Revisiting Soundgarden's 'Superunknown'

March 8th, 2024 marks the 30th anniversary of what's considered Soundgarden's breakout album, Superunknown. For me, Superunknown was one of the gateway albums to my love affair with rock music. I don't remember exactly how I found it, but I recall seeing "Black Hole Sun" in my YouTube recommendations back in 2009 (?) as a junior in high school. Although I don't remember the exact year, I do know that I had some downtime during my Drafting class and was dilly-dallying online, watching '90s music videos. At that point, I'd found a lot of music through my mother (a true Gen X-er), but I can say that Soundgarden was one of my first independent discoveries.

Once I saw the brightly saturated colors of the suburban cult and the deliciously demonic visuals that accompanied Chris Cornell's low, slow snake charmer voice, I was hooked. "Black Hole Sun" is something I can only describe as the audio equivalent of taking mushrooms on a 110-degree summer day in Southern California... or maybe the sound conjuring of Salvador Dali's The Persistence of Memory. It's a trip that starts blissful and bright then descends into an apocalyptic frenzy where you can't help but wonder if the end is nigh.

15 years have gone by, and it's been a very long time since I've listened to Superunknown all the way through. When it comes to Soundgarden, Screaming Life is my go-to. However, I recently decided to revisit the well-known Superunknown once more.

Following the massive 1992 Lollapalooza tour supporting the release of Badmotorfinger, Soundgarden started crafting their album in the hopes of exploring new sounds. Arduously recorded in 1993 at Seattle's Bad Animal Studios with the steadfast guidance of Michael Beinhorn, Soundgarden drifted away from its early punk influences and created a 70-minute behemoth that's powered by complex arrangements and the combined lyrical and composing prowess of bandmates Chris Cornell, Kim Thayil, Ben Shepherd, and Matt Cameron.

Marking its fourth studio album with Superunknown, Soundgarden pushed the boundaries of its musical horizons. Already a band for nearly a decade during the album's release, Soundgarden's ascent to rock superstardom was a steadier one than that of their hometown peers. Following the heavy and raging in-your-face tunes of Badmotorfinger, Superunknown emerged more polished and tinged with despair and psychedelia—which was a winning recipe that led to the band's most recognized work. Superunknown was also more radio-friendly and "palatable" for heavy MTV airplay than the band's earlier works, which were considered to be metal. With the increase in exposure, Soundgarden's journey on the snake mutated into an anaconda that wound itself tightly around the music industry and fans around the world. After 30 years, we're all still feeling the squeeze.

Superunknown opens with the punchy "Let Me Drown," which continues the theme of Soundgarden's references to religious visuals, ones of which were previously peppered throughout the Badmotorfinger era (most notably with "Jesus Christ Pose"). Fueled with frustration, "Stretch the bones over my skin... Stretch the skin over my hand... I'm going to the Holy Land" is a hell of an intro.

Following "Let Me Drown," Superunknown veers into a moody epic that experiments with hard riffs, powerhouse percussion, and Cornell's hypnotic vocals. Cornell, Thayil, Cameron, and Shepherd all make major contributions, switching on songwriting (and sometimes singing) duties and utilizing other instruments such as keyboards, viola, and even spoons.

The first song leads into the anthemic "My Wave," before going to the melancholy "Fell on Black Days," which slowly ponders the impending doom that exists in the universe.

As the album trudges on, Soundgarden's lyrics point to disillusionment with society through songs like "Mailman" and "Head Down." The title track, "Superunknown," is a bit more optimistic and esoteric in its urge to listeners to change their perspectives on life. A lot of our existence is indeed unknown, but it's up to us to make the most of it... At least that was my interpretation of the lyrics. "If it isn't making sense... Yea, it doesn't make it lies..."

Near the halfway point, Shepherd's catchy "Head Down" transitions into the trippy wasteland of "Black Hole Sun." After that, Superunknown rocks on with "Spoonman," "Limo Wreck," "The Day I Tried to Live," and "Fresh Tendrils." Throughout the album, Soundgarden presents songs that tackle depression, frustration, isolation, and conformity. With many nods to water in the lyrics, the music flows during the 15 tracks, sometimes like a gentle stream, and others like an angry waterfall.

My favorite song on the entire album is "4th of July," which is a sludgy tune that signals the coming rapture alluded to in the album's earlier songs. "4th of July" is dark and sinister, painting a picture of a Biblical occurrence akin to that in the book of Revelation. As I mentioned "Black Hole Sun" is a mushroom trip, "4th of July" is a trip gone completely awry. Luckily the dreary song is followed by the mellow Indian-inspired "Half," (another Shepherd-dominant track) which marks a comedown back to reality.

Superunknown closes with the contemplative "Like Suicide," which drew inspiration from Cornell's experience of finding a dying robin by his window. The song eulogizes the robin, which can be seen as a metaphor for how we all fly through life and tend to crash into things, and for the fleeting nature of life and how we all continue to soar... until that time comes to an end. Superunknown then fades, leaving listeners with something to ponder.

One of the defining albums of the '90s, Superunknown has withstood time and continues to resonate with younger music fans like myself, as well as those who were with Soundgarden in its Seattle infancy. Although Soundgarden wasn't seeking mainstream success, the band stayed true to themselves and put craft above all else, which led to an album that changed music history.