Viral

Soundgarden announced last week that they're getting back together. Depending on your overall level of cynicism, this is either a good or a bad thing. I'm cautiously optimistic that a reunited Soundgarden will sound at least as good as Alice in Chains without Layne Staley do. Maybe they won't be on the level of a re-energized Dinosaur Jr., but seriously, I can't help but be a little excited to see the return of a band that broke up when I was in Grade 6. And come on, it's not like Audioslave was all that bad. It's just that it wasn't that good... Me, I'm thrilled to once again have the opportunity to enjoy Kim Thayil's unholy channeling of both Tony Iommi and Jimmy Page, that eternal wellspring of hard rock from which all aspiring axe-slingers have drunk. The towers of feedback which he erected while guesting on Sunn O))) and Boris's "Blood Swamp" track shows that this guy is still capable of scaling the heavens. Matt Cameron is in Pearl Jam, so I guess, you know, he's doing alright. Ben's still kicking around, maybe Hiro forgot to set his alarm or something.

More interesting at thus juncture however, is the past decade's phenomenon of previously deceased bands reforming amid much hoopla and excitement among their fans. The cynical among us may point to the potential for dollars and cents to be made by putting aside old differences, but I choose to believe that Soundgarden, much like the Pixies, My Bloody Valentine, Dinosaur Jr. and any other formerly great band that decides to reconnect and "get the old band back together" has simply gotten a little older and wiser in their absence, and realized that the petty conflicts of the past can be overcome in favor of a mutual desire to create art. Realistically, there are always ulterior motives for everyone involved in these situations, but as long as the primary motivation is to move people, I don't think any ill can come of this. Hell, I'll never listen to The Weirdness, but that doesn't mean I won't be there to catch Iggy in the front row if The Stooges ever come to town with James Williamson now in tow. I hope those guys made some cash off that record.

What really needs to be asked is what has changed since 1997 that has made Soundgarden (or any other recently re-formed band) decide that now was the time to do it. My guess is that the internet has allowed bands whose appeal was only marginal in their previous incarnations to reach a far greater audience than they had ever commanded during their heyday. It's not like the Pixies were doing arena shows twenty years ago. Soundgarden's situation is different though, since Soundgarden actually was a pretty huge band after the release of Superunknown. So on this matter, I have to believe that a revival of 70's style hard rock, cross-pollinated with the post-everything musical landscape of the naughts has drawn in a astute brand of musical fan who is better equipped to make musical discoveries. Unsullied by the silly prejudices and genre restrictions of formatted mainstream radio and music television, today's music fans can take what they want from past and present, while constantly looking sideways across ever-multiplying genres and sub-styles. Want to see if a band could bring it live? YouTube it.

During their pre-fame years, and even up to Badmotorfinger, Soundgarden were one of the heaviest bunch of badasses around. Think about it... who was heavier than Soundgarden when that album came out in 1991? The Melvins, Cathedral, maybe St. Vitus... I dunno, not many, and certainly none of them enjoyed the kind of profile that Soundgarden did as they won a Grammy, opened for Guns 'n' Roses, made rockin' performance videos and generally got the big push from A&M. But in today's musical climate, where label clout means little, the best bands will eventually find their audiences regardless. Sometimes it helps to have a built-in audience like Soundgarden do, but it's not necessary if you're good enough at what you do to begin with.

And as far as I'm concerned, this will be worth seeing in person.

And if that doesn't convince you, at least think about how awesome it is that a band that rockin' covered both Spinal Tap and Cheech & Chong.