Soundgarden – King Animal

In the summer of 2010 I saw Soundgarden at Lollapallooza.  They were on top of their game and I am surprised it has taken until now for a new album to come out.  But it was worth the wait.  The album is very solid – they have not missed a beat in their 16 years of absence.  This can sit proudly next Superunknown and Badmotorfinger.

I was a fan of the 90s Seattle scene, but I always had a special fondness for Soundgarden.  They have always had a classic heavy rock sound that has appealed to my old ears.  A bit of Zep, Black Sabbath, yet very much themselves.

I read the Spin review and agree that this is almost too slick a presentation. I debated about buying the Best Buy deluxe edition – it had 5 demos – typically this is worthless trash. But these demos are fully realized and just raw enough to overshadow the album cuts. I highly advise the extra spend for the Best Buy version. But don’t get me wrong – this is still a great album – the fact that they have demos this amazing is proof hat despite their long hiatus this is a band that has not lost their magic.

I you are a fan of Superunknown and Badmotorfinger you will love this album.  If you like heavy classic rock you will love this album.  So many bands embarrass themselves with reunions, this is a an exception.   This is a mid-90s lost artifact – a wonderful anachronism – and I mean that in the most positive light – an archaeological gem.