JERRY CANTRELL w/ FILTER
@ OLG STAGE AT FALLSVIEW CASINO, NIAGARA FALLS (ON)
JANUARY 31, 2025
Following the October 18 release of his fifth solo album, I Want Blood, Alice In Chains’ Jerry Cantrell is embarking on the I Want Blood North American Tour with support from Filter. To further celebrate the launch of the tour, Cantrell also released a deluxe edition of I Want Blood, featuring a spoken word cut of each song on the same date. The tour kicked off on January 31st with a lone Canadian date at Fallsview Casino’s OLG Stage in Niagara Falls, Ontario, with an incredible tour opening performance from both bands.
Filter took the stage with a near 45-min relentless performance that only let up for a handful of moments. Opening their set with “You Walk Away”, Richard Patrick remains among the most powerful vocalists of his era as he belts out larger than life choruses from decades past with a seaming sense of ease. Truly, the dynamics of this band shined bright as they navigated softer, more spacious and groove heavy verses before conquering absolutely massive choruses that would wash across the audience with a wave of distortion and Patrick’s vocals. Key songs from their set included “Obliteration”, “Welcome To The Fold”, and the quintessential hits, “Take A Picture” and the closing “Hey Man Nice Shot”.
Walking out to a packed crowd, Cantrell and his band included a second guitarist, bassist, drummer, and, most noteworthy, the return of Greg Puciato (Better Lovers, The Dillinger Escape Plan) on backing, and sometimes lead vocal. They opened their set with the melancholic sway of “Psychotic Break” from 2002’s Degradation Trip. In every sense, the I Want Blood North American Tour is driven by a career-spanning collection of songs that was centered primarily on Cantrell’s both classic and modern solo material, along with a selection of tracks from Alice In Chains. Performing over half of I Want Blood, including “Vilified”, “Afterglow”, “Off The Rails”, “I Want Blood”, and “Held Your Tongue”, Cantrell breathes a sense of life into his new record, demonstrating the power of his songwriting and performance alongside his classic material. In fact, this can be said for most of Cantrell’s set, which predominantly featured his solo work, further showcasing his early solo songs, including “My Song”, “Cut You In”, and the opening track. As for material from Alice In Chains, Cantrell performed six songs, all of which were highlights from the night. From “Them Bones” and “Would?” to “Down In A Hole” and the closer, “Rooster”, the most curious choice was “Hate To Feel” a deep cut from Dirt, marking the first time the song has been performed by Cantrell or Alice In Chains since 1993.

FILTER
Whether performing his solo material or songs from Alice In Chain’s classic era, Cantrell sounded fantastic; his vocals, powerfully aggressive in moments and soulfully longing in others. His chemistry with Puciato remains second to only that with Layne Staley as their vocals not only sonically harmonize, but tonally capture a level of melancholy or anguish, making Puciato’s return on this tour essential. As a guitarist, Cantrell, with ease, navigates some of the greatest riffs from the ‘90s alongside a highly emotive approach to soloing, something that gives his soloing and lead lines a unique quality, reminiscent of the level of emotional delivery in the bends of Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour.
The opening night of the tour kicked off without a hitch. Cantrell and his band delivered a performance absent of filler as Cantrell plundered his catalogue for must-hear new tracks, essential classics, and long-lost deep cuts to make for a stellar set that encapsulated his career and ethos as a musician. Truly, Cantrell has found his stride as a performing solo artist on The I Want Blood North American Tour.