is gonna be even a better year," he said. "So I'm looking forward to getting on the road myself in March and taking this record around and playing it, as well as songs from all my other records." "Brighten" was co-produced by Jerry over the past year with film composer Tyler Bates and Cantrell's longtime engineer Paul Figueroa. They welcomed a dynamic cast of supporting players, including drummers Gil Sharone and Abe Laboriel, Jr. (Paul McCartney), pedal steel master Michael Rozon, Vincent Jones on piano, Wurlitzer, and organ. Other rock legends added to the fun of this LP, including Duff McKagan (GUNS N' ROSES) on select bass tracks, Greg Puciato (THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN) handling all of the background vocals and Joe Barresi (TOOL, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE) overseeing the mixing of "Brighten". Together, they recorded eight originals and the LP closes with an approved-by-Elton John cover of his classic "Goodbye" as the finale. Jerry's upcoming effort will mark his first full-length release since "Degradation Trip", the epic solo album he made in 2002 with future METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo and FAITH NO MORE drummer Mike Bordin. Cantrell announced the new LP's completion in an Instagram post in March. Jerry's career outside of ALICE IN CHAINS has consisted of two solo albums and contributions to major film soundtracks. Cantrell's first solo album, "Boggy Depot", was released in 1998, followed by his second album, the aforementioned "Degradation Trip". In addition to his solo artist work, Jerry has released music on soundtracks for several films, including "Spider-Man", "The Cable Guy", "John Wick 2", "Last Action Hero" and "The Punisher". ALICE IN CHAINS regrouped in 2006 with William DuVall joining the band, and released its third LP with DuVall in the lineup, "Rainier Fog", in August 2018.
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