Metal Anarchy

Mark Menghi (Metal Allegiance), Matt Cameron (Soundgarden), Lzzy Hale (Halestorm), and Joe Hottinger (Halestorm) have released a cover of Soundgarden’s “Birth Ritual” as part of the Chris Cornell tribute project King Ultramega. You find a video for that take on the track below:

The contributors commented:

Menghi:

“King Ultramega has become more than a cover project; it feels like a living tribute to Chris Cornell’s entire creative spirit. If you notice the trend of King Ultramega releases thus far, we cover all aspects of Chris’ career—spanning different albums, bands and solo records—with no more than one song from any given release. ‘Birth Ritual’ was originally featured on the legendary ‘Singles’ movie soundtrack, and it has always been one of my favorite Soundgarden songs. It was important to me to give a tip of the cap to a phenomenal film—which Chris famously cameos in—and a soundtrack that perfectly defined that entire era. I still have my original VHS of the movie! Even our artwork for this release is a direct nod to the movie’s fictional band, ‘Citizen Dick.’

Bringing in Matt was essential. Having the guy who actually lived that experience—and is famously in the movie performing the OG version of this song live from behind the drum kit in one of the scenes—gives our version an undeniable, authentic energy. Getting to lock in on bass with Matt driving the drums was an absolute dream. Pairing our rhythm section with the sheer power of Lzzy and Joe took this track to the stratosphere. Lzzy completely channels that raw Cornell vocal grit, and Joe’s guitar work is just blistering. Together, I believe we honored the history while bringing fresh energy to it.

Humbled, grateful, and completely surreal. Between having Matt on ‘Birth Ritual’ and Kim Thayil laying down guitars on ‘The Day I Tried to Live,’ it’s an absolute full-circle moment for me. Soundgarden has been woven into my creative DNA since a very young age. To have the very architects of that definitive Seattle sound validate what we are doing by stepping into our world and re-recording these tracks with us… it’s truly insane to think about. I’m just incredibly thankful for the opportunity.

I hope whoever listens to this song goes and revisits—or is introduced to—the movie ‘Singles,’ and then goes out and buys that soundtrack. It truly is one of the greatest soundtracks ever assembled for a film. It was the soundtrack to my youth, in more ways than one… Back then, all that music was brand new, and now those songs are revered as timeless classics. What I hope people hear in our version of ‘Birth Ritual’ is the sheer, unapologetic power of that music. Chris’ vocal phrasing on this track is insane and the song itself is a perfect example of what made Soundgarden so revolutionary—they could take heavy, complex, unconventional arrangements and make them absolutely slam. I want people to hear the timelessness of Chris’s creative spirit and remember that even decades later, nobody has ever done it better. That raw energy still matters today just as much as it did on a cassette tape or VHS back in 1992.”

Hale:

“Every time I tackle a Chris Cornell track I always want to honor his legacy. But with ‘Birth Ritual,’ I wanted to dance with it, meld his incendiary words with my soul and find a way to live inside the song.

There is a raw, unapologetic honesty in Soundgarden’s music that is something that any band new or old should be taking to heart. There are never ending layers to peel back from not only ‘Birth Ritual’ but from every album they released. Chris taps into the nerve of your soul to reveal truths about yourself that you didn’t think anyone noticed. Chris’s voice and words have the ability to inspire and empower you to be the best version of yourself, something that is needed now more than ever before, and will continue for generations to come.”

Hottinger:

“‘Birth Ritual’ is such a wild song for the guitars. It’s a tuning I’ve never used and is super fun to play. I love how it just grooves with the drums. I decided to use my Bogner Snorkler and Wizard Hell Razor amps. My two favorite crunch amps right now. I kept it pretty true to the original on the rhythm guitar parts and took my liberties with the solos. All in all, the track was a joy to learn and play and I’m super excited to be on a track with one of my hero’s, Matt Cameron.

‘Birth Ritual’ is not one of the big Soundgarden hit songs, but it’s a song that is an essential track for helping define all the aspects of how much of a monster this band was and how unique and heavy they were compared to most ‘grunge’ music. Chris sounds like a demon on this track. His screams and howls are otherworldly and his lyrics paint the heaviest picture. These songs and Chris’s voice are pillars of heavy music. They will forever be part of the DNA of a rock and Metal.”

Cameron:

“The overall intensity of the song still hits home for me. It’s a nice modern update, but still sounds true to the original. The chorus on the tribute version sounds amazing, Lzzy crushed the vocals and the guitars and bass are perfect. It’s nice when Kim’s solo kicks in too.

‘Birth Ritual’ is an obscure B-side, so newer fans of the band may not be familiar with it. After hearing this version hopefully newer listeners will check out some of our other interesting B-sides penned by Chris like ‘She Likes Surprises’ and ‘Cold Bitch.’”