Artist Chris Cornell

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Chris Cornell

Fans of Chris Cornell can’t be that pissed. The forefather of moan-rock tried to warn them that his new album, Scream, was a significant departure from his days in Soundgarden and Audioslave: The cover features a man, presumably Cornell, smashing a guitar, as if to say, “To hell with everything I’ve done—who wants to dance?” Cornell worked with hip-hop/R&B super-producer Timbaland on Scream, and its electro-rock sounds as odd as you’d expect for a collaboration between Mr. “Black Hole Sun” and the guy responsible for Justin Timberlake’s “SexyBack.” Alt-rock guitar hero Bob Mould took a similar gamble—though on a much lower profile—with 2002’s Modulate, and fans revolted. Cornell should expect the same, as Scream is a cringe-inducing dud.

Updated 03/17/2009