Soundgarden Outshine All in my list of Top Shows!

I'm in agony, pure agony because I hope this is not the only time I see Soundgarden live. The only consolation being that if I don't they will probably remain at the top of my all time live performance list. They were simply brilliant.

Back in January I got tickets for the Paris date as a birthday gift and it must've taken me a few minutes to fully grasp the magnitude of such a gift. Never, in my wildest dreams had I imagined seeing these guys in concert. Along with bands like Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, Blind Melon, Nirvana and Stone Temple Pilots, they were my bread and butter as a teenager.

So, enough with the chatter... how good were they really? Well, the set was 22 songs long and that equated to just over 2 hours worth of stage time. During that time we got to hear all the classics along with new song 'Live to Rise'. Cornell's voice, although strained, was note perfect. He avoided doing anything stupid which meant that every song was vocally spot on. I agree with people that say his best years are behind him but with that being said, this guy is constantly performing and recording, I don't think that his voice has had a proper break for years. So, yeah, Chris Cornell, legend.

The rest of the guys just oozed confidence. Kim Thayill on guitar rocking away with his wah-wah and a very impressive beard, dude was flawless. The human metronome, Matt Cameron also provided some very effective backing vocals (need I comment on his drumming?. Ben Shepherd was a beast on bass, his style is immediately recognisable. However, he did show a little bit of rock star attitude at the end when he kicked a light and stormed off. But hey, who cares! It was a great show and now we wait for the album :)



My all time top 5 so far are:

1. Soundgarden (Paris 2012)
2. Red Hot Chilli Peppers (Madrid 2002)
3. Alter Bridge (Dortmund 2011)
4. Alice in Chains (London 2009)
5. Metallica (Lisbon 2007)
Honorable mentions:
6. Mastodon (Donnington 2005)
7. Machine Head (Nottingham 2003)
8. Breed 77 (Gibraltar 2000)
9. Guns N Roses (Madrid 2010)
10. Slipknot (Donnington 2005)

Rumour has it...

According to my sources at Sonisphere Spain there was one band that stood out amongst some of the titans and even though bands like Gojira, Machine Head, Soundgarden and Slayer all got honourable mentions apparently Skindred was unbelievable!

I've known about the guys for a while and have a few select tracks on my ipod but didn't realise they got so much respect for their live shows.

So here's 'Warning' by the reggae fused metal band that you now need to check out!

Soundgarden to Dominate Sonisphere

That's right, the legend that is Soundgarden is back on European soil and this weekend they hit up Getafe for the Sonisphere festival. We already took a look at one of the Andalucian bands taking part (Vita Imana) and now it's time for the headliners.

Having dispanded shortly after the release of 'Down on the Upside' the Seattle band were at the time seen as the biggest band on the planet especially after the death of Kurt Cobain, the demise of Alice in Chains and the lacklustre contributions from Pearl Jam (thankfully PJ got back on course!).

Cornell went on to do his own thing blah blah blah... (I loved his work btw) but now Soundgarden are back and I might be missing the Getafe gig but I will be in Paris on Tuesday night to see them so I'll get back to you on how they did :)

Soundgarden rise with new Avengers song

It's been a long time coming but finally we get to hear a new Soundgarden track that is written post break-up. Ok, so 'Live to Rise' doesn't blow you away like so many previous efforts do but what it delivers is a fresh look into what direction the 'Knights' are headed.

Riff wise, it's sweet. Simple hook and basically classic Kim Thayill playing. Matt Cameroon of course still has the chops to play a complex beat whilst hitting home his signature sound and feel.

You will no doubt say that this song is more of an 'Audioslave' album track han a Soundgarden single but isn't it nice to see the guys are still able to produce something that sounds fresher than most of what is out there?

Knights of the SoundTable Return!

Yes, Soundgarden are back!

Download Festival Headline slot??? I think so! It has to be on the cards after Faith No More returned last year.

Heres what to expect from one of the 90's big hitters.

Artist Focus: Chris Cornell

Growing up to Soundgarden in the early and mid 90's was a pleasure. I was probably a bit too young to fully understand what they were talking about and the level at which they were playing. As my appreciation for music grew and my understanding of song writing developed there was only one thought in my mind, Chris Cornell is a genius.

I would check who wrote what song and sure enough the Cornell written songs always had a greater effect on me than the collaborations.

Cornell couldve easily fallen off the face of the earth when his Timbaland cd came out. Fair enough, he wanted to experiment, but he lost more than he gained from it. All in all it wasnt a well calculated risk.

Temple of the Dog was a tribute to the late Mother Love Bone singer, Andrew Wood. The album itself is a classic. A must have for any classic rock fan.

Take a listen to 'Say Hello to Heaven'



Soundgarden had their biggest hit with the anthemic 'Black Hole Sun'. However, on an album filled with timeless classics (Superunknown) it is hard to pick a favourite. So here are two...





After the last Soundgarden studio album, Down on the Upside, Cornell released Euphoria Morning to good reviews and much of the album worthy of a listen or two at least.

The next big Cornell project came about when he was asked to play with former Rage Against the Machine band members. They named themselves Audioslave and released 3 albums, all with declining success but still able to attract huge live crowds.

He was exposed to new fans and followers thanks to 'You Know My Name' the song used for Daniel Craigs first James Bond movie. Followed by a beautiful take on Michael Jacksons 'Billie Jean' Cornell had cemented himself as a timeless artist.

Could it be 1992 all over again?

We've seen the release of new Alice in Chains and Pearl Jam albums over the past couple of months, and although neither album can compete with earlier efforts it does beckon the question... 'Is Grunge Coming Back?'

Well, last year did see the return of Stone Temple Pilots to the touring circuit and more recently rumours of a Soundgarden reunion have been circulating. The only major absentee from the early 90's Grunge explosion, for obvious reasons, would be Nirvana. So could 2010, the ushering in of a new decade, see the rebirth of a genre that surely faded out too fast?