What an incredibly sad week. At 2 in the morning on May 18 news broke out that Chris Cornell at the age of 52 had passed away. I literally stared at the wall for 30 minutes numb and shocked. Honestly, I’m still in a little bit of denial. I can’t believe he’s gone. Sure, Scott Weiland was sad. But can anyone really say they weren’t expecting it? Frankly I’m impressed that he made it to 48 in the first place. Cornell on the other hand seemed to have much more of a balance. Sure, he’s struggled with addiction in his past. But never got on the levels of many of his contemporaries. Making the death all the more shocking. Although, if you watch footage from that night’s Detroit concert you can clearly see something is wrong. Later that evening we all lost a hero. The report? Death by hanging. Apparently he had taken too many Ativan and had a really really bad trip.
Chris’ voice was one of a kind. I keep seeing articles calling him the definitive grunge voice and all that. Very few people are talking about how his voice goes far and above the call of duty for grunge music. Or really any sub genre of rock or heavy music. In fact, Soundgarden were self proclaimed prog-metal and Cornell’s four octave vocal range was a perfect match. From low yarling to high BNOHM style shrieking, Cornell’s voice was truly a gift. He was my number four vocalist on a gigantic list. A perfect and yet not perfect singer. And I don’t mean that in just terms of the style of music he performed. I mean in a technical singing sense. He had a strange combination of classical, operatic breathing mixed with chest voice. Giving him a uniquely trained sound with a major soul edge that’s instantly recognizable. Songs like ‘Gun’, ‘Rusty Cage’, ‘Pretty Noose’, ‘Reach Down’ and ‘Say Hello to Heaven’ display a vocal range and passion that’s hair raising.
What’s also amazing about Chris Cornell is the amount of people he reached. He didn’t just get Beavis and Butthead like worship from the metal community. He was praised and loved by multiple generations of counter cultures. I really hope that that is what his legacy ends up being. He was a conductor and connector. A true shaker and mover. He connected so many types of rock. Everything from metal, to punk to acoustic indie music. We all love him. I don’t really know how to put it any clearer than that. Someone who has done an album like ‘Louder than Love’ and then does the ‘Temple of the Dog’ album certainly has a diverse pallet. His refusal to be cornered into any specific style of rock should be a major inspiration for the future of rock and heavy metal. You will be greatly greatly missed Chris.
The metallic heaviness of ‘Louder than Love’.
Followed by the two ton heaviness of ‘Rusty Cage’.
Then can do something as sensitive as the ‘Temple of the Dog’ album.
And then combine sensitivity with bad asserey. Good lord that voice. It will right throughout history.
A perfect and yet not perfect voice. Hearing it live displays that best.
