Highly-anticipated album to be released Oct 29th
Alice In Chains co-founder Jerry Cantrell has released the title track from his new LP Brighten, available October 29th. The track is available at all digital outlets.
“Pretty early on, I knew ‘Brighten’ was the cornerstone track of the album, and it seemed to fit the body of work as a title,” Cantrell says. “There’s plenty of darkness and edge, but there’s also some light, space, and good vibes.”
The video, directed by Gilbert Trejo, son of renowned actor Danny Trejo, is loosely based on the fabled “Lotus Eaters” from Homer’s Odyssey. It depicts a story of a man having a psychedelic experience as a result of eating flowers; a “Lotus Eater” is a person who spends their time indulging in instant gratification, pleasure and luxury rather than dealing with anything practical. The story is interspersed with an impassioned live performance from Jerry, Tyler Bates on bass, Greg Puciato on backing vocals and guitar, drummer Abe Laboriel Jr, and pianist Vincent Jones.
Over the past year, Cantrell co-produced Brighten with film composer Tyler Bates [300, John Wick], and Paul Fig (long-time engineer). Reflecting a classic spirit, they welcomed a dynamic cast of supporting players including, Duff McKagan [Guns N’ Roses, Loaded] on select bass tracks, Greg Puciato [Dillinger Escape Plan] contributing to backing vocals and drummers Gil Sharone and Abe Laboriel, Jr. (Paul McCartney). Additional musicians on the album include, pedal steel master Michael Rozon, Vincent Jones on piano, Wurlitzer, and organ, Jordan Lewis on piano, Matias Ambrogi-Torres on strings, and Lola Bates on select additional backing vocals. Joe Barresi [Tool, Queens of the Stone Age] handled the mixing of Brighten.
Cantrell will embark on a North American tour on March 24, 2022 in support of the project. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketmaster.
The tour kicks off at the legendary First Avenue in Minneapolis and will wind its way across the country hitting major cities such as Chicago, Detroit, Nashville, NY, Philadelphia, Seattle and Los Angeles to name a few.
Gibson Custom Shop recently announced the release of the limited edition Jerry Cantrell “Wino” Les Paul Custom guitar, the guitar marks the first official collaboration with Gibson luthiers and the legendary singer, songwriter, guitarist, who signed with the company in January 2020.
