Scream isn’t proof he’s done anything he didn’t want, especially when you consider that he has always said that r&b/soul is his favourite music, and has always been the genre from which is favourite singers reside. This could be him trying his hand at that willingly. He didn’t cover Billie Jean because someone forced him to.

Secondly, influence or not, none of those were metal albums and he’s not a metal vocalist, AT ALL. Never was. Range, clarity and power? Prince, again, has all of that over Cornell. Is he metal? No, not at all. It doesn’t matter where Cornell’s vocal influences reach, or what his music has influenced, it doesn’t make him a metal musician or his vocals metal vocals.

There’s literally no good reason for any of it.

As for Reznor, ok so he has been on MTV a few times. He clearly has always been anti-mainstream bullshit, hasn’t he? He’s always levelled critique at that kind of cookie-cutter music and shit. So, to see him appear on Popworld UK, miming to The Hand That Feeds, was quite sell-outish. I doubt he wanted to do that.

Didn’t read like it….

If you have proof of this, factual proof and not bitter speculation

Dude, you can’t get any more clearer proof than Cornell’s latest flop.

If not, I won’t level such an accusation at the man.

Yet, you’ll level your speculative accusations against Trent Reznor. Why is that okay?

I don’t ever recall Mr. Reznor being “Anti-Mainstream”. If I remember correctly, which I know I do, NIN was Anti-Corruption,Anti-Religion, Anti-Fascism…But, NOT “Anti-Mainstream”. His earlier material was very edgy & explicit and I congratulate (the old) MTV for playing his videos.

Chris Cornell has never been a metal vocalist.

What?! I don’t even know how to respond to such an ignorant statement. His vocal styling was a huge influence to the Metal genre. Even though they were considered “Grunge” and, thus, the time period for which Soundgarden was most successful, the album, which you have mentioned, was most certainly METAL…PERIOD! That album,imho,sparked a whole new appreciation for Metal in the midst of the anti-glam movement. I think it also influenced the approach to Stoner/Southern Metal like C.O.C’s “Deliverance”. BUT, to say that Chris Cornell was never a Metal vocalist is absolutely ridiculous…

As for his career decisions, I agree with you… He can do whatever he wants & I’ve never been against anyone’s freedom. BUT, that doesn’t mean that people should hide behind the “subjectivity” defense when artists we loved at one point make bad decisions. Personally, I think it’s because of who he is surrounded by….

1) Irrelevant. 2) Doesn’t…really work.

Chris Cornell sold out? Sell out meaning to do something you do not want to do for the means of fame and money? If you have proof of this, factual proof and not bitter speculation, I’ll stand behind you and back you up. If not, I won’t level such an accusation at the man.

Trent is worse because, unlike Chris, he put out this image of being Mr. Anti-Mainstream only to throw it down the drain for a quick buck. If anyone’s the sellout, it’s him. If ANYONE.

Chris Cornell has never been a metal vocalist. If screaming is how you determine a metal vocalist, then Prince is as metal as Jake Bannon, and that’s not true, no matter how much Prince fucking rules as a musician.

Like I said before, he’ll either pursue this avenue some more, in which case we’re not obliged to support him or listen, or he’ll try something else. In which case it’ll be good or it won’t.

Even more comedic is the fact that you think attaining commercial success on your own merit[NIN] is just as bad or worse than pretending to be something you are not just to make a buck[Cornell]… In other words(here we go) to SELL OUT!!

Go listen to Badmotorfinger, has it got worse because Scream is poor?

Good point… I guess I meant to say he is tarnishing his reputation as a Metal vocalist. I mean, he can’t scream like he used to but he still has some capability left and shouldn’t be wasting his talent on this schlock…

Even more comedic is the “Keep tarnishing your Soundgarden days.” comment. He’s not tarnishing them is he? Go listen to Badmotorfinger, has it got worse because Scream is poor? No. Stop being a shit-tard.

More importantly, anyone remember how the only reason that piece of shit excuse for a record got out of the studio as NIN’s return after 6 years, was because Trent Reznor wanted to make sure it wasn’t a FINANCIAL flop, thus the accessibility and watered down nature of it?

Remember when, after spending a career of being Mr. Anti-Mainstream/Pro-Integrity, he appeared on Popworld UK performing, I think, Only?

Remember when Trent attached himself to the underbelly of anyone who was independently cool, like Saul Williams?

Remember The Fragile? Yeah. Kind of his only worthwhile album, ever. STILL could do with an edit, and has done nothing AS good before or since (Yes, I’m suggesting that The Downward Spiral isn’t a gift from God).

Remember what happened when Trent Reznor used Radiohead’s online sales ideas and therefore thought he was now the mack daddy of musical freedom and pioneering?

I do. He because a pretentious wanker. He has the right to his opinion, but the fact is, people can level similar accusations at him.

And his music still sucks.

Seriously, I’d still rather listen to Scream.