King Ultramega launches with debut single ‘Rusty Cage’ A bold tribute to Chris Cornell in partnership with Reigning Phoenix Music and MusiCares

In a landmark collaboration to support the mental health and well-being of music creators, Reigning Phoenix Music and MusiCares have teamed up to spotlight King Ultramega, a bold new tribute project honoring the legacy of Chris Cornell. 

King Ultramega debuts today with a powerful reimagining of Soundgarden’s ‘Rusty Cage‘, released via Reigning Phoenix Music.

Watch ‘Rusty Cage’ (Official Lyric Video): 

Listen on your favorite streaming platform: https://kingum.rpm.link/rustycagePR

King Ultramega is an all-star collective featuring original members of  Alice In Chains, Anthrax, Mastodon and Soundgarden, alongside legendary artists from the hard rock and metal worlds. With each single release King Ultramega will feature different musicians that aim to celebrate Cornell’s musical genius while raising critical funds and awareness for MusiCares, the Recording Academy’s nonprofit providing mental health, addiction recovery, and emergency services to those in the music community.

Chris Cornell’s voice and presence meant so much to so many, including all of us at MusiCares. He and his loved ones have long championed the importance of our work, and it’s deeply meaningful to see his legacy continue through a project that brings connection, awareness, and hope to the music community.

Theresa Wolters, Interim Executive Director and VP of Health & Human Services, MusiCares

The lineup for “Rusty Cage” includes:

William DuVall (Alice In Chains) – Vocals

Bill Kelliher (Mastodon) – Guitars

Mark Menghi (Metal Allegiance) – Bass

Charlie Benante (Anthrax, Pantera) – Drums

DuVall approaches Cornell’s towering vocal legacy with reverence and restraint.

I just leaned into my love for the song and my immense respect for Chris. Since the instrumental track Bill, Charlie, and Mark sent hewed so closely to the original, I thought it best for me to stay in that ballpark as well. Again, my reason for participating was simply taking on an interesting challenge when so much of the world was shut down. I had no thoughts or ambitions for this beyond our posting it on social media five years ago. But if this release can help further the good work done by MusiCares, then I’m all for it.

Kelliher faithfully channels the song’s jagged, shifting riffs, while Menghi injects a dose of low-end swagger, including a bold bass-wah section in the song’s doom-laden second half. Benante captures Matt Cameron’s explosive style with precision and feel, staying true to the song’s “tight but loose” groove.

King Ultramega is more than a tribute, it’s a movement. The collective will continue releasing new interpretations of Cornell’s work across Soundgarden, Audioslave, Temple Of The Dog, and his solo career, each track featuring rotating guest musicians and collaborators. Proceeds from every release will benefit MusiCares.

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About King Ultramega:

King Ultramega is a passion-driven musical project honoring the life, voice, and genius of Chris Cornell, one of the most gifted artists of our time. It launches in conjunction with Soundgarden’s long-overdue induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This project did not begin with a single, dramatic moment. Instead, it grew quietly and gradually, an organic result of years of conversations, inspiration, and deep reverence for a musician whose impact remains immeasurable.

There is not a singular moment in time that led to this project. It was a trail of events that led to the formation of KING ULTRAMEGA and the evolving creation to pay tribute to the voice of a generation. Mark Menghi

It started in 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, when Menghi recorded a version of “Rusty Cage” with friends. What began as a creative release soon became something larger. With every step forward, the project deepened in meaning and purpose.

I kept crossing the mental roadblock of ‘you are entering uncharted waters, are you sure you wanna do this?’ Chris is one of those dudes if you cover, you better do it justice.

The decision to continue became clear when Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil joined the project and re-recorded one of his own iconic tracks. “Once Kim got involved and re-recorded one of his own songs, I knew something was brewing,” Menghi says. Thayil embraced the project wholeheartedly.

I’m super honored to record alongside all the amazing musicians appearing on the KING ULTRAMEGA project. I’m equally proud that it celebrates SOUNDGARDEN in this tribute to the songwriting of Chris. Ultra-admirably, everyone’s participation is supporting the work of the MusiCares Foundation. Thank you Mark Menghi, Charlie Benante and Reigning Phoenix Music (RPM).

For Menghi, this project is as personal as it is musical.

I went through some very difficult times in my life. I should not be here right now, but I am. I like to think my past trials and tribulations helped me understand Chris just a little, hence the formation of KING ULTRAMEGA.

Song selection was guided by instinct. 

My mood. It’s really that simple. ‘Rusty Cage’ was recorded simply because it’s one of my favorite songs featured on one of my favorite records.

Other songs came to Menghi during moments of reflection and inspiration. 

There is a bunch more in the can right now, all with drums fully recorded, which are currently being worked out for future releases.

The goal was never to reinvent Cornell’s work. It was about honoring it with the respect it deserves. “It really is only about honoring the legacy of Chris Cornell. Nothing more,” Menghi says. Each musician brought their own voice, but always in service to the song and to Cornell’s memory.

Each musician has their own individual musical stamp. You hear the absolute best of each one of them. You are talking about musicians who helped invent and shape musical genres and helped define their generations in popular culture, not just music, but society as a whole.

The cast of collaborators is remarkable. Kim Thayil, Charlie Benante, Joe Satriani, William DuVall, Bill Kelliher, Alissa White-Gluz, Kenny Aronoff, Menghi himself, among many others. The mix of past friendships and new connections created a unique bond among them. 

I think back and go ‘did I really ask Joe Satriani to do an instrumental reinterpretation of one of the greatest modern vocal songs ever recorded?’ or ‘what the fuck was I thinking asking the great Kim Thayil to re-record one of his own classic Soundgarden songs?’ Each participating musician saw the vision and understood that this is about honoring the legacy of not only an inspiring musician, but an amazing husband, father and man.

For Menghi, Cornell’s music has always been a constant presence. 

Chris Cornell has been one of only a very small handful of musical constants in my life. I never waivered, not once.

Certain moments in the process were surreal. Recording with Thayil was one of them. 

I remember thinking back saying to myself ‘holy fuck, I’m on a Soundgarden song with Kim Thayil. What planet are we on?’

Throughout it all, Menghi served as the project’s creative director, always guided by one central question. “How would Chris like this?” Every choice, from guest musicians to mixes to artwork, was measured against that standard. 

If there is even a shred of uncertainty at any point in the process, back to the drawing board we go.

The recordings were completed remotely over several years. The final tracks were mixed with care to ensure a cohesive sound that still captured the raw emotion of the performances. 

Hope is the underlying theme that runs through King Ultramega. It is an offering to longtime fans and an invitation for younger listeners to discover the timeless brilliance of Cornell’s work. “KU is just a blip in the Chris Cornell universe,” Menghi says. “We are a subtle reminder that Chris was a true musical genius.” For Menghi and his collaborators, King Ultramega is both a deeply personal labor of love and one of the greatest honors of their musical lives. 

To be here thirty-plus years later paying tribute to whom I believe was the king of those times is one of the greatest musical honors of my life.