I recently learned about a passion-driven musical project honoring the life, voice, and genius of Chris Cornell (ex-Soundgarden). It’s called King Ultramega.
This endeavor is the brainchild of producer and bassist Mark Menghi.
Menghi says of the project:
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 list of collaborators is pretty impressive. Kim Thayil (ex-Soundgarden), Charlie Benante (Anthrax), Joe Satriani, William DuVall (Alice in Chains), Bill Kelliher (Mastodon), Alissa White-Gluz (Arch Enemy), Kenny Aronoff (John Mellencamp) among others.