Soundgarden and the Estate of Chris Cornell have settled their legal battle over the final recordings made by the late frontman.
The news, which sets the stage for the release of Soundgarden’s final songs, was announced on Chris Cornell and Soundgarden’s social media accounts yesterday (April 17).
“Soundgarden and Vicky Cornell, on behalf of the Estate of Chris Cornell, are happy to announce they have reached an amicable out of court resolution,” reads the statement.
“The reconciliation marks a new partnership between the two parties, which will allow Soundgarden fans around the world to hear the final songs that the band and Chris were working on. The two parties are united and coming together to propel, honor and build upon Soundgarden’s incredible legacy as well as Chris’s indelible mark on music history – as one of the greatest songwriters and vocalists of all time.”
According to Rolling Stone, seven songs are lined up for release, all of which were written by Cornell in some capacity. They are: Cancer, Stone Age Mind (Cornell), Road Less Traveled, Orphans, At Ophians Door (Cornell/Matt Cameron); Ahead of the Dog (Cornell/Kim Thayil); and Merrmas (Cornell/Ben Shepherd).
As for what that material sounds like, very little information exists. In my interview with Cornell during the writing of the album, conducted in late January 2017, the frontman was fairly cryptic: “We have a lot of interesting songs… sort of similar in that nothing really sounds like anything we’ve done before, and there’s definitely new territory, but it definitely sounds like us.”
Two years later, as Soundgarden struggled to obtain Cornell’s final vocal recordings, Thayil offered more detail.
“Interestingly, there’s a psychedelic element, and there was more of a grooving, I’d say a little bit more, not ballad-y, but more guitar arpeggiations, like what you might hear on Fell On Black Days,” he revealed.
“And then we had maybe a couple of sad songs, and a couple of heavy songs that in general feel were – where we were at in the writing process – kind of mixed like [2012 reunion album] King Animal, but a little bit less of the heavy stuff. But it was still interesting, still quirky stuff.
“Once Matt, Ben and myself get a hold of those songs and finish putting down our parts, the songs will very likely become heavier, darker and maybe a bit trippier.”
A release date for the recordings has yet to be announced.
Legal wrangles between Cornell’s estate and the band have been ongoing since 2019, when Vicky Cornell sued the surviving members, accusing them of withholding royalties. As part of the suit, Vicky claimed Chris Cornell’s vocal recordings were made in his personal studio and there was no agreement they were intended for Soundgarden.
A second lawsuit followed in 2021, as Vicky Cornell sued Soundgarden over a “villainously low” offer for her stake in the band. Soundgarden responded by demanding they were allowed back into their social media accounts, which they had been locked out of by the Estate.
A temporary agreement over the accounts was reached in June 2021, which was branded “a productive first step towards healing and open dialogue” and paved the way for the final recordings.
