Soundgarden dispute with Chris Cornell's estate is not over after all – and late frontman's last batch of songs remain shelved

A picture of Chris Cornell taken in Toronto, Canada,//// in 2015 — (Image credit: Getty Images)

The dispute between Soundgarden and late frontman Chris Cornell's estate is not over – despite both parties previously saying they'd reached an agreement.

Drummer Matt Cameron has revealed that things are not yet settled, even though Soundgarden and Vicky Cornell released a joint statement in April of this year saying a batch of the singer's unheard songs would finally be released.

Cornell's widow Vicky and the surviving band members said in April: "The reconciliation marks a new partnership between the two parties, which will allow Soundgarden fans around the world to hear the final songs that the band and Chris were working on."

But Cameron has dashed those hopes in a new interview with The Vinyl Guide podcast.

He says: "We’re still in the middle of a dispute with the estate. Everything is on hold right now. As of right now, it doesn’t look like it’s going to happen next year. Hopefully soon. I’m not giving up hope."

The legal battle centres around the status of the seven songs, with Vicky Cornell claiming they were not explicitly written with Soundgarden in mind, and the band countering that much of the material stemmed from group writing and recording sessions as long ago as 2015.

The seven songs Cancer and Stone Age Mind (written by Cornell); Road Less Traveled, Orphans and At Ophians Door (written with drummer Matt Cameron); Ahead Of The Dog (with guitarist Kim Thayil); and Merrmas (with bassist Ben Shepherd).

The joint statement from April added: "The two parties are united and coming together to propel, honour and build upon Soundgarden’s incredible legacy as well as Chris’s indelible mark on music history – as one of the greatest songwriters and vocalists of all time."

Fans will have to wait at least a little longer for the material to see the light of day.

Cornell died in 2017 while on tour with Soundgarden. He was 52.

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Stef wrote close to 5,000 stories during his time as assistant online news editor and later as online news editor between 2014-2016. An accomplished reporter and journalist, Stef has written extensively for a number of UK newspapers and also played bass with UK rock favourites Logan. His favourite bands are Pixies and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. Stef left the world of rock'n'roll news behind when he moved to his beloved Canada in 2016, but he started on his next 5000 stories in 2022.