King Ultramega Honors Chris Cornell

0:00It's April 2nd. This is Music News Today, driven by AI following the sound in real time. Chris Cornell left us back in May 2017 at age 52, but his voice from Soundgarden, audio slave and temple of the dog still echoes. Strong. Now a new project called King Ultra Mega is keeping that fire alive with covers by big names like mastodon, Allison Chains and even Soundgarden's own. Kim Fale. Basis Mark Mengi, a lifelong fan, started it all to raise cash for music heirs, the charity helping musicians with mental health and addiction, recovery. It kicked off during lockdown when Mengi linked with mastodon's Bill Kelliger for a jam on Soundgarden's Rusty Cage from their 91 album, Bad Motor Finger, Anthrax Drummer, Charlie Bonante jumped in and Allison Chains singer William DuVall handled vocals. They sent it to Daio who loved it enough to add an intro to the video, giving it his stamp of approval. Mengi felt the weight of Cornell's legacy, though,

1:01so the projects had dormant for four years. He worried about matching that unmatched voice in songwriting. Fans get why few try covering Cornell, as tough to capture that raw power without a feeling forced. Daio nudged him back into gear and now it's rolling with the deal from reigning Phoenix music. They dropped Rusty Cage again in July 2025, then audio slaves, be yourself in September featuring Joe Satriani and Kenny Arnoff. October brought Temple of the Dog, say hello, to heaven with Richie Kotzen and Soundgarden's the day I try to live with the Yale and Alyssa. White glizz, all proceeds fuel real hell for struggling artists, reminding everyone you're not alone. With a full debut album dropping later this year, King Ultramega honors Cornell by turning grief into something that heals.