Chris Cornell was recently honoured with a tribute from a raft of talented musicians who came together to form the new King Ultramega supergroup, debuting with a cover of Rusty Cage.
At the forefront of King Ultramega is Alice in Chains vocalist William DuVall, joined by Mastodon‘s Bill Kelliher handling guitars, Anthrax and Pantera‘s Charlie Benante on drums, while Metal Allegiance’s Mark Menghi serves as bassist and mastermind for the project.
“I just leaned into my love for the song and my immense respect for Chris,” DuVall of the cover. “Since the instrumental track Bill, Charlie, and Mark sent hewed so closely to the original, I thought it best for me to stay in that ballpark as well.”
Menghi, the bassist and mastermind of the project revealed that it started back during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“There is not a singular moment in time that led to this project,” explained Menghi. “It was a trail of events that led to the formation of King Ultramega and the evolving creation to pay tribute to the voice of a generation.”
In addition, DuVall shared why he became part of the project, saying. “My reason for participating was simply taking on an interesting challenge when so much of the world was shut down.”
“I had no thoughts or ambitions for this beyond our posting it on social media five years ago. But if this release can help further the good work done by MusiCares, then I’m all for it,” he added.
The series will feature songs from across Cornell’s career, with selections taken from his work with Soundgarden, Audioslave, and his own solo catalog.
Moreover, every track will help raise fund and awarness for MusiCares, with future appearances confirmed from artists such as Joe Satriani, Alissa White-Gluz, and Kenny Aronoff.
