Jerry Cantrell I Want Blood
Jerry Cantrell's I Want Blood opens with a confrontation: snarling riffs, melancholic harmonies and a dark, reflective mood that tie the record to Cantrell's Alice In Chains legacy while staking out a modern, grittier territory. Across professional reviews, critics consistently single out “Vilified” and the title cut “I Want Blood” as the album's lead bruisers, with “Echoes Of Laughter”, “Afterglow” and “Off The Rails” emerging as the standout songs that reveal its quieter, mournful heart. The consensus score of 84.5/100 across four reviews signals strong critical support for the record's blend of riff-driven hard rock and dark balladry.
Reviewers praise Cantrell's signature riff-making and mournful melodic sense while noting thematic throughlines of loss, nostalgia and political unease. Classic Rock Magazine lauds the album's menace and flawless heavy-rock construction; The Spill Magazine highlights melodic heft and sludge-heavy weight, naming the singles as the best songs on I Want Blood; Glide calls it his strongest solo work since Degradation Trip with “Let It Lie” and “Vilified” as pillars; Kerrang! emphasizes the hypnotic hooks of “Afterglow” alongside the opener's thunder. Critics consistently credit Cantrell's ability to balance darkness and melody, producing moments of bleak lullaby and desert-cool swagger within the same set of tracks.
While sentiment skews positive, reviews note the album's deliberate dive into shadow - a choice that may feel heavy to those expecting lighter textures - yet one that many critics argue pays off, making I Want Blood a vital, emotionally measured entry in Cantrell's catalogue. For readers searching for an I Want Blood review or wondering whether the album is worth listening to, the critical consensus suggests it stands as a compelling, often essential follow-up that rewards attention to its standout tracks and thematic depth.
Critics' Top Tracks
The standout songs that made critics take notice
Vilified
4 mentions
"The album opener, “Vilified,” layers Cantrell’s main chugging guitar riff with licks played using a wah pedal and a talk box."— Glide Magazine
I Want Blood
3 mentions
"The hard-charging arena rock of the title track is a bit less sludgy."— Glide Magazine
Afterglow
2 mentions
"The hypnotic Afterglow emphasises his ability with persuasive harmonies"— Kerrang!
The album opener, “Vilified,” layers Cantrell’s main chugging guitar riff with licks played using a wah pedal and a talk box.
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
Vilified
Off The Rails
Afterglow
I Want Blood
Echoes Of Laughter
Throw Me A Line
Let It Lie
Held Your Tongue
It Comes
What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 5 critics who reviewed this album
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Critic's Take
In a voice that digs into the dark roots of his sound, Jerry Cantrell makes I Want Blood feel like an evil twin to Brighten, where “Vilified” and the title track lead the charge. The reviewer's sentences pound with relish at the album's menace, praising “Vilified” as a driving grunge master class and the title track as a hooky, desert-cool beast. There is equal admiration for “Let It Lie” and “It Comes” - the former a doom-laden punch and the latter a bleak lullaby that drags the listener back under. The result, as the reviewer insists, is flawless, unflinching classic rock for a cruel modern world, and quite brilliant.
Key Points
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The best song, “Vilified”, is the album's most electrifying and claustrophobic moment, showcasing Cantrell's signature guitar fury.
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The album's core strengths are its dark, classic-rock songwriting, impeccable musicianship, and an atmosphere that channels Alice In Chains-era gloom.
Themes
Critic's Take
Jerry Cantrell's I Want Blood finds its best moments in the bruising opener “Vilified” and the title cut “I Want Blood”, songs that stake out the album's grungy, grimy rock identity with little apology. The reviewer leans into Cantrell's gift for melody and riff, praising the emotive heft of “Echoes Of Laughter” as one of his greatest ballads, and noting how tracks like “Throw Me A Line” and “Held Your Tongue” deliver nostalgia and sludge-drenched weight. For anyone searching for the best songs on I Want Blood, the singles and the melancholic centerpiece emerge as the clearest highlights, demonstrating why this record is essential in Cantrell's catalogue.
Key Points
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The opener “Vilified” is the best song, praised for its punishing beat, wah-soaked riffs, and status as a perfect lead single.
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The album's core strengths are Cantrell's riff-making, emotive balladry, and a cohesive return to grungy, hard-hitting rock.
Themes
Critic's Take
Jerry Cantrell returns to familiar, snarling territory on I Want Blood, and the best songs - like “Let It Lie” and “Vilified” - showcase his menacing riffs and volatile vocals. The review revels in the album's sludgy heaviness while noting lighter, mournful moments such as “Echoes of Laughter” that flesh out Cantrell's range. For fans asking about the best tracks on I Want Blood, “Let It Lie” is presented as the album's centerpiece, while “Vilified” and “Off The Rails” supply the record's hardest hits. The tone is appreciative yet precise, arguing this is his strongest solo work since Degradation Trip while still highlighting the record's stylistic variety.
Key Points
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“Let It Lie” is the best song because it combines a menacing signature riff with enraged, politically charged vocals that echo AIC at their nastiest.
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The album’s core strengths are its return to snarling, sludgy alt-rock and Cantrell’s stretched vocal and guitar work, balanced by a few mournful, lighter moments.
Themes
Ke
Critic's Take
There’s a weary grandeur to Jerry Cantrell on I Want Blood, and the best songs - notably “Vilified” and “Afterglow” - foreground his genius for riff-making and persuasive harmonies. The review reads like a weather report on Cantrell’s artistic climate, where thunderclouds gather over terse opener “Vilified” and the hypnotic “Afterglow” coils snake-like with exacting hooks. For listeners asking "best tracks on I Want Blood", these cuts crystallise the album’s dark, absorbing core while still rewarding patience and close listening.
Key Points
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Vilified is the best song because it crystallises Cantrell’s genius riff-making and the album’s tonal contrasts.
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The album’s core strengths are its melancholic harmonies, expert riff craft, and a dark, reflective atmosphere.