Cover of Soundgarden Screaming Life
De...Marga...

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For fans of soundgarden, lovers of grunge and 1980s punk/metal fusion, and readers interested in the origins of seattle's music scene
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THE REVIEW

They are already waiting for me at the usual place; my group of "pals" hikers met at 8 o'clock in this freezing morning. I informed them that I will arrive later and to start climbing; I will catch up with you during the ascent. I have a mission to accomplish first; I woke up with the debut of Soundgarden in my head: nothing and no one can stop me. When I have these flashes, I become a fury, a raging river, an avalanche...ok, let's go because I have the minutes counted like never before.

It's 1987; Chris, Kim, Matt, and Hiro lock themselves in a cramped recording studio in Seattle. Guided by Jack Endino; they come out after very few days with the EP in question. The Sub Pop label puts them on the music market; sparks immediately, right from the start, a furious fire in the six tracks contained.

Punk and Metal colliding, battling each other. With a toxic dose of creeping Psychedelia trying to put order in the somewhat cacophonous chaos of the early Soundgarden. Angry blows with impressive moves open "Hunted Down"; Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath are the most immediate reference points; but there's more. The guys already show they have a stylistic "progression" that will gradually develop in their prodigious career. Foul residues of abrasive Post-Punk in the vein of Black Flag; acidic riffs of a sharp guitar that seems tuned by an amateur. Dark and shadowy like in the first seconds of "Entering" so much so that it even recalls something that came out from the sides of Joy Division. Then the track explodes, bursts thanks to that voice, that unforgettable voice of Chris. And here I struggle, I can't express what I feel, what I sense when Chris "pushes" and forces the words with that so sharp, dramatic tone...unreachable for anyone.

The ferocity of Garage in the two frenzied minutes of "Tears to Forget"; the sick and painful notes of the narcoleptic and distressing "Nothing to Say": heaviness, desecrating physicality. The screams that shatter, that shake...

Enough, enough...I will stop here...I have to go...my friends have looked for me again...

Ad Maiora.

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Summary by Bot

This review praises Soundgarden's 1987 debut EP Screaming Life for its raw fusion of punk, metal, and psychedelic elements. The reviewer highlights the powerful vocals of Chris Cornell and the band's early stylistic progression under Jack Endino's production. The EP's intense energy and notable tracks like "Hunted Down" and "Entering" are celebrated as unforgettable and influential. The review conveys a deep personal connection to the music and its impact.

Tracklist Lyrics

01   Hunted Down (02:43)

02   Entering (04:36)

I'm entering without a sound
I'm entering on wings I've flown
A million miles of covered ground
I'm entering

I'm entering without a sound
I'm entering on wings I've flown
A million miles of covered ground
I'm entering

03   Tears to Forget (02:00)

These tears to remember
These tears to forget
I tried and I cried
These tears to forget

I suckle life
Its love and its beauty
I scream from life
These tears to remember
These tears to forget
I tried to cry away
These tears

04   Nothing to Say (04:00)

Nothing, nothing, nothing but the one thing

Someone said my words are out of balance
Nothing to say, you've got nothing to say
Dying words I bury everyday
Nothing to say, I've got nothing to say
Nothing but the one thing

You've got nothing, nothing to say
Nothing but the one thing

Big bad word spell it with four letters
Nothing to say, you've got nothing to say
Oh my God, your words are out of balance
Nothing to say, you've got nothing to say
Nothing but the one thing
Nothing, nothing

You've got nothing, nothing to say
Nothing but the one thing

Nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing

05   Little Joe (04:30)

Little Joe, run for the border
Leave your home
Go where the reptiles roam
On the side of the border that is your home

Little Joe, eyes of your lover look back on you
As you run for cover
Though stick and fire and may break your bones
There’s a light in the tunnel that leads you home

Little Joe, just like your father
Your eyes will water, your guts will splatter
Though sticks and fire, sticks and fire
Won’t break your bones, it is a lie

Little Joe, run for the border
Leave your mother and father
Go to where the reptiles roam
They’re waiting for you, Little Joe

06   Hand of God (04:27)

Soundgarden

American rock band formed in Seattle in 1984, central to the 1990s grunge scene; best-known for albums such as Superunknown and Badmotorfinger and for Chris Cornell's distinctive voice.
31 Reviews