Matt Cameron of Pearl Jam speaks onstage at the 32nd Annual Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony at Barclays Center on April 7, 2017 in New York City; Kim Thayil attends the Soundgarden: Live From The Artists At The Wiltern at The Wiltern on June 17, 2019 in Los Angeles, California; Ben Shepherd of Soundgarden performs at The Wiltern Theater on February 16, 2013 in Los Angeles, California.

Soundgarden’s final album with Chris Cornell is moving toward the light after years of legal and emotional hurdles. According to the surviving members, they are “pretty close” to finishing the record. The path has been bittersweet and a labor of love. The album is built from previously unreleased vocal takes before Cornell’s death in 2017.

Guitarist Kim Thayil, drummer Matt Cameron, and bassist Ben Shepherd are working with longtime producer Terry Date, known for his work on Louder Than Love and Badmotorfinger. Date’s collaborative style has helped the band stay true to its roots while working through the raw demos into full songs.

Thayil describes the process as an emotional journey: “It’s a way to post tribute to our beloved brother.” The band says some tracks feel like familiar Soundgarden, while others hint at a new chapter. It's a creative direction that Cornell may have been heading toward.

When Cameron first listened back to Cornell’s demo vocals, he was overwhelmed. According to bassist Ben Shepherd, the early playback sessions felt like rediscovering “that Soundgarden” they once knew. For the band, completing the album isn’t just a job: it’s deeply emotional. “It’s a way to post tribute to our beloved brother,” Thayil said, calling the project “a gift to Chris.”

The interview took place before the band's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Allison Hagendorf. Here's the full interview with Soundgarden:

The road hasn’t been smooth. As Blabbermouth reports, the band was caught in a legal battle with Cornell’s widow, Vicky Cornell for years. In 2019 she sued for royalties and ownership of seven unreleased recordings, claiming they were her late husband’s alone. The band countered that the recordings dated back to 2015, and that they had all worked collaboratively on them.

In April 2023, both sides reached an “amicable out-of-court resolution” that opened the door for the release of the final tracks. Since then, Thayil has said he wants to honor Cornell’s legacy and deliver something meaningful.

As of this article's publishing, no official release date for the album has been announced.

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