Jerry Cantrell, the long-time guitarist and founding member of Alice in Chains, recently spoke out in admiration of Soundgarden — calling them “one of the greatest” rock bands and saying he doesn’t believe they ever released a bad song.
In a recent interview, Cantrell reflected on Soundgarden’s body of work over the decades, from their early grunge beginnings to full-blown rock anthems. He said that even when Soundgarden experimented with different musical styles, their work always hit the mark. “I don’t think they ever wrote a bad song,” Cantrell said, emphasizing that the quality and consistency of their writing remain unmatched.
Cantrell went on to praise the songwriting duo at the heart of Soundgarden — singer-songwriter Chris Cornell and guitarist/producer Kim Thayil — acknowledging their talent for crafting songs that combined heaviness, melody, raw emotion, and musical sophistication. He noted that their ability to shift from dark, brooding riffs to intricate, melodic arrangements showed a mastery few bands ever achieve.
For Cantrell, Soundgarden’s influence went beyond their own discography. As a peer and fellow musician who emerged around the same time, he said their success and songwriting inspired and challenged bands across the Seattle scene — including Alice in Chains. He described their music as a “benchmark” of songwriting honesty and power that younger bands would do well to study.
The tribute from Cantrell arrives at a time when Soundgarden’s legacy is being reexamined by a new generation of listeners, with many discovering their work for the first time. For longtime fans, hearing such high praise from a respected contemporary like Cantrell shines fresh light on why Soundgarden remains one of rock’s most important and enduring bands.
