A new supergroup has emerged to pay tribute to late Soundgarden and Audioslave frontman Chris Cornell, who died in May 2017.
King Ultramega's official debut release, a cover of Soundgarden's 1992 single Rusty Cage, is the first in a series of releases that'll celebrate Cornell's legacy while raising funds and awareness for MusiCares, the organisation that provides a safety net of critical health and welfare services to the music community.
The lineup of contributing musicians on Rusty Cage includes Alice In Chains singer William DuVall, Mastodon guitarist Bill Kelliher, Metal Allegiance bassist Mark Menghi and Anthrax and Pantera's Charlie Benante. Soundgarden's Kim Thayil, Joe Satriani, Arch Enemy singer Alissa White-Gluz, Kenny Aronoff and others will appear on future releases.
"There is not a singular moment in time that led to this project," says project leader Menghi, who got the ball rolling during lockdown in 2020, when the recording of Rusty Cage was first released. "It was a trail of events that led to the formation of King Ultramega and the evolving creation to pay tribute to the voice of a generation.
"I think back and go 'did I really ask Joe Satriani to do an instrumental reinterpretation of one of the greatest modern vocal songs ever recorded?', or 'what the fuck was I thinking asking the great Kim Thayil to re-record one of his own classic Soundgarden songs?'"
"Chris Cornell has been one of only a very small handful of musical constants in my life," he adds. "I never waivered, not once."
Rusty Cage is out now via Reigning Phoenix Music.
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