Interview: King Ultramega's Mark Menghi

By Neil Shumate, OOTB Publications

After nine years, the music community remains heartbroken by the passing of a generation’s voice: Chris Cornell (Soundgarden, Audioslave, Temple Of The Dog) on May 18, 2017.

In remembrance of the late great vocalist/guitarist/lyricist, longtime Cornell fan and bassist/producer Mark Menghi (Metal Allegiance, BPMD) organized a star-studded supergroup tribute with many collaborators, named King Ultramega in 2020.

The project, honoring the legacy of Cornell, is partnered to raise funds and awareness for MusiCares—the Recording Academy’s nonprofit founded in 1989 that provides mental health services, addiction recovery support, and emergency assistance to members of the music community.

Thus far, King Ultramega contributing musicians have included: Kim Thayil (Soundgarden), Charlie Benante (Anthrax), Joe Satriani, William DuVall (Alice In Chains), Bill Kelliher (Mastadon), Alissa White-Gluz (Arch Enemy), Brann Dailor (Mastodon), Kenny Aronoff, Ian Thornley (Big Wreck), Richie Kotzen and Menghi himself, among many others for reimaginings of Cornell songs, including: “Be Yourself,” “Rusty Cage,” “The Day I Tried To Live,” “Dead Wishes,” “Say Hello 2 Heaven.”

Most recently, Menghi joined forces on bass with Lzzy Hale (Halestorm) leading on vocals, Alex Skolnick (Testament, Metal Allegiance) on guitars and drums by Dave Krusen (Pearl Jam) for the song “Loud Love” (Reigning Phoenix Music), originally released in 1989 on Soundgarden’s second studio album: Louder Than Love.

On producing the song, Menghi, 51, took on an old school analogue approach and the song was mixed and mastered by Josh Wilbur (Korn, Lamb Of God, Gojira, Parkway Drive). The cover artwork design is by Menghi and the music video is by Tom Flynn (Lamb Of God).

Menghi took time out for this extensive OOTB Interview to share insight on the new song and he discusses mental health in music, reveals his Top Three cover songs and previews what’s next for King Ultramega.

The new single is phenomenal! How did this particular collaborative lineup all come together?

Thank you! I’m incredibly proud of how this one turned out.

The lineup for "Loud Love" really exemplifies the whole spirit behind King Ultramega. The foundation of this entire project has always been about old friendships, mutual respect, and a shared reverence for Chris Cornell’s genius.

Lzzy Hale was someone I knew had the absolute powerhouse vocals required to even attempt a song like this. She doesn’t just sing; she completely channels that raw, emotional grit that Chris possessed, while totally making it her own.

Then you have Dave Krusen on drums—having the guy who literally played on Pearl Jam's Ten anchoring the rhythm section with me on bass gives the track this immediate, undeniable Pacific Northwest DNA.

Getting to lock in with him and feel that specific groove was unbelievable.

Then, of course, there is my Metal Allegiance [MA] band-mate Mr. Alex Skolnick. We just locked in and recorded live… we know each other well from writing all that MA music together.

We all just clicked because everyone entered the room with the exact same mindset: How do we honor Chris's legacy the right way?

Why did you choose to cover “Loud Love” in particular?

“Loud Love” is just a masterpiece of a track. It’s heavy, it’s soulful, and historically, it was really the song that broke Soundgarden to a much wider audience on MTV back in the Louder Than Love era.

When I was a kid, hearing that opening guitar feedback and that driving bassline completely shifted my perspective on what heavy music could be. It has this slinky, swaggering groove that is an absolute blast to play on bass.

For King Ultramega, I wanted to make sure we weren't just covering the massive radio hits, but also paying tribute to the foundational tracks that established Chris’s legendary status. "Loud Love" was the perfect statement piece for that.

What are a few of your favorite cover songs, by which artists and why those songs?

Man, that’s a great question.

For me, a truly great cover isn't just a carbon copy—it has to respect the original while completely injecting the new artist's unique DNA into the track. That is my goal with doing all these tunes for King Ultramega.

How can I inject my creative vision into an already brilliant track?

Three that absolutely nailed that balance for me are:

“Planet Caravan" by Pantera (originally by Black Sabbath)

This one is brilliant because of the sheer contrast. You take a band known for inventing the blueprint for aggressive, skull-crushing groove metal, and instead of weaponizing the track, they leaned entirely into Sabbath's psychedelic, trippy, atmospheric side. It showed the world the incredible depth and dynamics they possessed as musicians. Dimebag’s solo on that version is pure magic.

“Rusty Cage" by Johnny Cash (originally by Soundgarden)

This is the ultimate example of a legendary artist completely reinterpreting a song's core emotion. Soundgarden’s original is defined by those jagged, heavy, weird time-signature riffs. Johnny Cash stripped all of that away, slowed it down to a haunting country-blues stomp, and let his gravelly voice give the lyrics a completely new, menacing weight. Chris himself said Cash did it justice, and it’s a masterclass in songwriting longevity.

“Crossroads" by Cream (originally by Robert Johnson)

This is where Delta blues evolved into the heavy rock explosion. Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, and Ginger Baker took Robert Johnson’s acoustic-blues standard and supercharged it into a high-octane, electric power-trio tour de force. The phrasing, the energy, and that legendary bass groove by Jack Bruce completely redefined how musicians approached traditional blues songs from that point forward.

Taking into consideration mental health advocacy, if you feel comfortable, can you please share a time in your life, either personally or musically, that there was a conflict and how you coped?

This is something very close to my heart, and it’s a massive reason why King Ultramega partners so closely with MusiCares, to raise funds and awareness for mental health services.

In the music industry, there is an immense amount of pressure—whether it's the exhaustion of touring, the vulnerability of creating, the social media commentary or managing the complex logistics of coordinating massive musical projects and lineups.

There have absolutely been times in my musical life where the stress, the sleepless nights, and the sheer weight of expectations created a real internal conflict and burnout.

For me, coping started with breaking the stigma of silence. Musicians are often expected to just "tough it out" or wear their exhaustion like a badge of honor; but, learning to step back, communicate openly with my circle, and lean on my family was crucial.

Music itself is a therapeutic outlet, but you have to take care of the human behind the instrument first.

That’s why organizations like MusiCares are vital—they provide a safety net for creators who are struggling in silence, ensuring they have the mental health and addiction recovery resources they need when the pressure gets to be too much.

What are your next goals, plans or any teasers (possible future collabs?) for King Ultramega after this release?

The train definitely isn't stopping here!

We are actually just three tracks away from completing the full 10-song tribute album.

I can’t give away too much just yet, but I can tell you that next month’s single is going to absolutely blindside people and turn heads, in a good way...

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Just a massive thank you to everyone who has supported King Ultramega so far. Every stream, every LP purchase, every share, and every conversation helps keep Chris Cornell's timeless brilliance alive while directly funding MusiCares' mission to support the music community.

Go blast "Loud Love" today, turn it up as loud as it goes, and remember to check in on your friends.

Loud love to you all!

Watch “Loud Love” Video