Chris Cornell
Scream

THE REVIEW

Ok, there are already reviews about the disaster "Scream", so since I share the same opinion, I would like to focus on other details.

As many of you may know, there are rumors about a possible reunion of Soundgarden (for now, they are talking only about collections of b-sides... but in the future...), so I would like to make some considerations regarding this: if I had known this news 2 years ago, I would have been happy, because with the end of the Audioslave project (in my opinion a little underrated) I would have understood Chris Cornell's fear of ending up unjustly in anonymity, so a reunion with his historic band would have made sense, but after "Scream" I can no longer look at Cornell, and thus the "new" Soundgarden, with the same eyes.

How can you not think that this is just another commercial stunt by Chris to relaunch himself? Failed (partly) the Audioslave project, failed the hip-hop attempt (how could he think it would work?)... only Soundgarden is left... Sure, you can try, but the image of Cornell as Timbaland's puppet acting like one of the Backstreet Boys won't be easily forgotten! By now, trust in him is almost gone: sure, it was already known that he wanted to opt for more pop sounds (the previous album "Carry on" is an example), but with "Scream" he went overboard... he unjustly turned his back on the millions of supporters who still followed him with great interest.

At this point, the question that comes to mind is: "Couldn't he have avoided betraying the fans like this?" and the answer is: "Absolutely yes!"

Just listen to the songs in live versions (those without disco effects... obviously...) or in acoustic versions: sure, we are not in front of new great "Black hole sun", that's clear, but there were good ideas. "Scream" in acoustic version, as obvious as it might be, is nice, as is "Long gone" (at least the version released as a single is more "rock"... ...), "Never far away", and the only song that was saved from the hip-hop work "Two drink minimum". So, thinking that the synthetic effects weren't needed to mask a lack of inspiration, I believe that an album in a "classic" style wouldn't have done too badly.

And the interviews given by Chris Cornell about "Scream" don't hold up, in which he stated that he was "satisfied with the work done" and that "he did it only because it was what he wanted". It's obvious that it's not true... I had never heard his voice so bored and so unconvincing!

The conclusion is one: Chris Cornell sold out.

I would even be willing to forgive him, but are we sure that he's really regretful? But more than that, are we sure that Soundgarden won’t become yet another joke played on us?

I hope not... What do you think?