KING ULTRAMEGA Unveil Tribute Cover Of SOUNDGARDEN's "Loud Love"

In tribute to Chris Cornell, KING ULTRAMEGA presents a high octane interpretation of SOUNDGARDEN’s “Loud Love” joined by Lzzy Hale (HALESTORM) leading on vocals, Alex Skolnick (TESTAMENT / METAL ALLEGIANCE) on guitars and drum performance by Dave Krusen (PEARL JAM). KING ULTRAMEGA are raising funds and awareness for MusiCares, the Recording Academy’s nonprofit that provides mental health services, addiction recovery support, and emergency assistance to members of the music community.

“Loud Love” appears on SOUNDGARDEN’s 1989 full length Louder Than Love and remains a fan favorite that showcases Chris Cornell’s incredible range. Wanting to honor Cornell and the iconic track, and evoke the spirit of this era, Mark Menghi’s process for this release saw him take an old school approach in order to achieve the analogue warmth of the original recording.

On the new release, Lzzy Hale shares: “If there was ever a time to be spreading a message of LOUD LOVE, It’s now.”

Produced by Mark Menghi, “Loud Love” was mixed and mastered by Josh Wilbur. The cover artwork design is by Mark Menghi and the accompanying video is by Tom Flynn.

Lzzy Hale comments on her approach for tackling vocal duties on “Loud Love”, “I don’t think I’ve ever been a good imitator, but I did try to put myself in Chris’ shoes. It’s more about placing yourself inside the song so you can steal its soul. I like to imagine I am the writer and then go about making it my own whilst honoring the original.”

On drawing inspiration from Chris, Hale continues, “I feel like I’m always learning something from Chris. Every few years I’ll discover something deeper in his lyrics, or higher in his range. But there is an authenticity that comes with Chris that can’t be taught or trained for. I believe every word he writes. I’m inspired by his control over his animalistic vocal range, and his poetry, but also how honestly he sings.”

Alex Skolnick explains his process on preserving Kim Thayil’s guitar style, “Kim’s playing has a strong sense of groove as well as a rawness and honesty that was especially refreshing when this song first came out (a time of much overproduction & perfection in hard rock). I tried to strike a good balance between referencing and respecting Kim‘s original parts, while also bringing some of my own flavor and ideas, without getting in the way.”

Skolnick reveals what it was like working with Menghi outside of METAL ALLEGIANCE: “For the most part, Mark and I have recorded originals in Metal Allegiance, songs that started with a blank page. This time we had a solid road map. In the past, once we had drum tracks, it didn’t matter which of us followed up or whether we tracked separately or simultaneously. This time, we were very dependent on capturing a live performance together in the studio, which was a fun challenge. This tune seemed to require the bass and guitar being locked in while going to tape, I think it’s probably true of most of the Soundgarden catalogue.”

Mark Menghi discusses his choice of line-up for “Loud Love”: “I knew I wanted Dave to play drums on this tune from the jump. Who better than the dude that played drums on arguably one of the greatest records of all-time and whom also helped lay the groundwork for the Seattle explosion in the late 80’s/early 90’s? I was already in the studio with my Metal Allegiance bro Alex Skolnick putting this finishing touches on a then new Metal Allegiance tune (which turned out to be Black Horizon) when I asked ‘Hey would you wanna play on this King Ultramega track?’ I just off-the-cuff asked him… what makes it better is I said, “see that old school tape machine over there in the corner? We are going to record our parts together, live, at the same time, the old school way on reel-to-reel!'”

He continues, “The last piece of the ‘Loud Love’ puzzle was the amazing Lzzy Hale. Having her complete the lineup for this tune is truly humbling. If you listen to the OG version of ‘Loud Love’, Chris’ vocals are just absolute insanity and who better than Lzzy to tackle this? Lzzy has complete vocal dominance, carries such a strong presence and quite frankly is one of the best vocalists in modern rock today.”

A key component of this cover is the analogue production. On taking this creative decision Menghi explains, “It was very important to me to keep this particular song as old school as possible. I wanted to catch the warmth, vibe and feel of the original track which meant (to me) recording to tape, in the same room together and live. Imagine that? A world where you record with other humans in the same room and in analog no less! Reel-to-reel tape recording is a lost art form and was very excited to go back to the recording days of the past for this track. Alex and I are no strangers in recording together; but this was the first time we have ever recorded live together, with real amps blasting and the tape machine running. Truly was a special feel, to capture that live energy.”

Dave Krusen of PEARL JAM, who was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2017, opens up about revisiting this classic SOUNDGARDEN track. “Seattle was a very turbulent place in the late 80s / early 90s and I think the best thing to come out of it was all the great music. I was a huge Soundgarden fan. I got to meet Chris and Matt when we (Pearl Jam) were working on 10 and they were working on Temple Of the Dog. It was a huge thrill for me. The fact that I was asked to be a part of this King Ultramega record was a huge honor. I was very intimidated to try and tackle the drum parts in ‘Loud Love’, but the guys I was recording with made it no pressure and a lot of fun.”

Krusen shares a personal memory of Chris, “I’ll never forget in 1993 backstage at a Pearl Jam show, Chris came up and said ‘Hey Dave, it’s Chris. Do you remember me?’ every time I talked to him, he was always such a sweet guy to me. I miss him and his music. Plus Matt has always been so gracious and cool to me, letting me share his drum throne, was also a huge honor.”

About KING ULTRAMEGA:
KING ULTRAMEGA is a passion-driven musical project honoring the life, voice, and genius of Chris Cornell, one of the most gifted artists of our time. It launches in conjunction with SOUNDGARDEN’s long-overdue induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

This project did not begin with a single, dramatic moment. Instead, it grew quietly and gradually, an organic result of years of conversations, inspiration, and deep reverence for a musician whose impact remains immeasurable.

“There is not a singular moment in time that led to this project,” says bassist and producer Mark Menghi, the driving force behind KING ULTRAMEGA. “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.”

It started in 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, when Menghi recorded a version of “Rusty Cage” with friends. What began as a creative release soon became something larger. With every step forward, the project deepened in meaning and purpose. “I kept crossing the mental roadblock of ‘you are entering uncharted waters, are you sure you wanna do this?'” Menghi reflects. “Chris is one of those dudes if you cover, you better do it justice.”

The decision to continue became clear when SOUNDGARDEN guitarist Kim Thayil joined the project and re-recorded one of his own iconic tracks. “Once Kim got involved and re-recorded one of his own songs, I knew something was brewing,” Menghi says.

Thayil embraced the project wholeheartedly. “I’m super honored to record alongside all the amazing musicians appearing on the KING ULTRAMEGA project,” he says. “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. Thank you Mark Menghi, Charlie Benante and Reigning Phoenix Music (RPM).”

For Menghi, this project is as personal as it is musical. “I went through some very difficult times in my life. I should not be here right now, but I am,” he shares. “I like to think my past trials and tribulations helped me understand Chris just a little, hence the formation of KING ULTRAMEGA.”

Song selection was guided by instinct. “My mood. It’s really that simple,” Menghi explains. “‘Rusty Cage’ was recorded simply because it’s one of my favorite songs featured on one of my favorite records.” Other songs came to Menghi during moments of reflection and inspiration. “There is a bunch more in the can right now, all with drums fully recorded, which are currently being worked out for future releases.”

The goal was never to reinvent Cornell’s work. It was about honoring it with the respect it deserves. “It really is only about honoring the legacy of Chris Cornell. Nothing more,” Menghi says. Each musician brought their own voice, but always in service to the song and to Cornell’s memory.

“Each musician has their own individual musical stamp,” Menghi explains. “You hear the absolute best of each one of them. You are talking about musicians who helped invent and shape musical genres and helped define their generations in popular culture, not just music, but society as a whole.”

The cast of collaborators is remarkable. Kim Thayil, Charlie Benante, Joe Satriani, William DuVall, Bill Kelliher, Alissa White-Gluz, Kenny Aronoff, Menghi himself, among many others. The mix of past friendships and new connections created a unique bond among them.
“I think back and go ‘did I really ask Joe Satriani to do an instrumental reinterpretation of one of the greatest modern vocal songs ever recorded?’ or ‘what the fuck was I thinking asking the great Kim Thayil to re-record one of his own classic Soundgarden songs?'” Menghi laughs. Yet, no egos entered the room. “Each participating musician saw the vision and understood that this is about honoring the legacy of not only an inspiring musician, but an amazing husband, father and man.”

For Menghi, Cornell’s music has always been a constant presence. “Chris Cornell has been one of only a very small handful of musical constants in my life,” he says. “I never waivered, not once.”

Certain moments in the process were surreal. Recording with Thayil was one of them. “I remember thinking back saying to myself ‘holy fuck, I’m on a SOUNDGARDEN song with Kim Thayil. What planet are we on?'”

Throughout it all, Menghi served as the project’s creative director, always guided by one central question. “How would Chris like this?” Every choice, from guest musicians to mixes to artwork, was measured against that standard. “If there is even a shred of uncertainty at any point in the process, back to the drawing board we go.”

The recordings were completed remotely over several years. The final tracks were mixed with care to ensure a cohesive sound that still captured the raw emotion of the performances.

Hope is the underlying theme that runs through KING ULTRAMEGA. It is an offering to longtime fans and an invitation for younger listeners to discover the timeless brilliance of Cornell’s work. “KU is just a blip in the Chris Cornell universe,” Menghi says. “We are a subtle reminder that Chris was a true musical genius.”

For Menghi and his collaborators, KING ULTRAMEGA is both a deeply personal labor of love and one of the greatest honors of their musical lives. “To be here thirty-plus years later paying tribute to whom I believe was the king of those times is one of the greatest musical honors of my life.”

The “Loud Love” Lineup Is:
Vocals: Lzzy Hale (HALESTORM)
Guitars: Alex Skolnick (TESTAMENT / METAL ALLEGIANCE)
Bass: Mark Menghi
Drums: Dave Krusen (PEARL JAM)

About MusiCares
MusiCares helps the humans behind music because music gives so much to the world. Offering preventive, emergency, and recovery programs, MusiCares is a safety net supporting the health and welfare of the music community. Founded by the Recording Academy in 1989 as a U.S. based 501(c)(3) charity, MusiCares safeguards the well-being of all music people through direct financial grant programs, networks of support resources, and tailored crisis relief efforts.

For more information please visit: www.musicares.org.