Drummer Matt Cameron has confirmed that Soundgarden is completing a new album featuring previously unreleased recordings made with late frontman Chris Cornell before his 2017 death.
The project, being developed by Cameron, guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Ben Shepherd, is being produced by Terry Date — who previously oversaw the production of Soundgarden’s 'Louder Than Love' and 'Badmotorfinger' — with mixing handled by Joe Barresi, known for his work with Avenged Sevenfold, Slipknot, and Monster Magnet.
Cameron revealed during an appearance on Dean Delray’s 'Let There Be Talk' podcast that the band began exchanging demo tracks as early as 2013 or 2014.
He said, 'I would send Chris some stuff.
He would rearrange it, make a song out of it… I sent him three tracks, and then he would sing on top of the instrumentals that I'd written and rearrange them and everything.' The group began rehearsals in 2015 and 2016, recording live sessions before Soundgarden’s final tour in 2017.
The new album will feature eight songs with vocals, built upon these early demos and rehearsal material, with some instrumental tracks still under consideration for further development by Kim Thayil.
Chris Cornell is credited as a songwriter on all eight tracks, receiving sole authorship on 'Cancer' and 'Stone Age Mind.' He co-wrote 'Road Less Traveled,' 'Orphans,' and 'At Ophians Door' with Cameron, 'Ahead Of The Dog' with Thayil, and 'Merrmas' with Shepherd.
Cameron emphasized the emotional weight of the project, stating, 'I'd been listening to those demos since we recorded them together.
I always thought there's three or four really, really strong songs.
So, I'm really looking forward to getting it done and putting it out there.' The band has not yet announced a release date, with Cameron noting, 'We don’t really have a [release] date yet.
We're just gonna try to get this thing mixed, get it over the finish line, and then hopefully we'll have a better idea what's gonna come next.' The album is being approached as a heartfelt tribute to Cornell and a continuation of Soundgarden’s legacy, with all members agreeing it is 'doing right by our collective work' and 'our partner and friend.' In a separate development, Soundgarden will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2025 as part of the Performer category.
The band was first nominated in 2020 and returned to the ballot in 2023 before being selected.
The induction ceremony will feature a performance by the surviving members — Cameron, Thayil, Shepherd, and original bassist Hiro Yamamoto — with guest vocalists Taylor Momsen and Brandi Carlile stepping in to represent Cornell.
The set also includes performances by Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready and Alice in Chains’ Jerry Cantrell.
In addition, Matt Cameron confirmed his departure from Pearl Jam in July 2025, after nearly three decades with the band.
He said, 'Oh, no.
I pretty much quit.
There was no animosity at all.
We're all on good terms, for sure.
But I wanted to finish up this Soundgarden project and kind of just put all my attention into that with no sort of tour commitments and things like that.' Cameron cited a desire to pursue more creative work and stated, 'I'm trying to just pick and choose the things that are more creatively satisfying right now for me.'"