In 1994 the grunge movement was in full swing. A myriad of different types of hard rock, punk and metal emerged from the Seattle area with a vengeance. And while many consider Nirvana’s ‘Nevermind’ to be the pinnacle album of the era. It’s really Soundgarden’s ‘Superunknown’ that truly defined the hard rock and metal tendencies of the Seattle scene.
Soundgarden were the first to start, but the last to truly break through commercially. Their previous two albums ’89’s ‘Louder Than Love’ and 91’s ‘Badmotorfinger’ put them on the map. And they developed a strong reputation within the community. But it wasn’t until 1993 when the supergroup Temple of the Dog released their first and only album. Featuring Chris Cornell on vocals, the album blew up and primed Soundgarden for mass success.
The following year, on March 8th, Soundgarden released what many would consider their magnum opus, ‘Superunknown.’ And it is an opus. A long, full album loaded with perfect moments. From the massive opening ‘Let Me Drown,’ to the spacey, ten ton heavy ‘She Like Surprises.’ The record is truly a journey. A seamless combination of punk, funk, prog, metal and classic rock. There’s no wondering why this band attracted so many different types of rock and metal fans.
Initially the album didn’t live up to the record companies expectations. It didn’t bomb, but it wasn’t the runaway success that A&M were hoping for. But with the release of the mega smashes ‘Spoonman’ and ‘Black Hole Sun,’ two of the only singles that have ever deserved their success, the album took off. It quickly shot to number one in over ten countries. A feat that’s only accomplished today by manufactured pop stars. With a few exceptions of course.
But it’s not just the hits that make the album so strong. The record covers everything from classic, groove heavy metal like ‘Let Me Drown,’ ‘Mailman’ and ‘4th of July.’ To punk infused rockers like ‘My Wave’ and ‘Kickstand.’ The album is also injected with sensitive, reflective ballads: ‘Fell on Black Days,’ ‘Head Down,’ and ‘The Day I Tried to Live.’ There’s even solid funk moments with ‘Fresh Tendrils.’ And progressive rock moments combined with alternative tropes, ‘Limo Wreck.’ Not to mention the blistering title track. And it’s all good. A true top to bottom album with no filler.
It still to this day remains one of the only albums that truly deserved it’s success. So crank it, celebrate it and enjoy!
