Chris Cornell tribute project King Ultramega has released a new reimagining of the Soundgarden deep cut Birth Ritual. Originally featured on the 1992 Singles movie soundtrack, the new rendition features original Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron alongside bassist and producer Mark Menghi, accompanied by Halestorm vocalist Lzzy Hale and guitarist Joe Hottinger.

The track marks the second time a founding member of Soundgarden has contributed to the King Ultramega project, following Kim Thayil’s previous appearance on their cover of The Day I Tried to Live. Performed in the original song’s unconventional guitar tuning, the new arrangement pairs Cameron and Menghi’s rhythm section with Hottinger’s guitar leads—tracked using Bogner Snorkler and Wizard Hell Razor amplifiers—and Hale’s multi-octave vocal delivery.

Bassist and producer Mark Menghi comments on the project’s specific scope and homage to the film:

“King Ultramega has become more than a cover project; it feels like a living tribute to Chris Cornell’s entire creative spirit. If you notice the trend of King Ultramega releases thus far, we cover all aspects of Chris’ career—spanning different albums, bands and solo records—with no more than one song from any given release. Birth Ritual was originally featured on the legendary Singles movie soundtrack, and it has always been one of my favorite Soundgarden songs. It was important to me to give a tip of the cap to a phenomenal film—which Chris famously cameos in—and a soundtrack that perfectly defined that entire era.”

Drummer Matt Cameron notes the balance between updating the track and respecting the original’s structure:

“The overall intensity of the song still hits home for me. It’s a nice modern update, but still sounds true to the original. The chorus on the tribute version sounds amazing, Lzzy crushed the vocals and the guitars and bass are perfect.”

Birth Ritual is available now across all major digital music and streaming platforms.