Ben Shepherd of Soundgarden update on new and final album

Ben Shepherd of Soundgarden update on new and final album

Ben Shepherd, the bassist of Soundgarden, has given an interview to Bass Magazine link here https://bassmagazine.com/issues/issue-16/ben-shepherd-soundgarden-lives-on/

and he talked about the band’s new upcoming final album with their late frontman Chris Cornell. That record was in a state limbo for a number of years after a legal dispute with the band and Cornell‘s widow and estate ..

Those legal issues included the band being sued by Vicky Cornell and the Cornell estate for royalties, legal wrangling over control of the band’s social media accounts, and also disputes regarding the ownership and use of final recordings left behind by Chris for this upcoming 7th Soundgarden album.

looks like the there are seven tracks set for that album, including:

“Road Less Traveled” (Chris Cornell/Matt Cameron)
“Orphans” (Chris Cornell/Matt Cameron)
“At Ophians Door” (Chris Cornell/Matt Cameron)
“Cancer” (Chris Cornell)
“Ahead Of The Dog” (Chris Cornell/Kim Thayil)
“Mermas” (Chris Cornell/Ben Shepherd)
“Stone Age Mind” (Chris Cornell)

they also had issues over the choice of a producer for this album .. . .. looks like those disputes have been settled and the band have been back in the studio this year tracking their parts for the album with producer Terry Date ..

When asked where Soundgarden are at with this new record, Shepherd said.

“Matt’s drums are pretty much done. Kim goes in and records for a week, and then I come in and record my parts, and we swap back and forth. I’m having a hard time trying to practice the parts at home. It used to be easy for me because I could just plop on headphones or crank it on the stereo, but it’s all digital now so I have to re-figure out how to even rehearse to it. We’re making good progress and have a big portion of the album completed.

There’s one song that I need to talk to Matt and Kim about, but it’s ultimately done now. It’s always hard to decide when a track is officially finished in the studio, but as far as the rhythm section goes, we’re finished. Finishing this album totally makes me miss Chris more.”

As for his own experience in the studio this time around, he offered:

“A few weeks ago was the very first time I got to go in and lay down some bass tracks. I was walking out of the control room to the kitchenette to set down my coffee cup, and they were playing back on a song, and I just stopped and thought, Oh my god — it’s really good to hear Soundgarden again.

It went from rough takes and scattered ideas and all of a sudden Kim’s guitars are on there with Matt’s drums, Chris’ vocals, and my new bass lines. It’s Soundgarden. It was such a cool feeling. The one word that summed it all up for me was “mighty.”

Kim and I both thought there were no real rocking tracks on this album, but nope. We all got on there and once they got fleshed out, they’re way bigger and more powerful than we imagined. It’s all really exciting.”

Ben Shepherd of Soundgarden update on new and final album