Controversy had been swirling around Chris Cornell’s new album Scream long before it debuted last month. The lead singer for Soundgarden and Audioslave—as well as a respected solo artist—Cornell has built his reputation as a heavy medal frontman whose high-pitched, lacerating vocals offer easy comparisons to rock greats like Robert Plant and Roger Daltrey. When Cornell announced that he was teaming up with R&B producer Timbaland—who has created hits for artists as diverse Missy Elliott and Madonna, Jay-Z and Justin Timberlake —many of Cornell’s diehard fans seemed confused, if not outright hostile, about this new direction. What was this grunge icon doing with this slick hip-hop maestro, and what kind of sound would they create?

Scream is the result of this musical collaboration, and an odd album it is. Gone are the rock guitar licks of Cornell’s previous work, replaced here with drum machine beats, funky bass lines and washes of orchestration. Cornell has said that Scream is his most “album-oriented album,” and each track, with the help of some extended digital noodling, flows seamlessly into the next.

Conceptually, the album works as a whole, but there are too many ideas going on, too much technical trickery and bits of overblown orchestration to make it a pleasurable listen. Timbaland, who never does anything half-way, has densely layered each song, adding blips and squeaks or bloating the choruses to the point of obscuring Cornell’s voice. From the dance pulse of “Sweet Revenge” to the noisy ballad of “Never Far Away,” Timbaland either multi-tracks or Vocodes Cornell’s voice into an electronic whine, never giving the expansive singer free reign.

The album’s best track is the most minimal. “Ground Zero,” a post 9/11 lament, uses hand claps, box beats and street noises to create a nuanced, melodic sound. It’s the perfect example of what can be achieved with a little restraint.

It’s rewarding to see an artist break out of his comfort zone and take on new challenges. Scream is a noble experiment with mixed results. Here’s hoping that Cornell’s next approach will be more successful.  

By Robert Rossiello