Soundgarden
King Animal

Been Away Too Long.

Fifteen years since the tentative "Down On The Upside". A couple of years since that "Scream" under solo Cornell's banner, marking the lowest point of the handsome long-haired frontman's career from the revived "Garden of Sound". And now this "King Animal", which even before its official release, drew the usual eager ones shouting "they're doing it for the money".

Maybe so. And you know what: that's their business. Because even if they did it for the cash, the new product from Soundgarden is a remarkable album. It's far from being a masterpiece, born from "boys" nearing their fifties, but if all reunions resulted in outcomes like this, damn. The aforementioned "Been Away Too Long" is a punch in the stomach, not even among the best of the bunch, but it works quite well both as the first single and as an opening track, not just for the title that's half-admission of guilt and half-declaration of intent. Already from "Non-State Actor," and even more so with the following "By Crooked Steps," however, you really start to realize that you're inside a 'Garden album: immediately a wild Cornellian scream, decorating a great powerful riff from the returned (and always in great shape, super compliments) Kim Thayil guided by the usual tempo changes from the back-to-roots Cameron, finally free to let loose on the drums, unlike the "limitations" imposed during the Pearl Jam experience. The oriental influences of Thayil's guitar in "A Thousand Days Before" are beautiful, the superlative "Bones Of Birds" is cardiac-arresting, a super dark mid-tempo that's shot straight among the best things ever produced by the US band. "Blood On The Valley Floor" is heavy and leaden enough to hit the mark, "Taree" is flowing and delicate, a beautiful song written shortly before the band's breakup and now included in the new work.

Few references to Cornell's solo work, perhaps only the beginning of the beautiful "Black Saturday". However, there's a good sonic assault of grunge ("Attrition"), a more than inspired refrain ("Eyelid's Mouth"), a nod to the blues ("Rowing," perfect in closing the work) and a "Halfway There" which is the closest thing to a hit single this album can offer.

It will be very interesting to follow the evolution of this surprising reunion. In the meantime, welcome back dear Soundgarden. Yes, perhaps you have been away too long.

Best track: "Bones Of Birds"