Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil has given a deeply honest update on the band’s long-awaited final album featuring unreleased material with the late Chris Cornell.
In a new interview on the State of Love & Trust Podcast, Thayil, along with surviving members Matt Cameron and Ben Shepherd, are working with legendary producer Terry Date (who worked on Louder Than Love and Badmotorfinger) to complete the project.
Thayil described the unique and difficult process:
“It’s difficult because it’s atypical… Obviously we’re missing a creative member. Fortunately, we have his works… But the whole process isn’t linear. There’s a series of sideways moves and retroactive visitations.”
He continued:
“It’s emotionally difficult and challenging because we tended to write songs that we liked, songs that moved us… So it is moving us emotionally, intellectually, psychologically. The process is different and at times difficult. But the goal and the end game of the project is the best that we can have.”
The material dates back to writing sessions as early as 2015–2017. Thayil emphasized how important the project is:
“It’s very, very important to all of us. It’s important for the legacy of Soundgarden. It’s important for the legacy of Chris Cornell. It is doing right by our collective work. It is doing right by our partner and friend.”
The band is treating the unfinished demos like “sketches” that they are now carefully fleshing out into full songs. One confirmed track is “The Road Less Traveled”, co-written by Matt Cameron and Chris Cornell.
This final album represents both a beautiful closure and a painful reminder of what was lost. Hearing Kim Thayil speak so openly about the emotional weight of hearing Chris Cornell’s isolated vocals again shows just how personal and bittersweet this process is for the remaining members. For fans, this record will be a profound gift — one last chapter from one of grunge’s greatest bands, handled with care, love, and respect.
