Chris Cornell: Ranking Every Album From Worst To Best

Soundgarden's triumphant return kicks off with a jam that, in spirit at least, is similar to the beginning of Pearl Jam's Backspacer. It would be disingenuous to suggest that the aptly-titled "Been Away Too Long" is anything resembling party music, but it's certainly a little slicker with a surprisingly upbeat riff. 

This is largely a fluke, though, as the rest of the album quickly dips back into the reassuringly heavy territory the band became known for in the 90s. All of the old staples are here: the downtempo dirges, the winding psychedelia, and the effervescent pops of energetic hard rock.

Some have criticized Soundgarden's later albums for adhering to a stricter formula, and that becomes a pretty valid analysis when listening to King Animal drift through the same peaks and valleys they'd hit on Superunknown. This time around, those dips are less thrilling, but that doesn't detract from how solid the individual songs are.

Standout tracks include the funky menace of "Non-State Actor" and the downright evil, devil-horns flashing "Blood on the Valley Floor."