It has been more than 15 years since Soundgarden’s last studio record. So how does the group fare on their highly anticipated studio return? Very well, in my opinion. Although they have shed most of the Black Sabbath worship from their past, King Animal sounds very much like a logical continuation of where they were musically headed prior to splitting up in 1997. Though the record is far from their musically heaviest, there is much more to be said for the consistency they can display after 15 years apart.