Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil has given Matt Cameron a glowing vote of confidence amid Pearl Jam’s post-Cameron drummer search, calling the longtime bandmate the “perfect” drummer for Pearl Jam and saying the group was never as free or as musically strong as it was with him behind the kit. Thayil made the comments in a new interview with Anita Stelmasiuk of 90 The Original, where he was asked who he would choose if the decision were his.
Thayil did not rush into a single answer. He first tossed out a couple of possibilities — Josh Freese, whom he noted is now free after leaving Foo Fighters, and Barrett Martin of Screaming Trees and Mad Season — before acknowledging that Pearl Jam had already made its choice. “Apparently they have picked somebody, so…,” he said. But when the conversation turned to Cameron, Thayil made his admiration unmistakable.
“Matt Cameron was the perfect pick for Pearl Jam because he had played on [Pearl Jam’s] Stone [Gossard] and Jeff’s [Ament] demo prior,” Thayil said. “He played with Temple of the Dog. They knew exactly his skill. And he is so talented, he can flesh out the best of other musicians, And I believe that’s what he did with Pearl Jam. I never heard Pearl Jam as good musically and as free as they were when Matt was drumming for them.”
That praise carries extra weight because Cameron’s history with both bands runs deep. He joined Soundgarden in 1986, stayed with them through 1997, and later became Pearl Jam’s drummer in 1998 after a series of earlier lineup changes behind the kit. Blabbermouth notes that Cameron first came in as Pearl Jam’s replacement for Jack Irons, while AP and Pitchfork report that he recently left the band after 27 years, announcing his departure in July 2025 and calling his time with Pearl Jam a “lifetime opportunity” filled with artistry and friendship.
Thayil’s comments also underline why Cameron fit Pearl Jam so well in the first place. Before Pearl Jam, Cameron had already been part of the Seattle ecosystem that connected Soundgarden, Temple of the Dog, and other key grunge-era projects, so his arrival felt less like a replacement and more like a reunion of musicians who already understood each other’s language. That context is part of why Thayil framed Cameron not just as a solid player, but as the drummer who helped the band become its most open and dynamic version of itself.
Pearl Jam’s current drummer situation has become a major talking point since Cameron’s exit, but Thayil’s remarks shift the focus back to what Cameron meant to the band during his long run. His praise suggests that, in the eyes of one of the most important figures in Seattle rock, Cameron did more than keep time — he helped define Pearl Jam’s identity for a generation.
