Ultramega OK

Performer: Soundgarden
Engineer: Drew Canulette; Lance Limbocker
Producer: Drew Canulette; Soundgarden
Distributor: E1 Distribution (USA)

Notes: Soundgarden: Chris Cornell, Kim Thayil, Hiro Yamamoto, Matt Cameron. Personnel: Chris Cornell (vocals, guitar); Hiro Yamamoto (vocals); Kim Thayil (guitar); Matt Cameron (drums). Recording information: Dogfish Mobile Unit, Seattle, WA; NewBurg, OR. Photographers: Sydney Taylor; Lance Mercer; Gardener. Soundgarden's first full-length release, 1988's ULTRAMEGA OK, showed that there was more than met the eye to this fast-rising Seattle quartet. The group's first two releases, the EPs SCREAMING LIFE and FOPP, were both straight-ahead sludge rock, but ULTRAMEGA OK broadened the musical scope. While monolithic garage riffing and punk's messy energy were still both integral parts of the sound, healthy doses of punk and heavy metal were now added to the rich mix as the group's songwriting and instrumental prowess improved greatly. The opening "Flower" brings to mind '60s-era acid rock, while other highlights include the barnstorming "All Your Lies," the witchcraft metal of "Beyond the Wheel," the vast "Mood for Trouble," the plodding blues of "Incessant Mace," and a cover of Howlin' Wolf's "Smokestack Lightning."

Although Nirvana and Pearl Jam may have been the most commercially successful bands of the 1990s Seattle movement, Soundgarden was every bit as important and influential. Part Black Sabbath/part Ramones, Soundgarden helped unite both punks and metalheads--one of the first alternative bands to do so. Largely due to vocalist Chris Cornell's signature wail and guitarist Kim Thayil's thunderous riffs, the band gained a huge fanbase by the mid '90s. However, the group called it a day in 1997, with drummer Matt Cameron joining Pearl Jam and Cornell going on to record solo and, with the instrumentalists of Rage Against the Machine, as a member of Audioslave.

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