Cantrell is the guitarist of Seattle's Alice in Chains, and his dark-and-dirty take on the world echoes some of the turmoil of that drug-plagued grunge-metal group. No doubt affected by Chains' forays into the world of "Unplugged," Cantrell presents a lighter shade of pitch-black in the more textured, acoustic feel of his solo debut. The unthinking, unblinking, kick-ass past is pretty much gone for good.
Bummer.
Though he's aided by a slew of rock pals from Fishbone, Pantera, Primus and Alice, Cantrell fails to provide the substance and soul that his softer side demands. The psychedelia seems soggy, the acoustic sounds familiar, and the only time the music feels honest is when it sounds exactly like Alice in Chains.
