Entertainment news and discussion on TalkFuse.
The final Soundgarden album is currently being mixed
Soundgarden’s drummer Matt Cameron has confirmed that the band’s final album is now being mixed, signalling progress towards the eventual release of material recorded with the late Chris Cornell. The project matters because it will be the band’s first and last posthumous release featuring Cornell, who died in 2017.
Cameron said the recordings had been completed before Cornell’s death, although the album’s release has been delayed for years by a legal dispute between the surviving members and Cornell’s widow, Vicky Cornell. The dispute was settled in 2023, allowing the band to regain access to the recordings; no release date or further album details have yet been announced.
In short
- Soundgarden’s final album is now being mixed.
- It contains recordings made with Chris Cornell before his death.
- No release date has been confirmed.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Releasing the album would let listeners hear work Soundgarden completed with Chris Cornell and provide a meaningful final chapter to the band’s recorded output. Since the recordings were made before his death and the legal dispute has been settled, supporters can argue that the surviving members should be able to share the music and honour the collaboration.
The case against
A posthumous release raises questions about how Cornell’s wishes and artistic intent should be represented when he cannot approve the final mix or release. Those cautious about issuing it may also feel that the album’s significance warrants care over its presentation and that the family’s perspective deserves weight, even after the legal settlement.
Explained simply
Soundgarden was one of the most significant rock bands of the 1990s, fronted by lead singer Chris Cornell. Cornell died in 2017, but the surviving band members have unreleased recordings that were completed before his death and are now being prepared for release.
The legal dispute that held up the album involved disagreements between the surviving members and Vicky Cornell, Chris's widow, over who had rights to the recordings. This dispute was resolved in 2023, allowing work on the album to proceed, though no release date has been announced.
This will be Soundgarden's final album and the last new music to feature Cornell's voice. It represents a posthumous release of material recorded during the band's original era.