He’s a modern troubadour with an Old West gunslinger’s swagger and the knowing grin of a recovering antihero. Jerry Cantrell makes music as diverse as the multigenerational hellraisers who love it. Equal parts trailblazer and traditional old-school rocker, Cantrell creates compositions that deeply connect with outsiders and outlaws, whether in the throes of sorrow or the triumph of victory. His vocals, melodies, and riffs are as instantly recognizable as they are powerful, nuanced, and eclectic. Both a disciple of the hard rock tradition and a massive influence on subsequent generations of artists, Cantrell straddles the line between earnest salt-of- the-earth songwriter and beloved living legend. I Want Blood arrives with all the aggression and heavy, inexhaustible stomp its title suggests. The follow-up to the best-reviewed solo album of Cantrell’s career (2021’s Brighten) further expands his musical palette without sacrificing any of his inescapably infectious melodic hooks. “Vilified,” which opens the album, is an anthem, a mission statement, kicking off I Want Blood with attitude. His fourth solo album is a wild ride with many delicious twists and turns. I Want Blood boasts the powerful “Off the Rails,” atmospheric “Afterglow,” gorgeous “Echoes Of Laughter,” hypnotic “Throw Me A Line,” doomy “Let It Lie,” slithering “Held Your Tongue,” eerie “It Comes,” and groovy title track. Cantrell’s trademark honesty, vulnerability, and confrontation persist throughout the songs. Rolling Stone named the multiplatinum Tacoma, Washington native one of the greatest guitar players of all time. His catalog mines the best of metal, rock, blues, and Americana. Cantrell’s mountain of work as a solo artist and chief songwriter, guitarist, and co- vocalist in Alice In Chains stands tall in influence and respect. He’s collaborated with Metallica, Ozzy Osbourne, Danzig, and Deftones (among others). He’s contributed to music heard in films by Academy Award-winner Cameron Crowe and Judd Apatow and entries in the John Wick and Spider-Man franchises. His debut solo effort, 1998’s Boggy Depot, featured the Billboard Award-nominated “Cut You In.” He composed most of the follow-up, 2002’s Degradation Trip Volumes 1 & 2, isolated in the Cascade Mountains with a four-track recorder, and recruited Ozzy Osbourne’s then-rhythm section of bassist Robert Trujillo (now in Metallica) and drummer Mike Bordin (Faith No More) in the studio. Kerrang! hailed Brighten as a “vivid self-portrait of one of the most distinctive voices in hard rock.” In a 10/10 review, Wall Of Sound called Cantrell’s first solo record in 19 years “an exceptionally crafted album, done so by one of the finest songwriters and musicians to grace any genre over the last 30+ years. A true icon, he’s enlisted the finest talent to accompany him, and the outcome is sublime.” That talent included coproducer Tyler Bates (an acclaimed composer whose longtime collaborators include James Gunn, Zack Snyder, and David Leitch), mixer Joe Barresi (Tool, Melvins, Kyuss), bassist Duff McKagan (Guns N’ Roses, Velvet Revolver), drummer Gil Sharone (Marilyn Manson, Stolen Babies), background vocalists Lola Colette and Greg Puciato (Better Lovers, ex-Dillinger Escape Plan), and Emmy- nominated piano/keyboard/strings player Vincent Jones (Dave Gahan, Morrissey). I Want Blood reunites Cantrell with many of his favorite players: Sharone, McKagan, Jones, Puciato, Colette, Trujillo, and Bordin. Barresi came on board as coproducer, creative partner, and mixer. Maxwell Urasky, who provides backing vocals and sound FX, joined at Bates’ recommendation. Some 30 million+ albums sold and 11 Grammy Award nominations later, Cantrell remains careful to ensure the music he creates would make his younger self proud. He’s never forgotten the teenager enthralled by his heroes in Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, and Van Halen. So, does I Want Blood pass that test? “The answer is, ‘Yes,’” Jerry says, without hesitation. “I don’t say this to be morbid, but the other criteria, on the other end of the spectrum, is: ‘If this is my last record, is this a good one to go out on?’ And the answer to that is also an emphatic, absolute, ‘Yes.’”

Richard Patrick’s career is a vision of multifaceted creativity, which he has delivered throughout his 30+ years producing music professionally through his band Filter, various collaborations, side projects, super groups, scoring films and writing for soundtracks.

Patrick’s initial foray into the public eye was as Nine Inch Nails’ first touring guitarist. Patrick had met NIN’s founder Trent Reznor in the late ‘80s in a music store in Cleveland. The two became close friends and then bandmates. Patrick played with the band from 1989-1993, appearing in numerous music videos including “Down in It,” “Head Like a Hole, “Wish” and “Gave Up.”

Filter was formed in Cleveland, OH in 1993 when Patrick left Nine Inch Nails.

Filter’s debut album Short Bus was released in 1995 and went platinum, largely due to the success of their first single “Hey Man Nice Shot.”  The follow up, 1999’s Title of Record, also went platinum driven by the huge crossover success of the song “Take a Picture.”

Filter’s third album, The Amalgamut, was released in 2002, though sales stalled when Patrick checked into rehab after years of heavy alcohol and drug abuse just as touring and promotion began for the album. The album still spawned such classic songs as “Where Do We Go from Here” and “American Cliché.”

After rehab in 2006, the Army of Anyone project – a supergroup led by Patrick with Dean and Robert DeLeo of Stone Temple Pilots and Ray Luzier of Korn – came to light, releasing one album and a tour before each went back to their respective bands. Patrick refocused on Filter, releasing Anthems for the Damned in 2008, The Trouble with Angels in 2010, The Sun Comes Out Tonight in 2013 and Crazy Eyes in 2016, and two singles in 2020.

Now 20+ years sober, Patrick is more prolific than ever.

Celebrating 30 years of Filter, 2023 saw the much-anticipated release of a new Filter album The Algorithm. Singles “Face Down” and “Obliteration” both had innovative music videos which garnered attention from new and long-time fans alike.

Filter began an extensive worldwide campaign, including The Freaks on Parade tour featuring Rob Zombie, Alice Cooper and Ministry, which continues this year with shows in the UK, EU, Australia, Canada and back to the U.S. again.