Would?

Alice In Chains, 1992, from Dirt. Solo by Jerry Cantrell.

A compact, dissonant solo that keeps the song's tense, circling mood rather than breaking from it.

Would? is built on a tense, circling bass line, and Jerry Cantrell's compact, dissonant solo keeps that mood rather than breaking from it. His phrasing is jagged and uneasy, with bends that settle slightly off and note choices that rub against the harmony. Instead of offering the usual release of a rock solo, the break deepens the song's sense of dread, then hands straight back to the riff. Cantrell wrote the song with Andrew Wood in mind, and that heaviness hangs over every bar, a good example of how he uses dissonance as a colour rather than a gimmick. Listen for the way his notes pull against the bass line, heightening the song's claustrophobic tension.

Would? by Alice In Chains is featured in our Grunge (#14) list. The solo is played by Jerry Cantrell and the song was released in 1992.

In our lists

• The 25 Greatest Grunge Guitar Solos — #14
• The Best Jerry Cantrell Guitar Solos — #3
• The Best Alice In Chains Guitar Solos — #4

Sources