King Animal [LP] in Bloomington, MN

Soundgarden
split acrimoniously after the 1996 release of
Down On the Upside
, but they always seemed a band ripe for reunion, and not just because
Chris Cornell
flailed through his new-millennial solo career.
always seemed a band built for the long haul, destined to have their love of '70s metal roots overtake their punk roots. That's what happened with their 1994 breakthrough,
Superunknown
, and that's where
return on their 2012 reunion
King Animal
, acting like nothing -- not even the murky
-- happened in the ensuing 18 years. As heavy as it is -- and it is, the slower songs either being dirges or semi-psychedelic swirls; the burnished introspections of
Cornell
's solo work have been banished --
is a big, bright album, executed with precision and professionalism. The bandmembers sound older, not quite as loud, and possess a keener sense of good taste, and it sounds as if they've aged together, which is a testament to their innate chemistry. Simply put,
sound like they belong together;
sounds richer, fuller when anchored by drummer
Matt Cameron
, bassist
Ben Shepherd
, and the deceptively sinewy and brainy guitarist
Kim Thayil
, whose presence has sorely been missed over the past decade. Apart from the occasional lapse of smutty humor, all of
's signatures are in place, and it's a pleasure to hear
's modulated wail, just as it is to hear
Thayil
's brawny riffs tangle with
Cameron
and
Shepherd
. All this is apparent upon the first listen, and if it does take some time for the songs of
to sink in, that doesn't diminish the album in the slightest: this is a surprisingly strong reunion, one that puts the band back on the track they abandoned long ago. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine