One of the most overlooked albums of 2012 was King Animal. Soundgarden has returned to show that it still has what it takes to be a forefront band in today‰’s highly competitive rock industry.

The evolution and professionalism of the band is showcased in their solid consistency and superb
execution. Frontman Chris Cornell and bassist Ben Shepard demonstrate their mature song-writing ability in “Been Away Too Long,‰” “Taree‰” and “Bones of Birds.‰” Lead guitarist Thayil also steps up to the plate in “By Crooked Steps‰” and “A Thousand Days Before.‰” And let‰’s not forgot Matt Cameron, a drummer of the highest caliber, who can‰’t be praised enough for his work on the album.

It‰’s easy to see that the band has learned from past mistakes in recording this record. Soundgarden has not released a studio album since the 1996 record, Down of the Upside. Previously, Soundgarden members had a hard time finding an identity, working through copious amounts of trial and error. Drummer Matt Cameron is utilized more effectively here as a complement to Cornell‰’s‰’ voice and the rest of the group. The whole band comes together in unison and in turn produces the best possible music. The group did not create this record in an effort to cater to popular tastes. Soundgarden constructed King Animal because they wanted to produce an album they were proud of, regardless of popular opinion. Perhaps there is no greater example of this than when the group streamed the entire album on iTunes for free the week prior to its release. The record is the pillar of the perfected Soundgarden individuality that took years to produce.

There has been a lot of commentary lately about the revival of grunge in the music scene. Soundgarden helps keep the genre alive. To be fair, grunge was never dead, just sometimes hard to find. Listeners can hear the power and expression in this album, especially with songs like “Non-State Actor‰” and “Crooked Steps.‰” Grunge has always been about fighting against the system and mainstream norms. The contrast becomes clear when listening to Soundgarden versus other popular music.

One interesting thing when it comes to the visual part of King Animal is that the music video for “Crooked Steps‰” was directed by the legendary Dave Grohl. The video is a contrast to the more traditional rock videos that Soundgarden usually puts out. Instead, it relies more on tongue and cheek humor but is still bodacious. The video also represents a growing trend of bands reaching out to each other, especially in an age, which Grohl describes as, not having enough rock bands.

The band returns to their heavy metal roots in King Animal, while occasionally mixing a variety of influences. “Black Saturday‰” incorporates a more hard rock and blues based style that differs from the other songs. “Rowing‰” also adds a nice slow-paced tune that has a garage rock feel to it. In an era where grunge is slowly fading from traditional metal albums, Soundgarden electrifies with “Non-State Actor.‰” However no song is as thrilling on the record as “Been
Away Too Long.‰” This single, which plays first on the album, plays homage to Soundgarden‰’s signature style and jumps out to any listener. One can feel all that the band has endured exploding out of this one song. “Been Away Too Long‰” is an adrenaline rush like no other.

After a decade-and-a-half-long hiatus, Soundgarden has successfully shown the world that great
rock music never dies. King Animal may be less popular to general audiences, but it is a joy ride for Soundgarden and rock fans alike.