Filmed over a four-day period last month, the black and white clip sees the rocker playing the song in outdoor locations such as Joshua Tree, the Salton Sea, Phoenix, and Los Angeles.
“As a fan of Ennio Morricone scores and Sergio Leone movies, it’s got a bit of that outlaw vibe, with a cool psycho hillbilly stomp,” says Cantrell about the song. “It’s been kicking around in my head for like 20-plus years, haunting me. Sometimes it takes a while for a good idea to find its best form. Such was the case with ‘Atone’.”
Due October 29, “Brighten” sees Cantrell joined a by an extensive cast of rockers, including drummers Gil Sharone and Abe Laboriel, Jr. (Paul McCartney), pedal steel master Michael Rozon, Vincent Jones on piano, Wurlitzer, and organ, Duff McKagan (Guns N’ Roses, Loaded) on select bass tracks, Greg Puciato (Dillinger Escape Plan) handling all of the background vocals and Joe Barresi (Tool, Queens of the Stone Age) overseeing the mixing of “Brighten.”
“It was like an old school ‘70s record where a multitude of musicians played,” smiles Cantrell. “So it’s not a set band. I got to make music with a bunch of people I never had before, along with friends like Duff, Tyler Bates and Gil, who I’ve worked with previously.”
The project delivers eight new Cantrell originals and a cover of Elton John’s 1971 “Madman Across The Water” track, “Goodbye.”
“’Madman Across The Water’ is one of my favorite records of all time,” raves Cantrell “Out of respect to Elton, I wouldn’t include it unless he said it was okay. He’d played piano on ‘Black Gives Way To Blue’, which I wrote for Layne, so I reached out to Elton, he listened to it, and told me ‘You should absolutely use it.’ I got the signoff by the man himself. I couldn’t think of a better way to close the record!”
The guitarist’s latest solo effort marks his first full-length record since 2002’s “Degradation Trip.”
Jerry Cantrell
"Brighten"
Release date: October 29
01. Atone
02. Brighten
03. Prism Of Doubt
04. Black Hearts And Evil Done
05. Siren Song
06. Had To Know
07. Nobody Breaks You
08. Dismembered
09. Goodbye (Elton John cover)
See also:
Alice In Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell finishes new solo album
All-star Alice In Chains tribute highlights Museum Of Pop Culture event
All-star lineup to tribute Alice In Chains at Museum Of Pop Culture event
Soundgarden classic Rusty Cage featured in all-star quarantine cover
Search Alice In Chains at hennemusic
