Soundgarden and the Chris Cornell estate have settled their yearslong legal dispute, allowing the band’s final recordings with the late singer to see the light of day.
“Soundgarden and Vicky Cornell, on behalf of the Estate of Chris Cornell, are happy to announce they have reached an amicable out-of-court resolution,” both parties wrote in a shared Instagram post. “The reconciliation marks a new partnership between the two parties, which will allow Soundgarden fans around the world to hear the final songs that the band and Chris were working on.
“The two parties are united and coming together to propel, honor and build upon Soundgarden’s incredible legacy as well as Chris’s indelible mark on music history as one of the greatest songwriters and vocalists of all time,” they concluded.
Vicky Cornell sued Soundgarden and accused the band of withholding royalties owed to Chris Cornell’s family in December 2019, two and a half years after the singer died by suicide at age 52. The initial lawsuit described an “unlawful attempt to strong-arm Chris’ Estate into turning over certain audio recordings created by Chris before he passed away.”
Soundgarden countersued Vicky in May 2020, alleging that she used the funds from a 2019 tribute concert for personal means. The band claimed her “representation was false, or exhibited recklessness and negligence as to its truth or falsity, for the purpose and intent of inducing Soundgarden into agreeing to perform at the Cornell Concert without compensation.” Vicky’s lawyer, in turn, claimed Soundgarden did get paid for their performance and called their suit “salacious, scurrilous and vicious.”
With the acrimony behind them, Soundgarden and Vicky Cornell can now prepare for the release of seven songs that the late singer reportedly recorded at his studio in 2017. According to Rolling Stone, Chris Cornell is credited as the sole author of “Cancer” and “Stone Age Mind,” while he collaborated with drummer Matt Cameron on “Road Less Traveled,” “Orphans” and “At Ophians Door”; guitarist Kim Thayil on “Ahead of the Dog”; and bassist Ben Shepherd on “Merrmas.”
Soundgarden released their most recent studio album, King Animal, in 2012, marking their first studio effort since 1996’s Down on the Upside. The band did not announce a release date for the final Cornell recordings.