Metal, Hardcore, Indie, Rock
King Ultramega, the all-star tribute project honoring the music and legacy of Chris Cornell, returns with its latest single, “Birth Ritual,” a reimagining of the Soundgarden deep cut originally featured on the legendary Singles movie soundtrack. Arriving one day after what would have been Cornell’s 58th birthday, the release also lands amid the continued celebration of Singles’ 30th anniversary, adding another layer of meaning to a track forever tied to the film, its era-defining soundtrack and the Seattle sound Cornell helped shape.
The new version brings together Matt Cameron, the legendary Soundgarden drummer who co-wrote and performed on the original track, Mark Menghi (bass & producer), and Lzzy Hale (vocals) and Joe Hottinger (guitar) of Halestorm. The result is a tribute that honors the song’s raw power while bringing fresh fire to one of the most explosive moments in Cornell’s catalog. The result is a tribute that honors the song’s raw power while bringing fresh fire to one of the most explosive moments in Cornell’s catalog.
For Menghi, King Ultramega has grown into something larger than a covers project.
“KING ULTRAMEGA has become more than a cover project; it feels like a living tribute to Chris Cornell’s entire creative spirit,” says Menghi. “If you notice the trend of KING ULTRAMEGA releases thus far, we cover all aspects of Chris’ career—spanning different albums, bands and solo records—with no more than one song from any given release. ‘Birth Ritual’ was originally featured on the legendary Singles movie soundtrack, and it has always been one of my favorite SOUNDGARDEN songs. It was important to me to give a tip of the cap to a phenomenal film—which Chris famously cameos in—and a soundtrack that perfectly defined that entire era. I still have my original VHS of the movie! Even our artwork for this release is a direct nod to the movie’s fictional band, ‘CITIZEN DICK.’”
When it came time to build the lineup for “Birth Ritual,” Cameron’s involvement was essential.
“Bringing in Matt was essential,” Menghi continues. “Having the guy who actually lived that experience—and is famously in the movie performing the OG version of this song live from behind the drum kit in one of the scenes—gives our version an undeniable, authentic energy. Getting to lock in on bass with Matt driving the drums was an absolute dream. Pairing our rhythm section with the sheer power of Lzzy and Joe took this track to the stratosphere. Lzzy completely channels that raw Cornell vocal grit, and Joe’s guitar work is just blistering. Together, I believe we honored the history while bringing fresh energy to it.”
“Birth Ritual” also marks the second time a member of Soundgarden has performed with King Ultramega, following Kim Thayil’s appearance on “The Day I Tried to Live.”
“Humbled, grateful, and completely surreal,” Menghi says. “Between having Matt on ‘Birth Ritual’ and Kim Thayil laying down guitars on ‘The Day I Tried to Live,’ it’s an absolute full-circle moment for me. SOUNDGARDEN has been woven into my creative DNA since a very young age. To have the very architects of that definitive Seattle sound validate what we are doing by stepping into our world and re-recording these tracks with us… it’s truly insane to think about. I’m just incredibly thankful for the opportunity.”
For Hale, stepping into a Chris Cornell vocal was never about imitation. It was about communion.
“Every time I tackle a Chris Cornell track I always want to honor his legacy,” says Lzzy Hale. “But with ‘Birth Ritual,’ I wanted to dance with it, meld his incendiary words with my soul and find a way to live inside the song.”
Hottinger approached the track’s guitar parts with the same balance of reverence and personal bite.
“‘Birth Ritual’ is such a wild song for the guitars,” says Joe Hottinger. “It’s a tuning I’ve never used and is super fun to play. I love how it just grooves with the drums. I decided to use my Bogner Snorkler and Wizard Hell Razor amps. My two favorite crunch amps right now. I kept it pretty true to the original on the rhythm guitar parts and took my liberties with the solos. All in all, the track was a joy to learn and play and I’m super excited to be on a track with one of my hero’s, Matt Cameron.”
For Cameron, returning to “Birth Ritual” inside a tribute to Cornell carried both emotional and musical weight.
“The overall intensity of the song still hits home for me,” says Matt Cameron. “It’s a nice modern update, but still sounds true to the original. The chorus on the tribute version sounds amazing, Lzzy crushed the vocals and the guitars and bass are perfect. It’s nice when Kim’s solo kicks in too.”
While “Birth Ritual” may not be one of Soundgarden’s biggest radio hits, King Ultramega’s version highlights why the song remains essential: it captures the unfiltered force, complexity and originality that made Cornell and Soundgarden unlike anyone else.
“I hope whoever listens to this song goes and revisits—or is introduced to—the movie Singles, and then goes out and buys that soundtrack,” says Menghi. “It truly is one of the greatest soundtracks ever assembled for a film. It was the soundtrack to my youth, in more ways than one… Back then, all that music was brand new, and now those songs are revered as timeless classics. What I hope people hear in our version of ‘Birth Ritual’ is the sheer, unapologetic power of that music. Chris’ vocal phrasing on this track is insane and the song itself is a perfect example of what made SOUNDGARDEN so revolutionary—they could take heavy, complex, unconventional arrangements and make them absolutely slam. I want people to hear the timelessness of Chris’s creative spirit and remember that even decades later, nobody has ever done it better. That raw energy still matters today just as much as it did on a cassette tape or VHS back in 1992.”
Cameron hopes the new recording leads listeners deeper into Soundgarden’s catalog.
“‘Birth Ritual’ is an obscure B-side, so newer fans of the band may not be familiar with it,” says Cameron. “After hearing this version hopefully newer listeners will check out some of our other interesting B-sides penned by Chris like ‘She Likes Surprises’ and ‘Cold Bitch.’”
For Hale, the enduring power of Cornell’s work lies in its honesty.
“There is a raw, unapologetic honesty in SOUNDGARDEN’s music that is something that any band new or old should be taking to heart,” she says. “There are never ending layers to peel back from not only ‘Birth Ritual’ but from every album they released. Chris taps into the nerve of your soul to reveal truths about yourself that you didn’t think anyone noticed. Chris’s voice and words have the ability to inspire and empower you to be the best version of yourself, something that is needed now more than ever before, and will continue for generations to come.”
Hottinger adds that “Birth Ritual” is a crucial piece of Soundgarden‘s identity and a reminder of Cornell’s place in heavy music.
“‘Birth Ritual’ is not one of the big SOUNDGARDEN hit songs, but it’s a song that is an essential track for helping define all the aspects of how much of a monster this band was and how unique and heavy they were compared to most ‘grunge’ music,” says Hottinger. “Chris sounds like a demon on this track. His screams and howls are otherworldly and his lyrics paint the heaviest picture. These songs and Chris’s voice are pillars of heavy music. They will forever be part of the DNA of a rock and Metal.”
King Ultramega’s “Birth Ritual” is both a tribute and a revival: a salute to Chris Cornell’s creative spirit, a nod to the cultural lightning strike of Singles, and a reminder that Soundgarden‘s music still hits with the same danger, depth and power decades later.
The “Birth Ritual” Lineup Is:
Vocals: Lzzy Hale (Halestorm)
Guitars: Joe Hottinger (Halestorm)
Bass: Mark Menghi (Metal Allegiance)
Drums: Matt Cameron (Soundgarden)
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