Soundgarden Reuniting in 2010

Posted on Jan 2nd 2010 2:00PM by Liz Colville
Comments

Among many music fans' New Year's wishes was undoubtedly a hope that their favorite disbanded musical acts might reunite in the new decade. Well, Soundgarden fans are in luck. Chris Cornell, pictured, declared around midnight on January 1 that the band is reuniting after a 12-year hiatus. Cornell, who also fronted proto-Pearl Jam band Temple of the Dog and Audioslave and has had success as a solo artist, posted a suggestive message on his Twitter account late Thursday, along with a lengthier announcement on Soundgarden's website.

"The 12-year break is over and school is back in session," the website reads, prompting fans to sign up for an e-mail newsletter to find out more. On his Twitter feed, Cornell echoed the announcement, adding, "Knights of the Soundtable ride again!"

Soundgarden was made up of Cornell, guitarist Kim Thayil, bassist Ben Shepherd, and drummer Matt Cameron (original bassist Hiro Yamamoto departed in 1989), and had an influential 13-year run. Based in Seattle, they were one of the first acts to sign to the indie label Sub Pop, cultivating a dark, vertiginous sound that borrowed as much from punk as heavy metal. The band is also considered the first grunge band to sign to a major label, A&M. They began to steadily gain notice in the early '90s and broke through with 1994's Superunknown,' a bestseller that year and home to the Grammy-winning singles 'Black Hole Sun' and 'Spoonman.'

The band had some success after that, with 1996's 'Down on the Upside' peaking at number two on the charts and receiving a Grammy nomination for the song 'Pretty Noose.' But the album didn't have the same impact as its predecessor, and amid rumors of internal squabbling, Cornell left the band in 1997, leaving the other members to pursue other projects.

And pursue they did -- all four members have certainly kept busy since then.

Chris Cornell put out his successful solo release 'Euphoria Morning' in 1999 and formed Audioslave in 2001 with Rage Against the Machine, who were looking for a new vocalist following Zack de la Rocha's departure. Audioslave disbanded in 2007, and most recently, Cornell released 'Scream,' a solo album with material produced by Timbaland, in 2009.

Meanwhile, Thayil has performed with numerous bands including the Presidents of the United States of America; SunO))) and Boris on their collaborative 2006 album 'Altar'; and the punk band No WTO Combo, which he formed with Jello Biafra and others in 1999.

Bassist Ben Shepherd, along with Matt Cameron, has played with Wellwater Conspiracy and has also contributed bass for Mark Lanegan. Cameron has also drummed for Queens of the Stone Age, the Smashing Pumpkins and Peter Frampton, but his main gig is with Pearl Jam. He became the band's drummer in 1998 and is now its longest-running drummer.

Soundgarden hinted of what was to come when three members performed together at the Crocodile Cafe in Seattle in March 2009. Though Cornell wasn't present, Thayil, Cameron and Shepherd played with Tad Doyle on vocals, supporting Tom Morello's band The Nightwatchmen. All four members also made an appearance at an October Pearl Jam show in Universal City, Calif., where Cornell joined the main act onstage for a Temple of the Dog reunion.

But recently, Matt Cameron, who faces a busy tour schedule with Pearl Jam this year, sounded sure the band wouldn't get back together, as Pitchfork reported. Cameron told the website Grunge Report in November, "The last thing on my mind is getting a band back together."

Cornell, meanwhile, was cagey about reunion rumors in an interview with Rolling Stone in July 2009, saying the band was only getting together again to organize the release of some Soundgarden B-sides and box sets.

But the singer added, "I've always said nothing is impossible. I never wanted to be one of those people who tries to predict the future ... I want to be open to anything, but nothing has changed in terms of our attitude toward it. It takes somebody to really stand up and say, 'We should do this, we have to go do this, let's go do this,' and so far, no one has raised their hand to do that. Still, it's not impossible."

10 Music Predictions for 2010