Soundgarden's drummer, Matt Cameron, discusses his departure from Pearl Jam and offers insights on the upcoming Soundgarden album, featuring Chris Cornell's posthumous vocals.
In the world of rock music, there have been some significant developments surrounding two iconic bands - Soundgarden and Pearl Jam.
Firstly, the surviving members of Soundgarden are set to perform live at this year's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame event. Kim Thayil, the band's guitarist, has spoken about the challenge of finding a vocalist to replace the late Chris Cornell for these performances. Thayil stated that it's not just a technical hurdle, but an emotional one as well, given the high bar set by Cornell. As of now, the vocalist to fill Cornell's shoes has not been explicitly mentioned.
Matt Cameron, another key member of Soundgarden, has confirmed his departure from Pearl Jam after 27 years this summer. His reason for leaving was due to issues with the band's three-hour shows and constant touring. Cameron, however, remains active in the music scene, fronting a new band called Is This Real? and continuing to work with Thayil as part of 3rd Secret, along with Krist Novoselic.
Cameron has also expressed his excitement for people to hear the Soundgarden album, which he stated is over halfway done. Kim Thayil is in the process of finishing his guitar parts for the album. However, there is no set release date for the album as of yet. It's worth noting that Pearl Jam have not yet announced their new drummer, and have no live shows scheduled at the time of writing.
In a positive turn of events, Soundgarden and Cornell's estate settled a legal dispute regarding several unreleased final songs by the band in 2023. This paves the way for the completion and potential release of the album. However, it may not have a single released until the entire project is completed.
Matt Cameron is set to become a two-time inductee at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in November, with Soundgarden being inducted during a ceremony in LA. He was inducted with Pearl Jam in 2017. Cameron later confirmed that he is still an active musician, despite speculation to the contrary.
Cameron's departure from Pearl Jam was amicable, and he has spoken with Jeff Ament and Stone Gossard about it. Despite his departure, he thanked his former bandmates, crew, staff, and fans for their support during his time with the band.
In conclusion, while there are many uncertainties regarding the release of the new Soundgarden album and the future of Pearl Jam, the passion and dedication of the musicians involved remain evident. Fans can look forward to Cameron's induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the anticipated live performances by Soundgarden at this year's event.
