A new collective dubbed King Ultramega are paying tribute to Chris Cornell with a series of cover songs honoring the late singer. The first single is a cover of Soundgarden’s “Rusty Cage” featuring Alice in Chains singer William DuVall, Mastodon guitarist Bill Kelliher, and Anthrax/Pantera drummer Charlie Benante, along with the project’s driving force, Mark Menghi (Metal Allegiance), on bass.
Future singles in the series will feature different musicians, among them Joe Satriani, Alissa White-Gluz, Kenny Aronoff, and Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil. The songs will span Cornell’s entire career, including Soundgarden, Audioslave, and his solo work, each raising funds and awareness for MusiCares.
The cover of “Rusty Cage” is a faithful rendition of the single from Soundgarden’s 1991 album Badmotorfinger. It was actually recorded during the pandemic and posted on social media in October 2020, and is now being officially released for the first time along with a new music video.
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“I just leaned into my love for the song and my immense respect for Chris,” stated DuVall of covering the song. “Since the instrumental track Bill, Charlie, and Mark sent hewed so closely to the original, I thought it best for me to stay in that ballpark as well.”
He added, “Again, my reason for participating was simply taking on an interesting challenge when so much of the world was shut down. I had no thoughts or ambitions for this beyond our posting it on social media five years ago. But if this release can help further the good work done by MusiCares, then I’m all for it.”
In speaking about his inspiration for putting together the collective, Menghi said, “There is not a singular moment in time that led to this project. It was a trail of events that led to the formation of King Ultramega and the evolving creation to pay tribute to the voice of a generation.”
Thayil, who as mentioned will appear on an upcoming track, remarked, “I’m super honored to record alongside all the amazing musicians appearing on the King Ultramega project. I’m equally proud that it celebrates Soundgarden in this tribute to the songwriting of Chris. Ultra-admirably, everyone’s participation is supporting the work of the MusiCares Foundation.”
Watch the official music video for the King Ultramega cover of “Rusty Cage” below, and download or stream the track at all major digital platforms.
Content shared from consequence.net.