Metal, Hardcore, Indie, Rock
The band’s last album, which includes recordings of the late singer Chris Cornell, is expected to be released in 2027, according to Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil, as per UCR. They were still working on the project they had begun a number of years prior, and they did not rule out going on tour to promote the release. Thayil acknowledged in a recent interview with Ultimate Guitar that the band had struggled to work with the material left by Cornell after his passing in 2017 because they were focused on getting everything just right.
There are at least two songs that I wrote the music for, one of them, I wrote the lyrics for… [O]ne of the collaborations would have been that I submitted music to Chris, and he wrote lyrics for them. [H]e would move the verse and chorus lengths and sequences to accommodate his lyrics. But then, they themselves had to accommodate the dynamic of the instrumental. Sometimes, lengths will increase to accommodate guitar solos.
When asked how many tracks would be on the album, he first replied he was unable to respond.
Part of that is the work in progress. We’re looking at the material that we intend to complete, and we also look at material that perhaps we can complete… [T]hese are decisions that are going to have to be made between Matt [Cameron] and Ben [Shepherd] and I, and the producer. Right about now, it’s likely about eight or nine songs. More likely nine.
According to Thayil, the band was “aiming for next year” as a release date because the work was being finished around their other obligations.
We have to book studio time here and there, and it’s been a very busy year for us with the Hall of Fame induction, very busy year for me with the book, until last year it was very busy for Matt with Pearl Jam recordings and Pearl Jam touring… we kind of have to work around a lot of that.
Thayil had this response when asked if Soundgarden might tour with a guest vocalist or several of them.
That would be discussed roughly, generally, like, ‘Well, what do we do? How do we promote it?’ We love these songs… These are ideas that were created by Matt, by Ben, by myself and by Chris. These are songs we’ve worked with in a collaborative fashion amongst all four of us in different combinations over the years.
He thought that the backdrop of the record “probably heightened” interest in it.
[W]e know the significance of this material, with our legacy and with Chris’ legacy… we want to make sure that it’s as great as it can be, and because it’ll be the last studio album.
