10 Guitarists Who Inspired The Sound Of Modern Rock & Metal Music

Jerry Cantrell’s influence on the alternative rock music scene has been ever present since his band Alice in Chains released their debut album Facelift in 1990. And while he may not be the flashiest or most virtuoso of guitar players, his loose playing style focusing on melody and harmonics to accompanying the duel vocals of himself and the band's original frontman Layne Staley, had a distinctively impressive sound.

Cantrell’s playing merely supports his talents as a songwriter, which he has shown time and time again in his 30+-year career. His work on the Alice In Chains album Dirt (1992) is especially legendary, with songs such as Down in a Hole, Would? and Angry Chair all featuring superb examples of a dark and melancholic playing style. After Alice In Chains disbanded in 1996, Jerry Cantrell would go on to record two solo albums - Boggy Depot (1997) and Degradation Trip (2002) - which continued his music in the same vein, with his playing also showing a country and blues influence at times.

In 2005 (following the death of Layne Staley), Cantrell brought Alice In Chains back with singer William DuVall coming into the fold, recording their comeback album Black Gives Way To Blue (2010), featuring one of his all-time great guitar riffs on the track Check My Brain. Cantrell has gone on to have a successful second career with the new Alice In Chains lineup, recording a further two albums and experiencing a well deserved resurgence in popularity.