Soundgarden's "King Animal" Is Royally Intense

If rock 'n' roll is primarily about explosions of attitude then let me approach my review of Seattle alt-rock mainstays Soundgarden's marketplace declared comeback album "King Animal" like this. One by one I'll pinpoint how the band members contributions are not unlike the prime elements necessary to make TNT explode. Chris Cornell's the often smoldering existentialist who continues to burn long after the point of detonation. Take "By Crooked Steps" for instance. He claims he's addicted to feeling. That's not an addiction easily reckoned with let alone overcome. On "A Thousand Days Before" Ben Shepherd's bass and Matt Cameron's sneak up on ya' drumming grab me right away with a steady diet of propulsion that wraps up with short bursts of percussive payoff. This duo lights the fuse that sends the foursome careen towards mind-melting status. By contrast there's no measured creating of the mood for opening single "Been Away Too Long". That was a sage choice to reintroduce the Soundgarden starved to their conquering heroes' fresh material because the bristling piss and vinegar from the opening shot is calculated strictly to inform any who were harbouring uncertainties that, yes, Soundgarden is in fact back with fangs flashed. Chris's general frame of mind is of one who's been away too long but never planned to linger once he returned. You could easily say he's in psychological limbo and has us hanging on by our fingernails during his grit-stained voyage. Then there's lead guitarist Kim Thayil. He's nothing shy of edgy throughout "Non-State Actor". He's the irresistible force which pushes ever harder for the kaboom at the end of the trail. "Blood on the Valley Floor" encapsulates the ready to bulge out of the packet riffs and at times mysterious lyrics Soundgarden have seasoned to perfection. More often than not unresolved tension lends fuel to this fire. The players reflect it. Chris's words confirm it. They have managed to remain savvy on how to perform as a tight unit. The studio athleticism hasn't dropped off one bit. Cornell keeps right on asking the tough questions he knows in his heart of hearts might not have the answers he covets. Matt handles deliberately bashing and we're off to the races speed limit breakers with equal ease. Word of advice. If you don't want to leave this listening experience overly depressed steer clear of "Rowing". Gets at least nine points on a scale of one to ten for honesty but boy is it ever not a pick-me up. It centers on mankind's commonality of rowing forward despite having been handed a deck loaded down with daunting odds. It's a place I too have visited but I'm not aching to make a down payment on long-term real estate in that area. "King Animal" is a hefty slab of what this Seattle foursome does best which is put their backs into their song sorcery. The swirls of mystery only make people want to scream for more. Sixteen years later Soundgarden shouldn't have to convince people it knows what kind of rock niche it wants to secure. The rock, rest, repeat formula has born the juiciest of fruit. I'm not saying the boys should split for another decade and a half but stopping to recharge has helped Soundgarden avoid losing its fire. Fires follow on the heels of explosions. Explosive is what Soundgarden continues to be.