Scream (by Chris Cornell, Alternative Rock)

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.

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.

Released on: March 10, 2009
Label: Interscope Records
Genre: Alternative Rock