What The Hell Happened To... 03.31.08: Jerry Cantrell - Degradation Trip

Posted by Dan Marsicano on 03.31.2008

This week, Dan Marsicano is celebrating his one year anniversary with 411mania by unleashing a special edition of What The Hell Happened To, featuring Jerry Cantrell's Degradation Trip as the underrated album, and a surprise review from the past.

The Introduction

Well, this is the big one. The 21st edition of What The Hell Happened To and my one year anniversary at 411mania…well, at least unofficially.

This Thursday, April 3rd, will be my one year anniversary, but since I probably won't have anything up on the site on Thursday, I'm making this my official one year celebration!

Of course, before I begin with the column, and give all you readers a semi-surprise, I do have a few people I want to thank. First, I want to thank Brian Berry for giving me the opportunity to write for 411, even though my early stuff wasn't that great. I also have to thank Mitch Michaels for being the best editor I've ever worked with; Ashish for creating one of the best sites on the internet, and writers Dan, Ben, Mikey, Patrick, MM, Jesse, Blake, and Rob for inspiring me to constantly become a better writer. Finally, I thank all of you people who leave comments and correct my very stupid mistakes time and time again. I appreciate you taking time out of your busy days to read my reviews, columns, and news items. I hope to continue this gig for years to come, as long as people keep reading my shit.

Now that I have that out of the way, I want to show all of you the first review I ever wrote here on 411 Music, which was for Machine Head's The Blackening. I didn't edit it or make any corrections. So let me know, have I improved as a writer? Gotten worse? Leave one in the comments section below.

Now, onto the column this week, which is on one of the most depressing albums I have had the pleasure of listening to. Jerry Cantrell, for those unaware, is the guitarist and backing vocalist of grunge/metal band Alice in Chains. After the band broke up in the late 90's, Cantrell decided to go the solo route and released 1998's Boggy Depot. A few years later, Cantrell would be back with his sophomore effort, which is what I will be discussing in today's column.

For those curious, I am only doing the single disc version of Degradation Trip. I wish I had the two disc album in my collection, but alas, that is not to be. I would recommend picking up the two disc album instead of the single one if you can find it.




The Band

Jerry Cantrell-Vocals, Guitar
Robert Trujillo-Bass
Mike Bordin-Drums


The Track Listing

1. Psychotic Break-4:09
2. Bargain Basement Howard Hughes-5:39
3. Anger Rising-6:15
4. Angel Eyes-4:45
5. Solitude-4:01
6. Mother's Spinning In Her Grave (Glass Dick Jones)-3:46
7. Hellbound-6:46
8. Give it a Name-4:02
9. Castaway-4:59
10. She Was My Girl-3:59
11. Chemical Tribe-6:36
12. Spiderbite-6:38
13. Locked On-5:37
14. Gone-5:08


The History

Jerry Cantrell was born on March 18th, 1966 in Tacoma, Washington. He started to play the guitar at the age of 13, and while he was perfecting his technique, Jerry would play in clubs around the Seattle area. He formed Alice in Chains, along with drummer Sean Kinney, bassist Mike Starr, and vocalist Layne Staley, in 1987.

Alice in Chains was a big success in the early 90's, leading the Seattle grunge movement alongside Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, and Nirvana. Unlike the other three bands, Alice in Chains had an edgier sound; one that was more in the veins of metal than straight grunge. The band would later decline in the late 90's, with Staley's drug addiction not only getting the better of him, but of the band as a whole.

Alice in Chains would go into an almost ten year hiatus in 1996, only releasing a few new songs here and there. During that time, Cantrell decided to become a solo artist, and in 1998 released Boggy Depot. Many Alice in Chains fans think of this album as the "lost" AIC album, since Staley is the only member not involved in the album.

Four years later, Cantrell would release his second solo album Degradation Trip. The album was released a few months after Layne Staley's death, which was from a "speedball" of heroin and cocaine. Cantrell would dedicate his second album to Staley in the linear notes.


The Analysis

Many Alice in Chains fans have said that Degradation Trip is a lost Alice in Chains album; the unofficial fourth album. Those fans would be right. Degradation Trip has all the characteristics both musically and lyrically that Alice in Chains was always known for. Of course, this album has none of the members of the band in it, except for Jerry Cantrell, but fans still believe it as the Alice in Chains album that could've been.

Degradation Trip should be looked at as more than just a lost Alice in Chains album. A few months before its release, Layne Staley passed away due to a drug overdose. What Cantrell accomplishes with Degradation Trip is a tribute to the fallen lead singer, in the loosest of terms. Throughout the album, Cantrell seems to be singing from the heart about Staley, as Cantrell experienced the fall of a great vocalist due to the demons that haunted him.

Obviously, this makes for a somber and depressing listen. The fact that the album is also 72 minutes long doesn't help matters. While it is a very dark album, Degradation Trip is also a satisfying listen. Cantrell has always had a knack for songwriting during his tenure in Alice in Chains and this skill translates perfectly into his solo career.

The songs range from doom metal to a more poppy hard rock and everything in between. Opening track "Psychotic Break" is slow paced and sounds like a modern Black Sabbath track. On the other end, "She Was My Girl" has a bouncy riff to it and is the catchiest song that Cantrell has ever written. Hell, it was actually included on the Spider Man soundtrack.

Cantrell brings out the acoustic guitars as well to augment the foreboding mood. "Solitude" is directed at Staley and is a soft, acoustic number that highlights Cantrell's vocals. Closer "Gone" is also a soft song, but unlike all the other songs on the album, there is a feeling of hopefulness that Cantrell brings across to the listener. "Gone" is the brief sun ray in a sky full of dark clouds.

For me, the highlight of the album is the trio of "Anger Rising," "Angel Eyes," and "Solitude." While each of these songs has nothing much in common lyrically, there is something about them that makes me think of them as one epic 15 minute song. Let me explain; "Anger Rising" is, obviously, a song full of hatred and venom towards somebody (it is also my personal favorite song). "Angel Eyes" gets through this hatred and brings a feeling of want and regret at the lost of a loved one (it is also another personal favorite of mine, with some of the best songwriting on the entire album). Finally, "Solitude" is the climax of all these feelings, a sense of depression, loneliness, and worthlessness. The songs just slowly work their way through these emotions and I really feel as they could have been put together as a whole. That's just me though; I would be interested to see how all of you perceive my opinion.

The last think I want to comment on is the epic nature of many of the songs. A few of the songs are over five minutes long, and one or two almost reach the seven minute mark. Cantrell knocks these songs out of the park; while some artists struggle to make a song interesting for more than four minutes, Cantrell seems to be at his best when it comes to the longer tracks. "Hellbound" is a perfect blend of hard rock and metal, driven by Robert Trujillo's pulsing bass work. "Spiderbite" is one of the most underrated songs that Cantrell has ever written. The song is bass heavy, like many of the other tracks, but the song has a middle acoustic section which is, dare I say, beautiful. Cantrell lets out these soulful vocals as he slowly strums on an acoustic guitar. It's a brief interlude, the calm before the storm, but it works because Cantrell is a confident enough singer and songwriter to pull it off.

Jerry Cantrell puts in a stellar performance on guitar, with some unique solos and heavy riffs throughout. His vocal work is also great; I would have to say that Degradation Trip is his best performance and Cantrell is able to show why he is an underrated singer in rock music.

While Cantrell had his band mates as his rhythm section on Boggy Depot, Degradation Trip used Ozzy Osbourne's rhythm section, which was, at the time, Robert Trujillo on bass and Mike Bordin on drums. These two fit Cantrell's style very well. Trujillo is the driving force behind many of the songs and Bordin is able to keep a steady beat and provide a solid backdrop for Cantrell.

Degradation Trip is an album that should have made Jerry Cantrell a household name. All the pieces were in place; a catchy single, the Alice in Chains past, and a great sound. Even with the airplay "Anger Rising" got, the album didn't sell nearly as well as it should have. Blame it on the mainstream public or on the record company. It doesn't really matter. I don't think the public could really handle what Cantrell brought to the table. Any fans of Alice in Chains are doing themselves a great injustice if they skipped out on Degradation Trip. While Cantrell may never again release another solo album (or at least until Alice in Chains: Version 2 finishes up or takes time off), I wouldn't care. Degradation Trip is the highlight of Cantrell's entire career and is as underrated as underrated can get.


The Conclusion

Well, I hope everybody enjoyed this special edition of What The Hell Happened To. I have been blessed to be able to write for this great website for a year, and I hope to be able to continue to do this until I no longer have the passion to do it anymore.

Next week, I dwelling into a genre I really haven't done too much coverage on; the punk genre. I'm looking at a band that tried to change their sound, mature it if you want to call it that, and failed to live up to the success of previous albums. (Before you ask, no, it isn't Blink 182…but good guess). So, come on back around next Monday for another exciting, and legal, edition.