The guitarist tells Rolling Stone USA: “It’s not just for us. It’s for him. It’s our last gift to Chris.”
After years of silence and legal hurdles, Kim Thayil confirmed to Rolling Stone (US edition) that Soundgarden are finally ready to finish their long-awaited posthumous album with Chris Cornell’s vocals, left unfinished since 2017.
“We’ve always wanted to finish it,” Thayil says. “But there were legal issues, fights over the masters, all kinds of complications that slowed us down. Now we can do it. And we have to.” He describes the album as “a final gift to Chris” and emphasizes these aren’t just scraps or demos—they’re fully developed songs the band worked on together with Cornell in the studio between 2016 and early 2017.
These are some of the tracks that might end up on the band’s posthumous record:
- Ahead Of The Dog (Cornell/Thayil)
- At Ophians Door (Cornell/Cameron)
- Cancer (Cornell)
- Merrmas (Cornell/Shepherd)
- Orphans (Cornell/Cameron)
- Road Less Traveled (Cornell/Cameron)
- Stone Age Mind (Cornell)
Thayil says the songs cover “a surprising range—some are heavy and dark, others are more experimental and melodic.” But for him, the top priority is “keeping Chris’s voice just as it is, no gimmicks. He’s leading this record, like he’s still here with us.”
“It’s not just for us. It’s not just for the fans,” Thayil adds in Rolling Stone. “It’s for Chris. We owe him this.”
As the album’s release draws closer, Soundgarden are also preparing for their official induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, set for November 2025. But for Kim, the real milestone is finishing the record: “The Hall of Fame is nice and all, but this album? That’s what really matters. That’s giving Chris his voice one more time.”
We’ve already written a deep dive on Soundgarden’s Rock Hall induction and the possible singers who might join them onstage. Check it out here 👉 Who Will Sing with Soundgarden at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2025?
Born in Reggio Emilia in 1980. He created pearljamonline.it in 2001 and wrote the first edition of “Pearl Jam Evolution” in 2009 along with his wife Daria. Since 2022, he is behind 2 podcasts: “Pearl Jam dalla A alla Z” and “Fuori Orario Not Another Podcast”. He has collaborated with Barracuda Style, HvsR, Rolling Stone, Rockol and Il Fatto Quotidiano. He continues relentlessly to try to find “beautiful melodies that say terrible things”.
Favorite song: Present Tense
Favorite album: No Code
Favorite bands/artists other than PJ: Tom Waits, Soundgarden, Ramones, Bruce Springsteen, IDLES, Fontaines D.C., The Murder Capital, Dead Kennedys, Mark Lanegan, Cat Power, R.E.M.