Speaking with Guitar World, Alice In Chains guitarist and solo artist Jerry Cantrell weighed in on Metallica's iconic Black album, which is celebrating its 30th Anniversary. Following is an excerpt from the feature.

Cantrell: "I was sitting in a car with Lars (Ulrich / drums) when he first played that shit to me – because you’d always show your friends and rock out to new riffs in the car. The first thing I heard was 'Sad But True' and I was like, 'Fuck, man… this is unbelievable!' They are a band that have the fury and the control and they are able to release the power at key moments. That’s what made them one of the bands I’ve always admired. I’m lucky to be able to call all of those guys my dear friends." 

Guitar World: The Black Album’s success did a lot for heavy metal – to the point where it’s hard to imagine what the genre would be like without it…

Cantrell: "I think that’s because the record was bigger than heavy metal. It put them into the stratosphere of the most successful bands in the world, out of any genre, and broke the ceiling for how far a metal group could go. It’s admirable. I feel like the artistic risk and sense of growth is what makes it a perfect record. Which is why I can’t say 'Sad But True' is any more meaningful to me than 'Enter Sandman' or 'Holier Than Thou' or 'Nothing Else Matters' or 'Wherever I May Roam'. I could go on… every one of those songs is just perfect. 'The Unforgiven' is an amazing piece, too. It’s like what would happen if Ennio Morricone wrote a metal tune. That’s what it is, fuckin’ badass! But if you’re asking for pure dick-in-your-face Metallica riffs, it’s gotta be 'Sad But True'."

Read more here.