Article and Photos by: Ommar Ortuvia

Houston, TX — One cannot mention 90s grunge powerhouse Alice in Chains without talking about Jerry Cantrell. The lead guitarist and co-singer of the famous group is the main songwriter and creative driving force behind most of their songs, and this talented musician was able to bring his solo band to the House of Blues in downtown Houston on their current I Want Blood tour.

Accompanying them for this visit was another band who made it big in the nineties: Richard Patrick’s Filter. They did an amazing job of hyping up the crowd, playing all the hits that have propelled them to a 30+ year career. They closed their set with the forceful tune “Hey Man, Nice Shot,” setting the tone for Jerry Cantrell’s band and his take on music. Starting his solo career in 1996, Cantrell has definitely played around with his creativeness more compared to Alice in Chains, expanding genres and demonstrating tremendous talent through multiple studio albums and collaborations with other artists. Currently, his band consists of some musical heavyweights, with Greg Puciato (of Dillinger Escape Plan) on vocals, Roy Mayorga (of Ministry) on drums, Eliot Lorango on bass, and Zach Throne on guitar (the latter two from Corey Taylor’s own band).

Cantrell’s band kicked off their set with “Psychotic Break,” from his 2002 release Boggy Depot. For those lusting after some Alice in Chains, they definitely got their wishes fulfilled when the powerful beginning of “Them Bones” started playing next, with the lights painting the stage blood red – giving the background text of “I WANT BLOOD” an extra special touch. Next came a mix of songs from Cantrell’s albums, but more emphasis was placed on his latest release, 2024’s I Want Blood. Halfway through the set, attention was shifted to Alice in Chains material, with “Man in the Box,” “Hate to Feel”, and -finishing prior to the encore- “Would?” Once the venue turned down the lights, the crowd became restless and repeated “Jerry! Jerry!” until the quintet returned to the stage for the 4-song encore, completing the night with the mellow anthem “Rooster” (which is also Alice in Chains’ closer).

Throughout the set Cantrell and the band interacted sporadically with the crowd, giving an occasional “thank you” between songs, or introducing the band members. At one point Cantrell and Throne partook in a mini “Dueling Banjos” session amid laughs, showing that despite the seriousness the musicians have for their art, they are still having a good time amongst themselves. This lineup definitely displayed good chemistry among them on stage, and even off stage as their social feeds illustrate. For the crowd, they were treated with old and new material from Cantrell’s own band, as well as some Alice in Chains songs that quelled nostalgia and kept the energy alive throughout the night. Puciato and Cantrell did a great job harmonizing the vocals, which is a style very akin to Alice in Chains. Cantrell’s band demonstrated solid control of their instruments which carried the strength of Jerry’s songs as intended, so let’s hope they are able to continue for many years.  Jerry Cantrell is continuing his current tour through the beginning of March, wrapping up in the birthplace of grunge: Seattle.