Soundgarden’s New Album to Drop in ‘Early 2012′

Soundgarden keep teasing fans with hits at a new album dropping "soon," and now, the guys have announced the new collection should -- in theory -- drop in the first part of 2012.

"There's no timeline, except that our target — roughly — is early 2012," he told SeattleWeekly.com about the follow-up to 1996's 'Down on the Upside.' "We are focused on this tour and these shows and we have a few dates in October, but in the interim, we'll do some studio work. We have a few more guitars to do and some vocals. And some of the songs are still being arranged"

He added that the guys want to "make sure it's absolutely the most satisfying for us, and put the best foot forward that we can put."

Of course, the question in everybody's mind: Why did Soundgarden decide now was the best time to reunite?

To that, Thayil says he has no idea.

"I ask myself that question. I think it's one of those things that just fell back into our laps," he said. "We initially were attending to shared properties, both financial and legal, and from mainly there we realized there was an absence of online presence in terms of a website or Facebook... we kind of had neglected our merchandise over the last decade. Our catalog had been neglected. I was constantly meeting people who now had junior-high-aged kids who had learned instruments and learned [to play via Soundgarden].

"We agreed to start a website and have Ten Club handle it-- Tim Bierman who handles Pearl Jam's stuff. So it started from that."