Alternative rock collective King Ultramega, featuring members of Alice In Chains, Anthrax, Mastodon, and Soundgarden, have released a haunting instrumental rendition of the Audioslave classic “Be Yourself.” The track honours Chris Cornell’s legacy while raising funds and awareness for MusiCares — the Recording Academy’s nonprofit providing mental health, addiction recovery, and emergency services for the music community.
“Be Yourself” features guitar legend Joe Satriani, whose soaring lead work mirrors Cornell’s vocal phrasing and emotional intensity. With crystalline tones, tasteful vibrato and subtle pedal work, Satriani transforms the song into a moving instrumental homage, proving that the heart of Audioslave’s composition transcends words.
Satriani reflects:
“[Chris Cornell] was a brilliant vocalist and communicator. He often used his voice like an instrument, shaping the tone of his voice like a guitarist would finesse riffs and phrases. I took a deep dive into his magical sensibilities and came up with a multi-tracked guitar production approach that I felt would pay proper homage to his brilliance.”
The concept originated with bassist, producer, and King Ultramega founder Mark Menghi, who envisioned a faithful yet reimagined version that allowed Satriani to channel Cornell’s spirit through guitar. Menghi kept the bass parts close to the original, anchoring the performance alongside Kenny Aronoff — a drummer Rolling Stone named among the greatest of all time. Known for his work with The Rolling Stones, The Smashing Pumpkins, Paul McCartney, and John Fogerty, Aronoff delivers a powerful, emotionally resonant groove that underpins Satriani’s melodies.
Menghi recalls:
“I remember like it was yesterday, I was on a run through some crazy trail, just zoning out and the original song came on through my headphones. As I was running, I remember hearing Chris sing ‘to be yourself is all that you can do.’ It was like he was talking to me… then I thought to myself, ‘I can totally hear this as an instrumental a-la Satch style.’ My hope is that whomever is listening to this song hears Chris over Joe’s guitar and understands that we are paying homage to Chris with our take on this tune.”
Aronoff adds:
“I listened to ‘Be Yourself’ over and over again, absorbing the lyrics and the feel and vibe of this song, then I recorded my drums. Their recording had an emotional impact on me and that had a big effect on my performance.”
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