Scream

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Rock icon reinvents himself with gloomy hip-hop CD.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

Find out more

Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

Find out more

Parents say

Not yet rated

Kids say

Not yet rated

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that aside from a couple of swear words here and there, the lyrics contain nothing overtly shocking. However, most songs deal with dark themes that reflect Cornell's battle with depression -- pretty dark territory.


What's the story?

On his new CD, SCREAM, '90s grunge-rock legend Chris Cornell -- frontman of metal supergroup Soundgarden -- attempts to reinvent himself as a more mainstream artist with a hip-hop flair. To help his cause, Cornell recruited hip-hop producing titan Timbaland, who's also produced records for the likes of Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z, Missy Elliott, and many other megastars. Lots of longtime Chris Cornell fans have dismissed this record as a
joke, rejecting the subdued vocals and hip-hop beats that have replaced
Cornell's signature screeching over a heavy metal sound.


Is it any good?

 

While any artist should have the creative license to experiment, one as well-known as Cornell should be darn sure such a drastic switch is going to work -- and Scream doesn't. Aside from the fact that it's just plain strange to hear Cornell like this, his vocals aren't strong enough to carry off the scrutiny that a less thunderous genre like hip-hop invites. Cornell's subpar performance even takes the shine out of Timbaland's typically solid rhythms.

Though the album is nowhere near as risque as early Soundgarden
releases like "Big Dumb Sex," its overwhelmingly gloomy lyrics (for
example: "It's been a long lonely road, I didn't know which way to go /
You made my blood run cold, and filled me up with sorrow") will be better handled by mature teens.


Sign Up Message
Sign up for our weekly newsletter
Each week we send a customized newsletter to our parent and teen subscribers. Parents can customize their settings to receive recommendations and parent tips based on their kids’ ages. Teens receive a version just for them with the latest reviews and top picks for movies, video games, apps, music, books, and more.
Please enter an email address.
Please check your email address for possible typos.
Sorry, you must be 13 or older to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Sign me up!

What families can talk about

Families can talk about how writing down your feelings -- no matter how sad they are -- can actually make you feel better. Why do you think that certain creative pursuits, like writing and playing music, can have a positive effect on a person's well-being?


This review was written by Stephanie Bruzzese

There aren't any reviews yet. Be the first to review this title below.


This review was written by Stephanie Bruzzese
Artist:Chris Cornell
Release date:March 10, 2009
Label:Interscope Records
Genre:Alternative Rock
Parental advisory:No

This review was written by Stephanie Bruzzese
 

Review It

Share your review with others

Hang on! You need to be a member to post your review.
A safe community is important to us. Please observe our guidelines.
About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

Great alternatives handpicked by our editors

 

vote now

Will you add Scream to your playlist?


Already listened to it? What do you think?

 

Been There? Tell us about it