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Kim Thayils Memoir A Screaming Life Drops June 9, Offering Fresh Grunge Insights
On June 9, 2026, Soundgarden’s founding guitarist Kim Thayil unveiled his memoir, A Screaming Life: Into the Superunknown with Soundgarden and Beyond, offering a fresh lens on the Seattle grunge era.
Co‑written with journalist Adem Tepedelen, the book eschews a straightforward chronology in favor of a mosaic of memories that trace Thayil’s journey from Park Forest, Illinois, through the birth of the Seattle scene, the band’s meteoric rise, subsequent split, reunion, and the aftermath of Chris Cornell’s death.
The memoir first surfaced in 2025, when Harper Collins’ William Morrow imprint announced a May 19, 2026 release. The publisher ultimately shifted the date to June 9, 2026.
One of the memoir’s most intimate disclosures is Thayil’s synesthesia, a condition that lets him “associate colors and shapes with different words, letters, numbers….” He explains how the kaleidoscopic perception guided his songwriting, noting that a section might be rejected simply because it felt “purple” and clashed with other parts.
The book also brings to light a largely forgotten chapter of Soundgarden’s early studio work. Before the 1988 release of Ultramega OK, the band recorded an entire set of 10–12 tracks at Crow Recording Studio in Seattle while Scott Sundquist was still on drums. The self‑funded session, completed in roughly a week, was abandoned due to technical issues—chiefly a problematic kick drum. Thayil confirms that none of the tracks saw public release, with only a handful of friends hearing them, including a song titled “Beast.”
Thayil recounts that two other bands approached Chris Cornell in the late 1980s. Corrosion of Conformity, via Sub Pop, gauged Cornell’s interest in relocating to North Carolina, while Faith No More pursued him after firing original vocalist Chuck Mosley. Cornell declined both offers, choosing to remain in Seattle and continue with Soundgarden.
An unexpected side story involves Gene Simmons of KISS. In the early 1990s, Simmons called Thayil to ask if Soundgarden would contribute a cover to the tribute album Kiss My Ass: Classic KISS Regrooved. Thayil suggested “Parasite” from Hotter Than Hell, but Simmons countered with “War Machine” from Creatures of the Night. Thayil offered “Shock Me” as a playful alternative, but both Cornell and bassist Ben Shepherd rejected the idea. Thayil recalls Cornell’s smile, “Fuck no,” and Simmons’s subsequent calls, which did not change the band’s decision.
The memoir also traces the lineage of a riff that would later surface on Soundgarden’s 2012 album King Animal. Matt Cameron persuaded the group to revisit material from the 1990s, and Cornell had already penned lyrics for a riff Thayil had demoed during the Superunknown or Down on the Upside sessions. The result was the track “A Thousand Days Before” on King Animal.
In sum, A Screaming Life delivers a candid portrait of the creative and personal forces that shaped Soundgarden and the wider Seattle grunge movement. The memoir supplies fans and scholars with fresh context for the band’s artistic choices, internal dynamics, and the cultural backdrop of the 1980s and 1990s.
The book is now available in hardcover, paperback, and digital formats. While no new Soundgarden releases are on the horizon, the memoir’s arrival has reignited interest in the band’s catalog and the legacy of the Seattle scene.
Co‑written with journalist Adem Tepedelen, the book eschews a straightforward chronology in favor of a mosaic of memories that trace Thayil’s journey from Park Forest, Illinois, through the birth of the Seattle scene, the band’s meteoric rise, subsequent split, reunion, and the aftermath of Chris Cornell’s death.
The memoir first surfaced in 2025, when Harper Collins’ William Morrow imprint announced a May 19, 2026 release. The publisher ultimately shifted the date to June 9, 2026.
One of the memoir’s most intimate disclosures is Thayil’s synesthesia, a condition that lets him “associate colors and shapes with different words, letters, numbers….” He explains how the kaleidoscopic perception guided his songwriting, noting that a section might be rejected simply because it felt “purple” and clashed with other parts.
The book also brings to light a largely forgotten chapter of Soundgarden’s early studio work. Before the 1988 release of Ultramega OK, the band recorded an entire set of 10–12 tracks at Crow Recording Studio in Seattle while Scott Sundquist was still on drums. The self‑funded session, completed in roughly a week, was abandoned due to technical issues—chiefly a problematic kick drum. Thayil confirms that none of the tracks saw public release, with only a handful of friends hearing them, including a song titled “Beast.”
Thayil recounts that two other bands approached Chris Cornell in the late 1980s. Corrosion of Conformity, via Sub Pop, gauged Cornell’s interest in relocating to North Carolina, while Faith No More pursued him after firing original vocalist Chuck Mosley. Cornell declined both offers, choosing to remain in Seattle and continue with Soundgarden.
An unexpected side story involves Gene Simmons of KISS. In the early 1990s, Simmons called Thayil to ask if Soundgarden would contribute a cover to the tribute album Kiss My Ass: Classic KISS Regrooved. Thayil suggested “Parasite” from Hotter Than Hell, but Simmons countered with “War Machine” from Creatures of the Night. Thayil offered “Shock Me” as a playful alternative, but both Cornell and bassist Ben Shepherd rejected the idea. Thayil recalls Cornell’s smile, “Fuck no,” and Simmons’s subsequent calls, which did not change the band’s decision.
The memoir also traces the lineage of a riff that would later surface on Soundgarden’s 2012 album King Animal. Matt Cameron persuaded the group to revisit material from the 1990s, and Cornell had already penned lyrics for a riff Thayil had demoed during the Superunknown or Down on the Upside sessions. The result was the track “A Thousand Days Before” on King Animal.
In sum, A Screaming Life delivers a candid portrait of the creative and personal forces that shaped Soundgarden and the wider Seattle grunge movement. The memoir supplies fans and scholars with fresh context for the band’s artistic choices, internal dynamics, and the cultural backdrop of the 1980s and 1990s.
The book is now available in hardcover, paperback, and digital formats. While no new Soundgarden releases are on the horizon, the memoir’s arrival has reignited interest in the band’s catalog and the legacy of the Seattle scene.
