UMUR
Ultramega OK is the debut full-length studio album by US, Seattle based alternative hard rock/ metal act Soundgarden. The album was released in November 1988 by SST. I´ve been a Soundgarden fan for years, but somehow I´ve never had the opportunity to purchase or listen to Ultramega OK before now.
The music on the album is alternative hard rock. There´s a loose/ sloopy atmosphere on the album that´s without a doubt intentional. The band are also very interested in making noise. The unforgettable melodic material and recognisable hooks of later albums are not really present here. The production is kind of garage recording sounding, and while productions like that can be great, I can´t say the sound enhances my listening experience when it comes to the music on this album. Lead vocalist Chris Cornell are more restrained and not as confident as on later albums. It´s still obvious that the guy had a great vocal talent already this early in his career though.
...so this is the kind of album I´m glad to have heard because it´s an important early alternative rock/ metal album, but my personal enjoyment is limited. There´s a huge difference between the music on Ultramega OK and the music on Louder Than Love (1989) and it´s actually quite interesting how much the band developed in just one year. a 2.5 star rating is warranted.