Pick it up… Watch out!

[Wisemon]

Chris Cornell put out a new album, “Scream.” I would normally go through the trouble of rating and reviewing each song individually, but this album isn’t worth it. Besides, there are no silences between songs, i.e. the album is meant to be one continuous play, so I think it’s fair to lump the whole album together.

I had a feeling it would be “different” when I saw the producer credits, but I was hoping for the best. Chris Cornell gets props for being experimental with this album, unlike “Carry On,” but this is just ridiculous. At least “Carry On” was a rock album with some decent songs on it, bland overall though it was. For rock fans, this album has no redeeming value except for its novelty among Chris’s body of work, a few good lyrics, very appropriate cover photographs, and the hidden track, “Two Drink Minimum.” For fans of electronic pop stuff, maybe it’s good, but I wouldn’t know. I will admit that some of the songs are catchy in places, so if you’re a pop fan, this album could appeal to you.

As a huge Soundgarden fan, a lesser fan of Temple of the Dog, Audioslave, and Chris’s other solo work, this is a huge disappointment. I really hope Chris goes back to basics, maybe experimenting a little, but not this much, if he’s going to put out more albums. Obviously, this is the twilight of his career, but I think he still has the ability to write good songs.