Soundgarden Explored Their Own Rage In "Louder Than Love"

It's the end of May, which means the end of our Chris Cornell remembrance series for our Throwback Reviews, and we're topping it off with one of his rawest records. Soundgarden explored their own rage in Louder Than Love, their sophomore album that saw the transition between a more well-produced sound and their early angst.

The most striking aspect of Louder Than Love is its honest rawness. You can tell from the opening track 'Ugly Truth' that there's something special to this record. The immediately big vocals and great guitar work throughout the song shows off not only the band's abilities but their capability to truly be expressive. You really feel the anger in certain tracks, including the punk driven 'Full On Kevin's Mom' and the dark and brooding 'No Wrong No Right' with its giant drums in the intro and angry delivery.

Musically, Louder Than Love is pretty basic, but effective in what it does. There's groove, there's anger, and about everything else you'd expect from grunge. 'Hands All Over' delivers some groovy riffs, whereas 'Get On The Snake' is more immense with big riffs. Cornell really shows what he's got with 'Power Trip,' his vocals taking on a pure rock 'n' roll vibe with simply epic delivery. 'Loud Love' features more of Cornell's powerful voice taking center. Everyone shines on this record, especially Cornell.

Soundgarden explored their own rage in Louder Than Love, showing off the best of what they had to offer as they transitioned into the beloved band they became. A year has passed since Chris Cornell passed, but revisiting his music shows that he did not leave without a legacy. His music, beyond everything else, was real emotion. And that will never change.

Favorite Track: Power Trip

Least Favorite Track: Full On Kevin's Mom

Rating: 77 / 100

Stream or buy Louder Than Love on Apple Music, and follow our Throwback Playlist on Spotify: