It's official: They're back! With the release of King Animal, Soundgarden has again secured a slot among music's most wanted. I'll be honest - I was a little scared of what this album was gonna sound like, but then I saw the band reunite in Dallas, in preparation for their Voodoo Fest headlining gig. After that show, there was no doubt in my mind that Soundgarden's member meant business. Kim Thayil's leads were still open-tuned and thunderous. Ben Sheppard still slung his bass down below the belt, which is exactly where it could be felt in the crowd as well. Matt Cameron hasn't missed a beat, as anyone who's heard a Pearl Jam album since 1998 should already know - that guy is just a machine. And Chris Cornell, well, that voice is as unmistakeable and ear-splitting as ever. Although they didn't play any new material at the show, there was no doubt that whatever they were working on was going to work out just fine. The old material they did play sounded even better than it did in 1996, when I saw them at Lollapalooza, just before their breakup in 1997. And for anyone counting, that was 15 years ago! And for anyone listening, those 15 years didn't matter one bit. King Animal serves as well as a follow up album to Down on the Upside as if it had been released before the breakup. In fact, I recently listened to the two albums back to back, and the transition between albums is seamless. It moves in exactly the same direction as I would have expected in '97, except that the subject matter has matured, giving the whole sound a bit more sophistication. Seriously, just put the all their albums on shuffle and see if you can detect any dissension in the sound. You won't.
From the get-go, "Been Away Too Long" says it all: "I only ever really wanted a break - I've been away for too long." Chris Cornell has always had a way of just getting straight to point. And musically, the track comes crashing in like a psycho ex-girlfriend with a score to settle - pounding down doors, bashing in windows and torching every shred of life in sight. That old balance of balls and balladry is perfectly in sync. While Thayil's leads lure you in one direction, Cornell's lyrics break like a bottle over the head from behind. This is the Seattle sound that even Seattle couldn't seem to sound like since Soundgarden left the scene. Like every Soundgarden album since Ultramega OK, King Animal attacks in waves like a pack of wild dogs circling their prey. So just when "Bones of Birds" and "Taree" have you settled in, "Attrition" comes out from the shadows to swallow you whole, only to lull you back into a false sense of security again with "Black Saturday" and "Halfway There" - two tunes that sound stripped straight from Cornell's Euphoric Morning sessions. Of course, it's the tracks like "By Crooked Steps" and "Eyelids Mouth" that bring back what Soundgarden has always been best at: Chugging, churning chords backed by searing solos and raunchy riffs. The album's heavier-than-hell moments always threaten to break free and head for the heavens, only to fall back to earth like Icarus with wounded wings. That's the push-pull dynamic that this band has always been about. Like watching the sun rise from behind bars, the moments of beauty are always beaten back by ball-peen hammer-ons and equally blunt lyrics.
If you weren't a Soundgarden fan before, you might not find anything here that will change your mind; however, if the breakup of the band in 1997 left you longing for one last ride down the rabbit hole, then consider King Animal your red pill relapse. See you at the bottom, if you survive the trip.
Highlights: "Been Away Too Long" and "Bones of Birds"
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