Soundgarden’s Final Album with Cornell is Nearly Finished
Soundgarden’s final album with Chris Cornell is moving toward the light after years of legal and emotional hurdles. According to the surviving members, they are “pretty close” to finishing the…
Chris Cornell’s sudden, tragic death in 2017 is a loss that is still very much felt in the rock world. Soundgarden’s catalog more than makes them worthy of induction, which they were eligible for since 2012. Undoubtedly, Soundgarden will (or should) get into the Rock Hall at some point, even though it’ll be bittersweet. At the very least, the surviving members deserve that recognition.
Kevin Winter/Getty ImagesSoundgarden’s final album with Chris Cornell is moving toward the light after years of legal and emotional hurdles. According to the surviving members, they are “pretty close” to finishing the record. The path has been bittersweet and a labor of love. The album is built from previously unreleased vocal takes before Cornell’s death in 2017.
Soundgarden's Final Album with Chris Cornell
Guitarist Kim Thayil, drummer Matt Cameron, and bassist Ben Shepherd are working with longtime producer Terry Date, known for his work on Louder Than Love and Badmotorfinger. Date’s collaborative style has helped the band stay true to its roots while working through the raw demos into full songs.
Thayil describes the process as an emotional journey: “It’s a way to post tribute to our beloved brother.” The band says some tracks feel like familiar Soundgarden, while others hint at a new chapter. It's a creative direction that Cornell may have been heading toward.
When Cameron first listened back to Cornell’s demo vocals, he was overwhelmed. According to bassist Ben Shepherd, the early playback sessions felt like rediscovering “that Soundgarden” they once knew. For the band, completing the album isn’t just a job: it’s deeply emotional. “It’s a way to post tribute to our beloved brother,” Thayil said, calling the project “a gift to Chris.”
The interview took place before the band's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Allison Hagendorf. Here's the full interview with Soundgarden:
The Hurdles for the Album
The road hasn’t been smooth. As Blabbermouth reports, the band was caught in a legal battle with Cornell’s widow, Vicky Cornell for years. In 2019 she sued for royalties and ownership of seven unreleased recordings, claiming they were her late husband’s alone. The band countered that the recordings dated back to 2015, and that they had all worked collaboratively on them.
In April 2023, both sides reached an “amicable out-of-court resolution” that opened the door for the release of the final tracks. Since then, Thayil has said he wants to honor Cornell’s legacy and deliver something meaningful.
As of this article's publishing, no official release date for the album has been announced.
