Originally written and performed by Chris Cornell, the introspective ‘Dead Wishes‘ first appeared on his 2015 solo album Higher Truth. King Ultramega’s version retains the song’s haunting simplicity while expanding it into something atmospheric and orchestral. Angel Vivaldi handles both acoustic and electric guitars, with strings and arrangements composed by Menghi. Frank Mitaritonna brings keyboards and Kenny Aronoff is on drums and percussion, with cover artwork by Costin Chioreanu.

For Dailor, stepping out from behind the kit was both a challenge and a release. He admits his initial reaction to being asked was to politely decline, fearing he’d embarrass himself attempting one of Cornell’s songs. Once on board, he found the experience freeing, knowing he could focus entirely on vocals without juggling drums.

Menghi describes returning to the song repeatedly in moments of reflection, drawn to its simplicity and the depth of its instrumentation. His approach was to honour the original whilst layering in violins, cellos, keyboards, percussion, Leslie effects, xylophone and sleigh bells, an atmospheric soundscape designed as homage rather than reinvention.

The wider King Ultramega project, which launches in conjunction with Soundgarden‘s long overdue induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, has drawn together a remarkable cast of collaborators including Kim Thayil, Charlie Benante, Joe Satriani, William DuVall, Bill Kelliher and Alissa White-Gluz. Each contributor was asked to apply their own musical stamp whilst staying in service to Cornell’s memory.

We’ve watched plenty of tribute projects come and go, and the ones that land are the ones built on genuine reverence rather than novelty. King Ultramega clearly sits in the former camp. With proceeds going to MusiCares and the calibre of musicians signing on, this feels like a meaningful chapter in keeping Cornell’s voice present for both longtime fans and a new generation discovering his work.

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“Slave” has also been released as a bull-bustin’ video… and is just as technically competent, although it borders onto symphonic metal territory. In this sense, it is a better vehicle for Marisa’s voice, which is presented here as a combination of wedding cake, cream-butter sweetness and funeral cake, juniper-berry bitterness.

But “Needy” is the album opener — and this is a proper grunge number with a resinous, rubber-band twang and low-spirited drums that seem to trip and falter over themselves in an effort to stay upright, as if the disillusioned protagonist had been on a day-long hydrocodone bender. The starlight comes, if at all, in the barely audible psyche, which tries to reveal itself through the precious darkness. This is important. It is probably the best heavy grunge since Soundgarden’s Superunknown.

“Baby Goodnight” is equally dilatory, also represented with low tones, and extraordinary depth of character. And “Easy Target” seems like a reprise of that same performance… until the ever-expanding and universally emphatic chorus screams like a passionate soul in pain on an escape ramp from a hellish cataclysm.

It is unlikely that you will listen to more musicality and talent this year, and if you are a fan of classic grunge, with distorted images, an overwhelming feeling of emotional isolation and dirty realism … this will be a record you will want to keep and play again and again. And it’s not just Babes in Toyland kitsch rock either: this team is talented, beyond belief actually, so this takes over where Alice in Chains left off, around 1996.

Yeah, it’s authentic, it’s real handsome and the song compositions are filled with emotion, while the performances are full of adrenaline.

Marisa and the Moth (self titled) is expected Nov 15, 2019

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It was later found out the cause of death was suicide by hanging.

A spokesperson told the BBC:

“He was found on the bathroom floor, our medical unit were called and he was pronounced dead on scene,” a spokesperson said.

“A family friend went to go check on him and observed him on the bathroom floor. The body was transferred to the medical examiner’s office.”

The medical examiner’s office said on Thursday: “The cause of death has been determined as hanging by suicide. A full autopsy report has not yet been completed.”

Chris will be fondly remembered by the rock and metal community for one of the leading names in the ‘grunge’ era with Soundgarden who enjoyed a great crossover appeal in the 80s and 90s, and again after their comeback in 2010 – even providing soundtrack for Marvel’s Avengers and playing Download before Black Sabbath.

Cornell was also part of grunge super-group Temple Of The Dog, as a loving tribute to his close friend Andrew Wood of Mother Love Bone. The band also featured members of Pearl Jam and surviving members of Mother Love Bone. Their biggest track was ‘Hunger Strike’ (below). The super-group were due to pay reunion gigs later this year.

Entering the 2000s Cornell would take over as vocalist for Rage Against The Machine, re-Christening the band Audioslave and creating hard-rock anthems such as ‘Cochise’ and ‘Like A Stone’ (below). Audioslave would also go on to headline the Sunday main stage at the first-ever Download Festival in 2003

Chris Cornell also had a successful solo career, providing the soundtrack for Bond film Casio Royale with ‘You Know  My Name’ and recording five solo albums.

Everyone at RAMzine would like to pass on our thoughts to Chris’ family and friends at this hard time – you will be missed. Rest In Peace.

Via BBC.co.uk

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25 years on, former members TOTD – Chris Cornell, Jeff Ament, Matt Cameron, Mike McCready and Stone Gossard – have reunited to perform a few dates in the US.

This video was posted on Facebook earlier today:

Hopefully more live dates will follow.

Here is their classic track ‘Hunger Strike’ just because it is amazing:

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Fast toward to 2015, and Cornell has re-released his debut outing. There are no new tracks or any re-recorded parts, the only change is the album title. Its new title is Euphoria Mourning.

Going into this, questions were going to be raised about if he was going to stick with the same formula that made Soundgarden successful or would he create a whole new sound altogether? The answer? We hear Cornell swapping to a more sensitive, desperate, acoustic sound with the vocals being mellow and the acoustic guitars flowing through each song beautifully.   What the album does so well its ability to cover many different moods with several different music genres, while still keeping the overall rock feel. For example he experiments with R&B to Folk to Funk and each song is pulled off brilliantly.

Now despite the title of Preaching The End Of The World, it’s actually one of the happiest songs on the album about trying to find someone to share the apocalypse with. It features acoustic guitar for the most part and electric guitar, handled by the brilliant Alain Johannes. The electric guitar manages to give it a very impressive “spacey” and quirky feel.

With ‘Wave Goodbye’, a song written about the passing of his friend Jeff Buckley, is a very funky sounding song. Cornell does not use cliché’s to hide his pain in these lyrics, the message of “I miss you” is direct. The melody of the guitar creates a feeling of being lost and depressed, which ultimately is what he is trying to convey.

For the fans expecting the “Chris Cornell screaming his guts out” sound we are used to might be a bit disappointed with the lack of it on Euphoria Morning. But this isn’t a Soundgarden album. We do get a few hints of such a sound on songs like ‘Steel Rain’, but they are few and far between. This is not bad thing though as too many screams wouldn’t fit in with the overall tone of the album.

Around the recording of this album, Chris Cornell was battling his own daemons within himself. He battled drug addiction as well as depression and entered rehab. ‘Pillows Of Your Bones’ and ‘Sweet Euphoria’ are both very dark musically and feature some of the best vocals from Cornell on the album. Lyrically they seem to be the most cryptic and lonely and could’ve been written about his time in rehab.

Praise must be given to the supporting band on this record as the guitar work on tracks such as ‘Flutter’ and ‘Moonchild’ is fantastic. Equally good is the drum work, handled by Josh Freese. The outro to ‘Follow My Way’ is excellent.

The highlight for me on this record is track 5, ‘When Im Down’. It showcases everything good that Cornell produces on this album, from the lyrics to music to the opening piano piece. It’s one of those songs that you can listen to, if you are sad, happy or just in between and you will feel something by the end of it.

With all the positives, I feel there is only one minor negative and it comes with track six, Mission. Although it sounds different, which is no bad thing, the lyrics, about Vengeance seem a bit out of place and do not fit.

Check out our review of Chris Cornell’s latest album ‘Higher Truth’ here

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It is the follow up to the 2009 album Scream, which featured Chris Cornell teaming up with rapper Timberland to create what can only described as R(ock) n B. Long-time fans will be pleased to know, that’s this time around there isn’t any beatboxing to be heard.

You’re not going to hear Cornell screaming like with his work with Audioslave or Soundgarden nor are you going to hear blistering guitar solos and heavy drums. Much the opposite. He has gone back to basics with this outing. Right back. Acoustic guitar, soft drums, violins and his voice are all you are getting here.

Chris Cornell’s fifth solo outing is a folk rock album for those who are still carrying the scars of being burned by heartbreak. Sit back, relax and let Chris Cornell take you on a musical journey for 45 minutes because Higher Truth IS fantastic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhJ9IwYc5NU

The opening track, lead single and stand out song on this album is ‘Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart’. Now that isn’t to say that the other songs aren’t as strong, they are, but this is probably the best song Cornell has ever produced. It starts with a calm guitar riff, slowly building to a head bopping chorus. Lyrically you can’t help but feel uplifted by it and serves as a reminder that life does go on.

The ‘Songbook’ acoustic tour was a clear influence on this album, and Cornells guitar work continues to improve with songs such as ‘Dead Wishes’, which features a beautifully plucked guitar sound throughout mixed with comforting vocals.

You may think that after 30 years that he may have run out of ideas musically and lyrically but this definitely isn’t the case. Songs such as ‘Before We Disappear’, ‘Through The Window’ and ‘Josephine’ all show that Cornell’s song writing skills are as strong as ever and show no signs of slowing down. He has also somehow made every song on the album is relatable to his audience.

“Life ain’t nothing, if it ain’t hard, it will show you who you truly are” – Before We Disappear

Things get a little heavier for the next tracks with Cornell introducing soft drums and electric guitars on title track ‘Higher Truth’ and ‘Our Time In The Universe’ (the latter having a remix version later on in the album but is best avoided). The timing of these inclusions allow the record to flow without becoming stale. It also allows Cornell to stretch his vocals, which so far have been contained on the softer music. Which is no bad thing.

I listened to the Deluxe Edition of this album (the standard finishes with Our Time in the Universe) and I highly recommend it as we are treated to 3 brilliant extra tracks (4 if you include the remix).

On ‘Bend in the Road’, Cornell shows off his unknown Harmonica skills as no folk sounding album is complete without a harmonica solo. I feel it’s a clear nod to Bob Dylan.

It’s a shame that ‘Wrong Side’ didn’t make it on to the main album and was only included as a bonus track as this is another stand out song. Cornell’s haunting vocals carry the song and features a very effective and powerful guitar solo.

Verdict: It’s taken five attempts for Chris Cornell to find something that he can call his own, away from his other bands. Higher Truth is easy listening folk sounding music and it’s brilliant. Probably not the best to listen to after a break up though.

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