Record Review: Soundgarden – King Animal

I was just as excited as a fat kid getting cake to hear the new Soundgarden Album King Animal, their first album in over 15 years.  I think Chris Cornell (next to Dave Grohl and Perry Farrell) is among the most talented frontmen to come out of the past 2 decades who is still making an impact today.

But before I go any further I want to get it out there right now. This album is not or trying to be like Superunkown, Soundgarden’s breakthrough 4th Album that rocketed singles like “Spoonman”, “Black Hole Sun” and “Fell On Black Days.”  But what is clear with King Animal, is it’s true to form heavy mind-altering rock.  And it opens up big with the first track “Been Away Too Long.”  Heavy on the everything, just how I like my Soundgarden.  Where’ve ya been Chris?  He’s letting us know he certainly has been away for far too long.  Yes, we’ve been lucky to have some of Chris Cornell for the early years of 2000 with Audioslave, the band formed in 2001 with Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello.  And while Audioslave without a doubt rocked, did it seem like we only got half of Chris?  Like he was holding back or not feeling it.  But then again Cornell was known to have gone through a personal crisis during the making of the first album.  So even though the band had much commercial success, “Like a Stone” was the highest charting single off of the self titled debut album Audioslave, whatever passion that album may have been missing is what I’m hoping to find in King Animal.

 

Halt, who goes there?  Or what?  Vibrato perhaps is what I hear from “A Thousand Days Before” and has me listening on repeat.  The trippy rock that we know to be a Soundgarden trademark is evident in this song.  Cornell sings “You know where to find me.” I wish I did Chris.  So I’ll take another helping please.   “Bones for Birds,” a sneak peak of this was released and I knew when I first heard it that it was going to be amazing. There are some strong dark feelings gushing from this song, dare I say passion?  You hear it?  You feel it?  Passion full speed ahead!

Okay, I know what you may be thinking.  That I’m a 90’s loving music chick and that I would love whatever Soundgarden released.  Not completely true.  While yes I am a fan (refer to my clue in the beginning that this album was not going to be the end-all be-all) I am very happy coming away listening King Animal feeling a connected to the music.  It stirs emotion.  In “Halfway There” Cornell’s honest songwriting is apparent singing “Should the good life be so hard.”  This Album reminds me of when I first listened to Oceania (Smashing Pumpkins’ latest) where there was no powerhouse track like Siamese Dream‘s “Disarm.” it was still great songwriting and stimulating lyrics.

King Animal may project a bit of a quieted manner throughout, but it’s definitely not lacking in energy or feeling.  With Cornell’s hypnotic vocals it fairs as more than a tasteful comeback.  And I grinned like a little girl with a school boy crush listening to it.  To sum up the cohesiveness of King Animal in Cornell’s own words from “By Crooked Steps,” “I’m addicted to feeling.”  And I’m addicted to listening.