JERRY CANTRELL BROUGHT THE BELASCO IN LOS ANGELES TO ITS KNEES
Jerry Cantrell rocked the historic Belasco theater in Los Angeles earlier this week. The legendary Alice In Chains axeman has been on the road with Filter since January. As his long-awaited North American tour supporting his new album, I Want Blood, draws to a close, Jerry Cantrell and his mighty solo band were firing on all cylinders when they arrived in Southern California.
Filter’s booming industrial tinged alt-rock sound left the fans in the Belasco primed and ready for epic Cantrell riffs. Before we continue, it must be reiterated just how iconic Jerry Cantrell’s songwriting and guitar sound is. There are certain riff masters in the universe whose playing is so distinctive that their songs are like DNA markers for identifying them. You can close your eyes and pick Tony Iommi and James Hetfield from a lineup just by their guitar skills. That’s the type of power Jerry Cantrell wields. Watching this man rearrange time and space with his trusty six-string is something to be experienced. Needless to say, the crowd inside the Belasco were pretty stoked when Mr. Cantrell and co. Hit the stage.
Opening with “Psychotic Break” from his classic 2002 record, Degradation Trip, and immediately jumping into the Alice In Chains banger, “Them Bones,” Cantrell successfully whipped the audience into a frenzy. The chemistry between Cantrell and co-vocalist Greg Puciato [Better Lovers, ex-The Dillinger Escape Plan] is partially to blame for said mania. Puciato is known for his intense if not downright certifiable antics onstage fronting some of the most challenging/dangerous bands ever to do it. What’s so cool about his tenure with Jerry Cantrell is how great he sounds flexing his vocal talents by focusing entirely on singing; and well…just how amazing he and Jerry harmonize together. Not just on the classic Alice In Chains songs, but all the songs from I Want Blood sounded especially great.
New songs like “Atone” and “Off The Rails” fit perfectly alongside old-school Cantrell jams like “Cut You In” and “Angel Eyes.” Alice In Chains songs like “Down In a Hole” and “Hate To Feel” were pleasant surprises alongside staples like “Would?” and “Rooster.” It might have been a cold winter night throughout the rest of DTLA, but watching Jerry Cantrell rip his guitar to pieces inside the Belasco was electrifying.
