Been Away Too Long

It’s been a whopping 16 years since we’ve heard anything new from Chris Cornell’s first musical love, a fact that’s clearly not lost on the hardest working man in rock, as he bellows out, ‘I’ve been away for too long!’ in a ferocious, impatient snarl. Soundgarden’s returning single is about as subtle as the outrageously macho title they’ve chosen for their forthcoming sixth album King Animal, but in this case at least, the bombastry mostly works in the foursome’s favour. ‘Been Away Too Long’ is a crunchy, plundering number that walks a fine line between predictable and classic.