As the first grunge band to be signed by a major label, Seattle’s Soundgarden opened the pop floodgates, and a deluge of thrash-o-rama bands began swamping the airwaves. Following a series of trend-setting releases on the independent Sub Pop and SST labels, Soundgarden’s initial A&M releases LOUDER THAN LOVE and BADMOTORFINGER signaled the return of the classic guitar band to popular consciousness.

Using the time-honored Led Zeppelin/Aerosmith approach as a jump-off point–not to mention influential bands like Black Sabbath, MC5, The Stooges and Killing Joke–Soundgarden has formalized their own approach to raw power. Their stylized melodic hooks, however, along with their sometimes surreal lyrics, set them apart from the pack. Whether they get dazed and confused on the vamping “Limo Wreck,” or cut loose with a wham- bam-thank-you-ma’am 4/4 cruncher like “Kickstand,” Soundgarden can rock and roll with all the jet-propelled, no-nonsense crunch of all your favorite bands, from Zeppelin to the Ramones–and lead guitarist Kim Thayil’s chops never outrace his melodic imagination.

But Soundgarden is doing a lot more than simply recycling their best bits for another run up the charts. With SUPERUNKNOWN, they’re stretching out and putting some distance between themselves and their imitators, incorporating different styles into their own mix, and creating a fresh modern sound. Certainly, there are not many bands who could rock convincingly in 5/4 time without sounding like slumming jazzbos, but Soundgarden’s “My Wave” is a fist-shaking anthem that suggests the tone of the Stones’ “Get Off My Cloud.” The curious mixture of psychedelic blues elements, Near-Eastern tonalities and Indian ragas which make “Head Down,” “Black Hole Sun” and “Half” so distinctive indicates that Soundgarden didn’t simply cop their ideas from a Hollywood soundtrack. With his guttural Steve Tyler-like growl, frontman/songwriter Chris Cornell can turn a spoon player into a street shaman on “Spoonman,” give in to despair on “Let Me Drown,” or rail against authoritarian types on “Head Down.” With slamming production by Michael Beinhorn, SUPERUNKNOWN is the hard rock event of 1994.

Tracklisting
1. Let Me Drown
2. My Wave
3. Fell On Black Days
4. Mailman
5. Superunknown
6. Head Down
7. Black Hole Sun
8. Spoonman
9. Limo Wreck
10. The Day I Tried To Live
11. Kickstand
12. Fresh Tendrils
13. 4Th Of July
14. Half
15. Like Suicide
16. She Likes Surprises

Professional Reviews
Rolling Stone (5/13/99, p.54) – Included in Rolling Stone’s “Essential Recordings of the 90’s.”

Rolling Stone (3/10/94, p.63) – 4 Stars – Very Good – “…At its best, SUPERUNKNOWN offers a more harrowing depiction of alienation and despair than anything on IN UTERO….Although the band serves up a healthy amount of metallic bluster, Soundgarden refuse to define themselves in strict headbanger terms….”

Spin (9/99, p.154) – Ranked #70 in Spin Magazine’s “90 Greatest Albums of the ’90s.”

Spin (12/94, p.78) – Ranked #17 in Spin’s list of the `20 Best Albums Of ‘94′ – “…turn[s] everyday teenage gloom into a prayer for divine wrath to wash the world away….When Kim Thayil locks into…visceral riffs…pure hormonal energy thunders to the rescue…”

Entertainment Weekly (Spring 2000, p.166) – Ranked #6 in EW’s “Top 10 albums of the ’90s”

Q (12/99, p.82) – Included in Q Magazine’s “90 Best Albums Of The 1990s.”

Melody Maker (3/5/94, p.40) – “…Like IN UTERO, SUPEREUNKNOWN has a depth and maturity which isn’t easily assimilated on the first few listenings ….a brilliant, brilliant album….”

Village Voice (3/94, p.5) – Ranked #2 in the Village Voice’s 1993 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll.

Village Voice (2/28/95) – Ranked #11 in the Village Voice’s 1994 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll.

Q (Magazine) (p.122) – “Soundgarden dealt in unreconstructed heavy rock: a heavy guitar sound, depth-charge drumming….Yet SUPERUNKNOWN also includes more measured moments, such as the shimmering hit single ‘Black Hole Sun.’”

New York Times (Publisher) (1/5/95, p.C15) – Included on Jon Pareles’ list of the Top 10 Albums Of ‘94 – “Hard rock, all muscle and sinew, that churns and howls…”