With Soundgarden officially inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame on 8 November 2025, alternative rock collective King Ultramega have released a striking new interpretation of The Day I Tried To Live to honour the moment and pay tribute to Chris Cornell. The recording brings together a rare assembly of heavy music’s most respected players, including Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil, Arch Enemy vocalist Alissa White-Gluz, Metal Allegiance bassist and King Ultramega founder Mark Menghi, and Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante.
The single arrives as part of a two-track vinyl release, paired with King Ultramega’s version of another Soundgarden landmark, Rusty Cage. Beyond celebration, the project also carries a mission, raising funds and awareness for MusiCares, the Recording Academy charity supporting the mental health and wellbeing of those across the music industry.
Soundgarden’s position in rock history is monumental. Emerging from Seattle’s late 80s scene alongside Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Alice In Chains, they fused punk attitude with psychedelic heaviness and progressive complexity. Cornell’s commanding voice and poetic lyricism made the band not only one of the defining artists of the grunge movement but one of the most creative heavy acts of their era. The Day I Tried To Live, first released on the band’s acclaimed 1994 album Superunknown, became a defining track of the decade, merging existential reflection with dynamic sonic force.
For Kim Thayil, re-entering the world of The Day I Tried To Live outside Soundgarden offered both challenge and therapy. “I believe that the personal exploration that came out of my accepting the invitation from Mark, and King Ultramega, to participate in these recordings, allowed me to open myself up to the creative risks of sharing an emotive and artistically intimate experience with other creative individuals, and that this has proved to be rewarding and encouraging, for me, of future similar collaborations.”
Thayil’s iconic guitar tone sits at the heart of Soundgarden’s sound, and here it rings familiar yet renewed, finding space for modern heaviness while maintaining the emotional nuance of the original.
Mark Menghi, creative driver behind King Ultramega, approached the task with reverence. “It was a bit nerve racking for me to go in and record this track knowing Kim was going to be on this song, as it’s his band’s song to begin with. In addition, it was equally important for me to keep it true to the original so Alissa had a strong foundation to deliver her magic. ‘What would Chris think?’ was the question that kept repeating in my head over and over.”
Menghi’s work across Metal Allegiance and numerous collaborative metal projects has made him a respected curator of talent across heavy music, and here he anchors the emotional centre of the track with precision and restraint.
Alissa White-Gluz brings intensity and subtlety in equal measure, moving between dark melodic lines and explosive power. “I felt that I needed to try to embody his unique power when delivering the vocals here,” she says. “He has always had such a remarkable way of wording things; ‘I stole a thousand beggars’ change and gave it to the rich’ – just so, so good. He always managed to grab our attention with narrative and keep our interest with thoughtful word choice and intriguing messages.”
White-Gluz often credits Cornell as a formative influence, and here she delivers a heartfelt tribute, focusing less on imitation and more on emotional authenticity.
Anthrax’s Charlie Benante provides a rhythmic foundation shaped by respect for the original arrangement. “This is one of my favourite Soundgarden songs. I just love everything about the song. I especially love the ending, I never expected it to end the way it ends. It’s just a beautiful piece of music. Matt’s playing on this tune really compliments the song so much. I just tried to stay true to that.”
Benante’s long history with thrash metal and alternative-influenced drumming techniques makes his contribution a natural fit for Soundgarden’s intricate approach.
A limited vinyl pressing marks the release, with 500 purple copies for US fans and 300 lilac copies for Europe. The two-track LP, featuring The Day I Tried To Live and Rusty Cage, is available exclusively via the Reigning Phoenix Music, Soundgarden and King Ultramega webstores.
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