Signing to a major label, Soundgarden take a step toward the metal mainstream with Louder Than Love, a slow, grinding, detuned mountain of Sabbath/Zeppelin riffs and Chris Cornell wailing. The production is quite murky, as the rest of the band tries to poke its way through Kim Thayil's guitar squall. There are some essential Soundgarden items mi...

Signing to a major label, Soundgarden take a step toward the metal mainstream with Louder Than Love, a slow, grinding, detuned mountain of Sabbath/Zeppelin riffs and Chris Cornell wailing. The production is quite murky, as the rest of the band tries to poke its way through Kim Thayil's guitar squall. There are some essential Soundgarden items mixed in, among them the haunting "Hands All Over," the punky "Full on Kevin's Mom," and the stereotypically macho metal stupidity of "Big Dumb Sex," whose ironic intent is often misconstrued. It's certainly worthwhile to sift through Louder Than Love, but don't expect consistency. ~ Steve Huey, Rovi