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Soundgarden - King Animal

First new album in 16 years? Here's what we made of it...

Rating: 7

Soundgarden’s first album in 16 years might actually be some listeners’ first encounter with the Seattle foursome – but fortunately, they’ve always been renowned as songwriters as much as grunge icons. While the band hinted at a heavier sound before its release, ‘King Animal’ doesn’t hit as hard as their really early material, but it’s well-paced, so slower songs like ‘Blood On The Valley’ and acoustic-led tracks like ‘Halfway There’ don’t drag. Without the gap in releases, its fresh, technically-precise sound would have revitalised them post-‘Down On The Upside’ – with it, it’s a modern, relevant interpretation of their sound.

Amy Bangs