Soundgarden founding member and guitarist Kim Thayil has confirmed the release of his memoir titled ‘A Screaming Life: Into The Superunknown With Soundgarden And Beyond’ arriving May 19, 2026, via William Morrow. This book documents the band’s progression from the Seattle punk club circuit to their status as global rock icons. Thayil provides a factual account of how he and bandmates Hiro Yamamoto, Ben Shepherd, Matt Cameron, and Chris Cornell navigated the challenges of the nineties alternative rock era. The narrative specifically examines how his Indian heritage and Yamamoto’s Japanese background influenced the band’s identity and their experiences within the music industry. This work stands as a vital historical record of a group that redefined the boundaries of heavy music.
The memoir explores the creative process behind the band’s era-defining sound and their involvement with underground subcultures after Thayil and Yamamoto moved from Chicago to Seattle as idealistic youths. Thayil spent several years compiling these stories to offer a behind-the-scenes perspective on the formation of Soundgarden and their subsequent cultural impact. The text covers the technical aspects of their musicianship alongside the personal triumphs that defined their career. By detailing the evolution of their songwriting and stage presence, the book offers a concrete look at the transformation of a local scene into a worldwide phenomenon. This story is a powerful and essential document of a guitarist who helped shape the landscape of modern rock.