The Chris Cornell tribute project King Ultramega has released its newest single, a cover of Soundarden’s progressive metal ripper “Birth Ritual.”
The song features Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron behind the kit, Halestorm bandmates Lzzy Hale on vocals and Joe Hottinger on guitar, and King Ultramega curator Mike Menghi on bass.
Get Soundgarden Albums on Vinyl
Their performance leans away from the bass-driven performance of the original, letting Hottinger’s command of the unique riffing style of Kim Thayil shine. Cameron delivers his drum part with the kind of restrained confidence he’s always shown, possessing prog chops applied conservatively so as not to unduly steal the spotlight.
The absolute highlight of the song, however, is Lzzy Hale, who delivers a jaw-dropping performance that is just as captivating as Cornell’s original vocals, which is no mean feat by any stretch. This is one of her best vocal performances put to tape, fittingly done in an effort to pay tribute to one of the greatest vocalists in rock history.
The original song was an outtake from the Badmotorfinger sessions that was not completed until its inclusion on the Singles soundtrack. The tune later saw release on the band’s rarities compilations Telephantasm and Echoes of Miles.
Hale said of her performance, “Every time I tackle a Chris Cornell track I always want to honor his legacy. But with ‘Birth Ritual,’ I wanted to dance with it, meld his incendiary words with my soul and find a way to live inside the song.”
Hottinger added, “‘Birth Ritual’ is such a wild song for the guitars. It’s a tuning I’ve never used and is super fun to play. I love how it just grooves with the drums. I decided to use my Bogner Snorkler and Wizard Hell Razor amps. My two favorite crunch amps right now. I kept it pretty true to the original on the rhythm guitar parts and took my liberties with the solos. All in all, the track was a joy to learn and play and I’m super excited to be on a track with one of my heroes, Matt Cameron.”
Lzzy Hale previously appeared on the previous King Ultramega cover of “Loud Love.” Other songs released by the project include “Rusty Cage,” “The Day I Tried to Live,” and “Dead Wishes.”
Watch the video for “Birth Ritual” by King Ultramega below.
