The Knights of the Soundtable ride again! King Animal is Soundgarden's first studio album since their 2010 reunion, and their first album of new material since 1996's Down on the Upside. And this album was definitely worth the wait. Soundgarden, driven by the wailing (and no less powerful) vocals of Chris Cornell, the mighty guitar riffs of Kim Thayil, the bouncy basslines of Ben Shepherd, and the eclectic and versatile drumming of Matt Cameron, have crafted a magnificent work of rock 'n roll. The overall vibe is similar to that of the band's previous albums Superunknown (IMO their magnum opus) and Down on the Upside. The songs are grungy without sounding nostalgic; instead they sound like a fresh reawakening. The band maneuvers through odd time signatures with ease, performing with vitality despite their older age. There are fast songs and slow songs, heavy rockers and soft acoustic tracks, psychedelic dirges and energetic bursts of alt-metal. Hats off to Soundgarden for making not only an excellent comeback album, but one of the best albums of 2012.…Full Review »
A triumphant comeback for Soundgarden. King Animal is a perfect followup to Down on the Upside, so much so that it hardly feels like their first album in 16 years.…Full Review »
Out of the big four grunge bands(in my opinion anyways) I'd rank soundgarden last, but having said that I was really surprised just how much I liked this album, and the long break in between albums seems to have taken no affect on the band. It took me a few listens to really start to enjoy the album and some of the lyrics are lacking, and a few songs are not that great.. but there's no big misses.
If I were a bigger Chris Cornell Fan or Soundgarden fan in general I would rate this album(don't care too much for his vocals or lyrics) higher.…Full Review »
