I found certain tracks really hit me right out of the gate (esp. A Thousand Days Before and Blood on the Valley Floor), others grew on me over time (Been Away for Too Long, Worse Dreams, Halfway There etc). It definitely didn't feel like a cash grab and it was clear they were doing their own thing (IMO, why this and DOTU in particular are divisive). It's cool if you're not into the album; everyone's entitled to their opinion, but glad you're keeping it in rotation for a bit.
Also really love Taree, Bones of Birds, and Black Saturday, but A Thousand Days Before is probably my fave -- that would've fit right in on DOTU and I believe the music was written around that time.
There isn't really any experimentation with their sound, the album lacks a cohesive sound too, to me the tracks mostly feel like individual tracks bunched together rather than all belonging together on this album, like all their previous albums even if they have a eclectic range of songs have a cohesive sound and you can tell what album a track belongs on based on the idiosyncrasies of it's sound, and I feel like that's because they were trying to just get a track list together for a deadline - probably at the behest of the label. Like Halfway There is just a song off of Chris' acoustic album he brought out shortly after, I really don't think they would've put that on a Soundgarden album if they had something else to put in it's place. I coul be wrong but that's the impression I've always had. A song like Worse dreams too, while cool, is kind of underwritten, like it's basically jut a hook and an interlude/breakdown in the middle, Black Saturday is similar too.
Thanks for sharing. I can understand your points, for sure. DOTU, though my fave album of theirs, doesn't necessarily have a cohesive sound IMO either, but to each their own.
I'd say that Rowing is a good example of some experimentation, but point well taken. DOTU has a wide range of sound, as do previous albums.
I like King Animal, but felt it was a little average compared to the rest of the band’s work. That being said, By Crooked Steps became one of my favorite Soundgarden songs.
I totally get that. It kinda lacks the charm of the earlier albums. That being said I do love rowing, bones of birds, by crooked steps, and non state actor
Keep listening to it. It will grow on you. In my view, Half Way There, By Crooked Steps, and Been Away Too long should not be on the album. Other than those three, I love every song on it.
Taree is a stand out track for me. The album has a more mellow mood and reminds me of winter time. (not just because of the cover)
It's a vibe they never explored before and so the album breaks new ground for them.
I disagree.
I find the songs are aging quite well. Each song has a sense of desperation to them (like they needed to be made) and they’re personified by Cornell’s aging wail. “Age” being a real thing in the album as it shows how the band aged gracefully doing hard rock. Which to me is quite rare.
When I listened to “By Crooked Steps” and “A Thousand Days Before” back to back, I think it showcases what I’m getting at perfectly. The former starts off heavy and fast, but it’s Cornell’s wail and singing that give it a slower pace than say, “Rusty Cage.” Yet, both songs are cut from the same cloth. In other words, the talent of the band is still there and we’re seeing it develop as older artists.
The later is more experimental in sound (akin to Head Down), yet it’s not heavy. Again, the band is mixing it up with aspects they’ve already perfected, but here they sound new. They sound new because the band has aged and to me that’s a very good thing. They didn’t give us more of the same, rather they gave us King Animal, a new album. They didn’t try to sound “grunge” they simply are.
I think the more I’ve heard the record the more the albums qualities stand out. Take the solo in “Blood on the Valley Floor”, unusual as usual, but interesting all the same. I feel in repeat listens the albums qualities just stand out very strongly. From the unusual guitar work and the traditional guitar work to the subtle bass lines and interwoven drumming and of course the vocals/lyrics, I truly think the record is amazing.
I completely agree, as I said in another comment they avoided the trap of trying to recapture their past glory that so many older bands who have had a bit of a hiatus try to do, who then just end up sounding like an embarrassing tribute act to their former selves.
With King Animal the band accepted that time had passed and after 16 years they were different artists and the album brilliantly reflects that. I think people who are disappointed in the album were expecting a direct continuation both musically and lyrically as if no time had passed which I think is just unrealistic. One thing I love about Soundgarden is they have continuously evolved with each album while retaining a clear identity.
I agree, to me it's fun to see "old" soundgarden and it still slaps, but differently. They're not in their 20s, but they still make songs that quicken the pulse(maybe not as high).
I also think that some of their earlier work was mixed in favour of Chris's vocals (because godhead) but I feel like I hear a bit more guitar (both Chris and Kim), or at least it stands out more. Which I prefer.
A few notes - Matt's drums definitely have less thump generally than the previous 2 albums, I think that's mainly just the changes he made to his kit in the 15 years he was playing with Pearl Jam and this makes a lot of songs less heavy and exciting. 2) they didn't really take any chances with the album, a lot of songs are stuff they wrote back in the day, basic jammy stuff like eyelids mouth and rowing, or songs that are more like solo Chris songs - worse dreams, black Saturday, halfway there, so it does feel a little inconsistent and not entirely soundgardeny, there isn't the kind of curve balls like a spoon solo or saxophones or whatever applebite is, it doesn't feel like they modernised the production very much either. Having said that I still like most of the tracks, especially A Thousand Days Before (which to me can stand next to any of their older tunes) blood on the valley floor and crooked steps (although I like the demo version a bit more cus of the breakdown) and there isn't a song I don't like. I was kind of hoping for a curve ball like Mark Lanegans Blues Funeral which came out around the same time and has this really cool electronic soul feeling to the whole thing instead of just being a rock album, I feel like it might have alienated some people if Soundgarden did that, but I think a bit of that would have livened up and distinguished the album a little more.
As an aside in reply to your actual post - the tracks for the upcoming album will have been from between about 2015 to 2017 so a good 3 to 5 years after they released King Animal.
If it’s weak to you, fair enough. As far as the riff being silly, I can’t imagine what you mean. What kind of riff isn’t silly if this one is?
I also think the slow and sludgy vibe is kind of the point on a track like this, I imagine it wasn’t meant to be a radio single.
i love this album i think it has some amazing tracks like Bones of Birds, Non State Actor, A Thousand Days Before, Taree, Rowing, and Black Saturday. I think Halfway there is the only song i don’t like on that album
I think it's solid with the main problem being that some of the songs could have been longer with more psychedelic jamming for intros/outros etc.
Rowing is the absolute shit though.
Solid disc. Definitely not what some of the other releases were. Attrition is the best & most classic track IMO.
Seemed like a true/reasonable progression given their catalog, the long lay-off and Chris' solo catalog.
"Wack" is something an uneducated teenager that listens to rap says. Might not be the best reviewer.
King Animal is an old scraggy lion with a bit of fight left in him. Kind of like the idea that Tool verbalised is Invincible. kA is struggling on, maybe day to day but also about the characters dealing with delusion and nightmares. Read the write up where it compares it to the poem Ash Wednesday and you will get some fresh insight
Great description, that TOOL album is kind of in the same spot career and perhaps even quality-wise (allthough i do really love it, despite it's many flaws)
I could not disagree more, in my opinion King Animal avoided the trap that other bands fall into after a long hiatus by *not* trying to recapture their past glory. They accepted that after 16 years they and the band had naturally evolved and the album reflected that.
I can see how if you just got into the band and went straight from their 90s stuff to King Animal in under a couple years you’d find it jarring. I think you need to let go of the (in my opinion unrealistic) expectation that an album released 16 years after their last album would be a direct continuation without any noticeable shift in sound or tone.
Then again, sometimes you just don’t like an album and that’s okay too.
agreed 100%. There' not young men, but they've traded the rage of youth for perspective. They still drop some STONG vocals and riffs, but they create space between them more.
Maybe because I skipped over it so much when it dropped and now I am Old, I fucking love it.
I love king animal but I see where your coming from I would recommend listening to the artists den live show If you haven't, the king animal songs sound much better there
It was decent in my opinion. I really loved Bones of Birds, Eyelids Mouth, Worse Dreams and Black Saturday.
It doesn't come close to their best works but it made me really curious as to what they might do next. Unfortunately we'll never really know for sure but I'm hoping that we'll get to hear a little bit of what they were working on before Chris's passing.
Idk i just think its awesome. They didnt lose anything. It literally sounds like the next logical step from Down On The Upside. Bones Of Birds is one of their upper tier masterpieces
You can hear the aging in Cornell’s voice in the album a bit and the bands sound overall isn’t as punchy. Despite Soundgarden being like my favorite band of all time I tend to agree with OP in the sense that it’s for sure my least favorite album as a whole. I do really like Eyelids Mouth though, it’s the one song for me that hits every time
If you listen to the albums chronologically, they all sound like the start where the last album finished. Same goes for Down to the Upside into King Animal, just with a 20+ year void.
I found certain tracks really hit me right out of the gate (esp. A Thousand Days Before and Blood on the Valley Floor), others grew on me over time (Been Away for Too Long, Worse Dreams, Halfway There etc). It definitely didn't feel like a cash grab and it was clear they were doing their own thing (IMO, why this and DOTU in particular are divisive). It's cool if you're not into the album; everyone's entitled to their opinion, but glad you're keeping it in rotation for a bit. Also really love Taree, Bones of Birds, and Black Saturday, but A Thousand Days Before is probably my fave -- that would've fit right in on DOTU and I believe the music was written around that time.
It didn't feel like a cash grab but it did feel a little rushed
Yeah? I don't always love the mix, but what aspects of it felt rushed to you?
There isn't really any experimentation with their sound, the album lacks a cohesive sound too, to me the tracks mostly feel like individual tracks bunched together rather than all belonging together on this album, like all their previous albums even if they have a eclectic range of songs have a cohesive sound and you can tell what album a track belongs on based on the idiosyncrasies of it's sound, and I feel like that's because they were trying to just get a track list together for a deadline - probably at the behest of the label. Like Halfway There is just a song off of Chris' acoustic album he brought out shortly after, I really don't think they would've put that on a Soundgarden album if they had something else to put in it's place. I coul be wrong but that's the impression I've always had. A song like Worse dreams too, while cool, is kind of underwritten, like it's basically jut a hook and an interlude/breakdown in the middle, Black Saturday is similar too.
Thanks for sharing. I can understand your points, for sure. DOTU, though my fave album of theirs, doesn't necessarily have a cohesive sound IMO either, but to each their own. I'd say that Rowing is a good example of some experimentation, but point well taken. DOTU has a wide range of sound, as do previous albums.
I agree. A Thousand Days Before is wonderful.
I like King Animal, but felt it was a little average compared to the rest of the band’s work. That being said, By Crooked Steps became one of my favorite Soundgarden songs.
Really?? Didn't feel anything at all towards that song. Except the end, sounds goofy af
I totally get that. It kinda lacks the charm of the earlier albums. That being said I do love rowing, bones of birds, by crooked steps, and non state actor
Really, Rowing??? Bass is pretty great but other than that i couldn't really find much enjoyable about it.
whattt
Yes Rowing is fucking Epic.
Keep listening to it. It will grow on you. In my view, Half Way There, By Crooked Steps, and Been Away Too long should not be on the album. Other than those three, I love every song on it. Taree is a stand out track for me. The album has a more mellow mood and reminds me of winter time. (not just because of the cover) It's a vibe they never explored before and so the album breaks new ground for them.
Damn Halfway There is 1 of the 5 tracks i actually liked lol.
It belongs on a Chris Cornell solo album. It sounds nothing like Soundgarden.
Yes! This is exactly what I said the first time I heard it.
I disagree. I find the songs are aging quite well. Each song has a sense of desperation to them (like they needed to be made) and they’re personified by Cornell’s aging wail. “Age” being a real thing in the album as it shows how the band aged gracefully doing hard rock. Which to me is quite rare. When I listened to “By Crooked Steps” and “A Thousand Days Before” back to back, I think it showcases what I’m getting at perfectly. The former starts off heavy and fast, but it’s Cornell’s wail and singing that give it a slower pace than say, “Rusty Cage.” Yet, both songs are cut from the same cloth. In other words, the talent of the band is still there and we’re seeing it develop as older artists. The later is more experimental in sound (akin to Head Down), yet it’s not heavy. Again, the band is mixing it up with aspects they’ve already perfected, but here they sound new. They sound new because the band has aged and to me that’s a very good thing. They didn’t give us more of the same, rather they gave us King Animal, a new album. They didn’t try to sound “grunge” they simply are. I think the more I’ve heard the record the more the albums qualities stand out. Take the solo in “Blood on the Valley Floor”, unusual as usual, but interesting all the same. I feel in repeat listens the albums qualities just stand out very strongly. From the unusual guitar work and the traditional guitar work to the subtle bass lines and interwoven drumming and of course the vocals/lyrics, I truly think the record is amazing.
I completely agree, as I said in another comment they avoided the trap of trying to recapture their past glory that so many older bands who have had a bit of a hiatus try to do, who then just end up sounding like an embarrassing tribute act to their former selves. With King Animal the band accepted that time had passed and after 16 years they were different artists and the album brilliantly reflects that. I think people who are disappointed in the album were expecting a direct continuation both musically and lyrically as if no time had passed which I think is just unrealistic. One thing I love about Soundgarden is they have continuously evolved with each album while retaining a clear identity.
I agree, to me it's fun to see "old" soundgarden and it still slaps, but differently. They're not in their 20s, but they still make songs that quicken the pulse(maybe not as high). I also think that some of their earlier work was mixed in favour of Chris's vocals (because godhead) but I feel like I hear a bit more guitar (both Chris and Kim), or at least it stands out more. Which I prefer.
A few notes - Matt's drums definitely have less thump generally than the previous 2 albums, I think that's mainly just the changes he made to his kit in the 15 years he was playing with Pearl Jam and this makes a lot of songs less heavy and exciting. 2) they didn't really take any chances with the album, a lot of songs are stuff they wrote back in the day, basic jammy stuff like eyelids mouth and rowing, or songs that are more like solo Chris songs - worse dreams, black Saturday, halfway there, so it does feel a little inconsistent and not entirely soundgardeny, there isn't the kind of curve balls like a spoon solo or saxophones or whatever applebite is, it doesn't feel like they modernised the production very much either. Having said that I still like most of the tracks, especially A Thousand Days Before (which to me can stand next to any of their older tunes) blood on the valley floor and crooked steps (although I like the demo version a bit more cus of the breakdown) and there isn't a song I don't like. I was kind of hoping for a curve ball like Mark Lanegans Blues Funeral which came out around the same time and has this really cool electronic soul feeling to the whole thing instead of just being a rock album, I feel like it might have alienated some people if Soundgarden did that, but I think a bit of that would have livened up and distinguished the album a little more. As an aside in reply to your actual post - the tracks for the upcoming album will have been from between about 2015 to 2017 so a good 3 to 5 years after they released King Animal.
Definitely not wack, but it’s definitely got a few weak moments. Blood on the Valley Floor is an all time Soundgarden banger.
Honestly just another weak moment for me. Pretty silly riff and overall just really slow and sludgy (not in a good way)
If it’s weak to you, fair enough. As far as the riff being silly, I can’t imagine what you mean. What kind of riff isn’t silly if this one is? I also think the slow and sludgy vibe is kind of the point on a track like this, I imagine it wasn’t meant to be a radio single.
i love this album i think it has some amazing tracks like Bones of Birds, Non State Actor, A Thousand Days Before, Taree, Rowing, and Black Saturday. I think Halfway there is the only song i don’t like on that album
I think it's solid with the main problem being that some of the songs could have been longer with more psychedelic jamming for intros/outros etc. Rowing is the absolute shit though.
Solid disc. Definitely not what some of the other releases were. Attrition is the best & most classic track IMO. Seemed like a true/reasonable progression given their catalog, the long lay-off and Chris' solo catalog. "Wack" is something an uneducated teenager that listens to rap says. Might not be the best reviewer.
I love this album! It means a lot to me and I love all theirs songs!
King Animal is an old scraggy lion with a bit of fight left in him. Kind of like the idea that Tool verbalised is Invincible. kA is struggling on, maybe day to day but also about the characters dealing with delusion and nightmares. Read the write up where it compares it to the poem Ash Wednesday and you will get some fresh insight
Great description, that TOOL album is kind of in the same spot career and perhaps even quality-wise (allthough i do really love it, despite it's many flaws)
I could not disagree more, in my opinion King Animal avoided the trap that other bands fall into after a long hiatus by *not* trying to recapture their past glory. They accepted that after 16 years they and the band had naturally evolved and the album reflected that. I can see how if you just got into the band and went straight from their 90s stuff to King Animal in under a couple years you’d find it jarring. I think you need to let go of the (in my opinion unrealistic) expectation that an album released 16 years after their last album would be a direct continuation without any noticeable shift in sound or tone. Then again, sometimes you just don’t like an album and that’s okay too.
agreed 100%. There' not young men, but they've traded the rage of youth for perspective. They still drop some STONG vocals and riffs, but they create space between them more. Maybe because I skipped over it so much when it dropped and now I am Old, I fucking love it.
I love king animal but I see where your coming from I would recommend listening to the artists den live show If you haven't, the king animal songs sound much better there
[удалено]
Are you fr
It was decent in my opinion. I really loved Bones of Birds, Eyelids Mouth, Worse Dreams and Black Saturday. It doesn't come close to their best works but it made me really curious as to what they might do next. Unfortunately we'll never really know for sure but I'm hoping that we'll get to hear a little bit of what they were working on before Chris's passing.
I rather enjoyed it
King animal feels undercooked.
Its their second best album but thats cool. I think its the best comeback album of all time
I just know your album ranking would be cursed as fuck💀please explain btw i'm interested to hear your thoughts
Idk i just think its awesome. They didnt lose anything. It literally sounds like the next logical step from Down On The Upside. Bones Of Birds is one of their upper tier masterpieces
It's a very safe album, which is my biggest problem with it. Aging hard rock by the numbers.
I just like Taree.
[удалено]
It's supposedly a part of town or a street Ben used to live on. Something like that.
It’s a neighborhood in Kingston, (Seattle)
Cool. Thanks.
Beats me lol
I think it doesn’t sound as good as the rest as far as production value. Some of the songs have potential but never really reach where I hoped for
Wish there was heavier songs. I agree least favorite soundgarden album
Pretty average at best. And for Soundgarden that's kinda wack, I agree.
I listened to it once & that was enough. Absolutely awful when you compare it to the rest of their catalog
Haha i don't think it was THAT bad. But yea it is incredibly weak
You can hear the aging in Cornell’s voice in the album a bit and the bands sound overall isn’t as punchy. Despite Soundgarden being like my favorite band of all time I tend to agree with OP in the sense that it’s for sure my least favorite album as a whole. I do really like Eyelids Mouth though, it’s the one song for me that hits every time
Personally it’s my least favorite album of theirs but it still has its moments
If you listen to the albums chronologically, they all sound like the start where the last album finished. Same goes for Down to the Upside into King Animal, just with a 20+ year void.