After a 13-year break, Soundgarden is releasing its new album through the Guitar Hero video game series – and its frontman believes it’s the perfect way to reintroduce the band to a new generation.

“In the obvious way, it’s going to reach a certain amount of younger people that either may or may not know about Soundgarden,” frontman Chris Cornell said in a recent interview.

“No matter what, I feel like releasing it this way is going to reach a lot of people who have not heard our music or have not heard a lot of it.

Telephantasm is a retrospective CD that features some of the grunge band’s biggest hits from its 1990s heyday, as well as unreleased cuts.

It was released this week as part of Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock. It’s being touted as the first time a new album has been released in conjunction with a video game; it’s already been declared platinum, based on the games shipped. It will be released this week as a traditional CD.

Cornell said this isn’t the first time Soundgarden has had its music featured in a video game, but this new partnership is a rarity, and the Guitar Hero partnership is the perfect marriage.

“I thought about doing this ever since I’ve heard about the game and what it is. I think the musical arrangements lend itself so well to what the video game is,” the 46-year-old singer said.

Until next time keep rockin’
The 0800 Jukebox crew.
www.0800jukebox.co.nz