Soundgarden

Soundgarden. One of those bands that people either really love, or completely hate. I don't know why anyone would not like them actually. They are awesome.
They were once given the name frown-garden. I think for their often darkly tigned lyrics and sludge-alt-metal-grunge sound. They were not quite bleak like Alice in Chains, but they definitely tapped into the mass concience of the 90's youth.
I credit this band for helping me work through many a tough personal times in my life. There is something kind of sympathetic for the person who does everything they can to relate to others and make a good life for themselves, but often falls short. Songs like 'The Day I Tried to Live' deal with personal frustration very directly.' The song 'Zero Chance' deal with the reality of feeling personal isolation, and how no one who is not experiencing it really gets how it feels. 'Outshined' was the soundtrack to my puberty. In fact I don't think there is a song that captures adolescence better than that song. Screw smells like teen spirit.
Some songs are straight up Black Sabbath, like 4th of July and Limo Wreck. They specialize in sludgy metal riffs.
Don't get the impression these songs are all about wallowing in a personal pity party. 'Blow up the Outside World' breaks through to the other side with a strong defiance of 'no ones doing me in unless I choose to do so first.' In a messed up way, it's kinda life affirming. Something that really made sense in the cluster f**k that was the 90's.
There is a huge Led Zeppelin influence here, especially with the eastern tinged songs like 'half'.
Some of the songs, I honestly have no clue as to the subject or even intended mood.
Very few people can match the vocal range of Chris Cornell. The man can literally peel paint off a hubcap if he felt like doing so. I will freely admit I like all of the work he has done since soundgarden (With the obvious exclusion of "Scream" the last solo record he made with Timberland, Chris, that was a total piece of shit.) Most of Audioslave's music was a lot better than most people gave them credit for, especially their last record, very funky.
Well the end benefit of Chris's last solo record bombing out was that Soundgarden got back together. I mean I hate to just point out the obvious, what other reason would make a band that said they would never ever tour again, get back together. That being said, it's great to have them playing again.