Jerry Cantrell took part in a fan Q&A in the newest issue of Metal Hammer, during which he teased the possibility of a high-profile collaboration with another big-name player in heavy music: James Hetfield.
The Alice in Chains electric guitar star is no stranger to impromptu partnerships, and over the years has sporadically joined forces with Metallica specifically for a suite of collaborations.
In 1998, he featured on Metallica’s take on Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Tuesday’s Gone, which dropped as part of the band’s Garage Inc cover album, and on stage he’s linked up with Hetfield and co at a number of benefit concerts.
And, when quizzed over whether he and Hetfield would revive their partnership any time soon – be that for a one-off single or a fully fledged album – Cantrell refused to rule it out, revealing the pair have already been jamming together and discussed it... sort of.
“James and I have talked about it, kind of,” Cantrell responds. “We never had a formal conversation but I’ve jammed with him at Kirk [Hammett, Metallica guitarist]’s place.
“I’ve even spent a night or two at his house, and we’ve ended up with guitars in the kitchen and on the porch. It’s something I’d be really curious about, even to just write a song with him.
“As for whether it’d turn into something more than that, he’s got a pretty demanding day job. Ha ha! So I’d understand if it never comes to be.”
That doesn’t sound like a definitive ‘no’ to our ears, but unfortunately it’s still a far cry from an official confirmation of a future team-up.
Nevertheless, Cantrell’s enthusiasm is quite clearly there, and such enthusiasm is further bolstered by the fact the grunge hero has previously gone on record to voice his admiration for the Metallica frontman.
In fact, in a separate interview with Metal Hammer from 2020, Cantrell named Hetfield the greatest frontman in metal.
“As a guitarist, I come from the Malcolm Young school of rock, which is about rhythm and songwriting,” he said. “If you talk to anybody, I’m not really known as a virtuoso soloist. Where it’s at for me is rhythm, tone, feel and arrangement. I think James comes from that school too.
“What makes James such a great frontman is his physical presence. Nobody else commands the same kind of respect and attention without it being self-seeking or egocentric.
“Will he go down in history as a rock icon? He already has – he’s the godfather, man.”
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