King Ultramega, the all-star collective dedicated to celebrating the musical legacy of the late Chris Cornell, has released a new cover in its ongoing tribute series. Spearheaded by Mark Menghi (Metal Allegiance), the project has unveiled a cover of “Preaching The End Of The World,” a standout track from Cornell‘s 1999 solo debut, Euphoria Morning.
Like previous releases from the collective—which have featured members of Soundgarden, Anthrax, and Mastodon—this latest recording aims to raise funds and awareness for the charity MusiCares.
For this rendition, Menghi assembled a formidable group of musicians. Vocal duties are handled by Ian Thornley, frontman of the Canadian rock band Big Wreck. The instrumental backing is provided by legendary drummer Kenny Aronoff, keyboardists Dave Kerzner and Frank Mitaritonna, and guitarist Pete Thorn, a notable inclusion given his history as a member of Cornell‘s touring band.
Each member of the ensemble offered their thoughts on the collaboration and the impact of the original song.
Ian Thornley expressed his enthusiasm for reconnecting with his countryman:
“Pete Thorn is a dear friend and fellow Canadian who I know played with Chris Cornell for many years. He’s a great musician, and we’re always looking for projects to do together, so it was a quick ‘yes’ from me.”
Drumming icon Kenny Aronoff shared his admiration for both the project organizer and the source material:
“I wanted to be part of this project because I know Mark was involved, and I’ve always been a huge fan of anything Chris Cornell on so many levels. ‘Preaching The End Of The World’ is an amazingly beautiful song, and Chris’s vocal performance is one of the most passionate and emotional vocal performances I have ever heard.”
Project leader Mark Menghi discussed his personal connection to the lyrics and his specific production vision for this cover:
“It’s a song about loneliness and searching for connection, something I can relate to. Just listen to the lyrics of this song. Chris is authentic, emotional, and vulnerable.”
“When I chose this song for King Ultramega, I had a late 60s Beatles production vibe in mind. I tried to honor what made Chris’s original recording so special, not only instrumentally but in the production as well.”
Guitarist Pete Thorn offered a touching memory of performing the song live with Cornell years ago:
“‘Preaching The End Of The World‘ is a beautiful song that I always enjoyed performing with Chris during my time on tour with him. I remember a show in Tel Aviv where he talked about writing it during a dark time, but ended by saying, ‘but I made it!’ I always think about that in a positive way. He made it for a long time, and we should all be thankful for that.”
