Alternative rock collective King Ultramega, featuring members of Alice In Chains, Anthrax, Mastodon, and Soundgarden, have unveiled an emotional new rendition of the Temple Of Dog classic, “Say Hello 2 Heaven”, featuring Richie Kotzen on vocals and guitar.
King Ultramega crafted this single in loving memory of legendary vocalist Chris Cornell, while raising funds and awareness for MusiCares. MusiCares is the Recording Academy’s nonprofit that provides mental health, addiction recovery, and emergency services to those in the music community.
Originally written by Chris Cornell as a tribute to Mother Love Bone vocalist Andrew Wood, King Ultramega members Richie Kotzen, Charlie Benante, and Mark Menghi have now reinterpreted “Say Hello 2 Heaven” in memory of Chris Cornell. Richie Kotzen lends his soulful, expressive vocal delivery to the reimagined version of the song, imbuing it with deep personal meaning. Kotzen’s performance prioritizes emotional expression over technical preparation, resulting in an honest and moving interpretation of the music.
“I lost my sister to suicide in 2022, and that kind of loss changes how you experience certain songs,” Kotzen comments. “It’s not something I set out to bring into the session, but it showed up. That’s when it stopped feeling like just a tribute and became something more personal.”
Bassist and mastermind Mark Menghi knew that “Say Hello 2 Heaven” would become an integral piece of King Ultramega from the start, due to its lyrical message. Menghi chose to keep the song’s arrangement and structure almost identical to the original, but the band took some creative liberties in lending R&B/soul-inspired stylings to the music.
Menghi comments, “The lyrical message in ‘Say Hello 2 Heaven’ strikes a chord when you think back on how Chris wrote about Andrew‘s untimely passing, and here we are over 30 years later paying tribute to Chris with his song about his untimely passing. It’s an emotional rollercoaster to say the least.”
Anthrax‘s drummer, Charlie Benante, immediately agreed to play on “Say Hello 2 Heaven” due to his personal connection with the song. As a longtime fan of Mother Love Bone, Benante considers “Say Hello 2 Heaven” to be one of his all-time favorite songs.
