Opening with the aptly-titled lead single “Been Away Too Long,” Soundgarden’s new album, “King Animal,” is their sixth studio album and first full album of new material in 16 years. Despite the absence, the album reaffirms the powerful musical blueprint the band has generated over the years, picking up right where it left off at its peak in the ‘90s.

“King Animal” is not simply rehashed, leftover Seattle grunge music. This album doesn’t thrust the band into any form of new musical territory, but rather it finds itself musically picking up where it left off and running with that sound in every possible direction. “King Animal” touches upon the wide palate of musical compositions that Soundgarden has effortlessly mastered and displays it with conviction and force. “King Animal” is all about the band reclaiming its rock and roll groove.

All the familiar sounds of Soundgarden’s eclectic musical career are on display but they don’t get lost in the nostalgia of times past. The new album is characterized by Soundgarden’s usual heavy riffs, psychedelic experimentation and moody hard rock seamlessly intertwined with punk influences. Chris Cornell’s siren vocals and Kim Thayil’s blistering guitar riffs effortlessly blend together and are complemented by the ever changing and complex time signatures of the rhythm section dominated by Matt Cameron’s crashing drums and Ben Shepherd’s thumping bass.

In “Been Away Too Long,” Soundgarden channels the hard-hitting, unbridled power of its early years. This war cry, affirming the band’s celebratory rebirth and return, provides three minutes of the band oscillating between mayhem and controlled melodic rhythm. This lead single comes roaring out of the gates focusing on the band’s hard rock roots.

The songs on “King Animal” cover the vast musical terrain of the band’s atypical rhythmic grunge flair. “By Crooked Steps” boasts an explosive drum section that is complemented by Thayil’s guitar riffs, which he masterfully echoes and repeats while sporadically lengthening and shortening its duration.

The band’s propensity and love of dangling and rapidly switching chords is showcased on the visual soundscape that is “Taree” and proves reminiscent of classic Soundgarden hits such as “Outshined” and “Rusty Cage.”

By the midway point the album begins to take on more of the band’s alternative sound that spawned such hits as “Black Hole Sun.” While musically, the album’s aggression and intensity diminishes, it still displays that unique Soundgarden mix.

“Blood on the Valley Floor” is an ethereal, lumbering piece. Its mid tempo pace and brash guitar work presents a heavy yet dense arrangement that twists about Cornell’s vocals. “Bones of Birds” is another haunting song that presents a strong and infectious eerie vibe.

All of Soundgarden’s uniqueness is tightly focused and presented on “King Animal.” The new album presents a much simpler Soundgarden than in the past, but it still boasts an uncompromising level of raw energy. The one downfall of “King Animal” is the band’s inclination to not push itself past familiar ground. Despite this lack of innovation, “King Animal” is still able to build upon Soundgarden’s legacy. It does not feel like a plodding retreat into full-blown nostalgia simply retracing the glory days. This is not an album from a band trying to recapture its old sound, but a musical endeavor that displays where the band stands right now and where it wants to go in the future. “King Animal” is an album that gives more and more with multiple listens. It exhibits the uniqueness and complexities that compose Soundgarden all while honoring the band’s roots. It is rock with a reminiscent feeling. The drawn-out hiatus may have been too long for fans, but Soundgarden is definitely back.

Essential Tracks:

“By Crooked Steps”, “Blood on The Valley Floor”, “Taree”, “Bones of Birds”