Unlike Nirvana and Pearl Jam, Soundgarden was not rocketed like a comet to rock stardom. The group around Chris Cornell was able to work on their own sound in relative peace for years. That sound was perfected on 1994's Superunknown, without a doubt the Seattle group's best album. In a number of songs the group served up its famous Zep-meets-Sabbath cocktail of unwieldy riffs topped by Cornell's
… Robert Plant-like scream. But Soundgarden also surprised, such as in the striking funky single Spoonman or in the performed punk rocker Kickstand. Prize number was the ballad Black Hole Sun, which was often seen on MTV, partly due to the surreal video clip. As befits a real grunge group, the lyrics were jet black. Titles like Fell On Black Days and Like Suicide speak volumes in that regard. That depression did not detract from Superunknown's success. The album sold about nine million copies. (PdK)more
