A new Soundgarden album featuring late frontman Chris Cornell could see the light of day.
On the eighth anniversary of the Grunge legend’s death (18.05.25), bassist Ben Shepherd has revealed there is an album they made with the ‘Black Hole Sun’ singer before his passing, which is “yet to be named”, suggesting it could be released in the future.
When listening back to their music, the musician feels an “overwhelming hit of awe camaraderie, power of creativity, majesty even, and love.”
He penned on Instagram on the anniversary: “As I wait for my son Noah to get out of school today I’m thinking about … well actually its stuck in my head and’s been there since early this morning like a proud spring bird dammit.
“Its a song Chris and Matt wrote ‘The Road Less Traveled’ for our album that has yet to be named, just hearing Chris’ voice helps, I know he did that for everyone he knew…. help them, he did for me, filled with self doubt and indebtedness and in just his tone knew what I was going through and forgave me like he always did even when he was older. It’s at this point of recording all of our previous albums I’d get this overwhelming hit of awe, camaraderie, power of creativity, majesty even, and love, from the music, and my bandmates…. and I guess just pure life force.
“I can tell you, it feels good and invigorating to hear Chris singing from over that horizon and hear the mighty… mighty life, of souls sharing. To hear, as a fan… and band member, a song or two Chris brought in a few years ago turn before my very ears and finger blisters into a full blown Soundgarden tune is like feeling a glacier fall away off your chest. (sic)”
Soundgarden will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in November.
And they have musicians in mind to perform lead vocals in Chris’ place.
Speaking about the honour, guitarist Kim Thayil admitted it’s a “high bar, not just technically, but emotionally” when it comes to choosing someone to represent their beloved bandmate and show “reverence” for the group’s legacy.
He told Billboard: “It’s a high bar, not just technically, but emotionally. There has to be a reverence for the missing brother and founder, and there also has to be reverence for the legacy — both for Chris’ work and Chris’ creativity, as well as the regard and reverence we have for ourselves collectively and for each other. Some suggestions have come out; I’m not prepared to share that, but I’ll just say it’s a higher bar than the usual composite of guitarists and drummers or singers.”
Kim admitted Soundgarden were part of the alternative scene that didn’t pay too much attention to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. However, after Chris inducted Heart into the Hall in 2013, and drummer Matt Cameron was inducted as part of Pearl Jam, they had a change of heart.
Chris was blown away by the “enthusiasm of the fans” when he took part in Heart’s induction and realised how important the validation is.
The frontman tragically took his own life in 2017 aged 52.
Soundgarden’s last album was 2012’s ‘King Animal’.