Music
Chris Cornell’s Wife is Disputing Coroner’s Suicide Ruling
My childhood died yesterday when it was reported that Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell had passed away in Detroit at the age of 52. Bad news turned worse when we learned that his death is being investigated by Detroit Police as a “possible suicide”, with a further report adding that his death was ruled a suicide by hanging. The developing story became personal when stories surfaced this morning that his suicide may have been related to medication he was taking, which happened to one of my friends many years ago.
In a statement through their attorney, Chris Cornell’s family does not believe the Soundgarden and Audioslave singer knew “what he was doing” when he took his own life earlier this week in Detroit.
Via ABC News, Chris’s wife, Vicky, blames an accidental overdose on anxiety medication for pushing him to suicide:
“Chris, a recovering addict, had a prescription for Ativan and may have taken more Ativan than recommended dosages. The family believes that if Chris took his life, he did not know what he was doing and that drugs or other substances may have affected his actions,” family attorney Kirk Pasich stated early Friday morning in a press release.
Cornell’s wife Vicky added in the new statement that Chris spoke with her before his Detroit show on Wednesday night and “discussed plans for a vacation over Memorial Day and other things we wanted to do.”
She said that later, after the show, he was “slurring his words; he was different,” when she spoke to him. She said she wants to wait on the results of toxicology tests before drawing any conclusions.
“When he told me he may have taken an extra Ativan or two, I contacted security and asked that they check on him,” she said. “What happened is inexplicable, and I am hopeful that further medical reports will provide additional details. I know that he loved our children and he would not hurt them by intentionally taking his own life.”
This is a really, really big deal and there’s a huge difference between a premeditated suicide and one caused by medication. With the latter, the victim may not have been in their right mind and acting on impulse. Wrongly prescribed or over prescribed drugs could cause someone to do this, or not explaining the side effects of one could have the same end result. With Cornell being a high profile celebrity, and as someone who lost a loved one to the side effects of a medication, I can only hope this raises awareness of the overmedication problem we have in this country and seek to find people the help they need in a more controlled and safe way. But this is a conversation for another day. Today we mourn.
We learned a couple weeks back that the band Ice Nine Kills is joining forces with the slasher video game Dead by Daylight, with an Ice Nine Kills Collection inspired by the heavy metal band now available. Along with the collection, a tie-in music video has been unleashed.
Ice Nine Kills enter the fog today with “Play Dead,” a brand-new single and music video created in collaboration with Dead by Daylight. Written for the game’s 10th Anniversary, “Play Dead” brings Ice Nine Kills into one of horror gaming’s most iconic worlds, uniting two genre-obsessed universes built on suspense, survival, mythology, and the thrill of the kill.
The track was created in collaboration with longtime Dead by Daylight composer Michel F. April and arrives alongside the in-game Ice Nine Kills Collection, allowing players to represent the band inside the game’s ever-expanding horror universe with unique DLC.
Stream “Play Dead” here and watch the Ice Nine Kills music video below!
Ice Nine Kills’ brand new music video for “Play Dead” features Devon Sawa (Final Destination, “Chucky”) and Krsy Fox (Terrifier 3), along with the legendary Tony Hawk.
Ice Nine Kills mastermind Spencer Charnas tells us, “Ice Nine Kills has always lived somewhere between menace and mischief. ‘Play Dead,’ our take on Dead by Daylight, is a collision of hooks, horror, and total chaos. As lifelong horror fans, we find it surreal and an absolute honor to have Ice Nine Kills’ music officially tied to Terrifier, Scream, Ready or Not, and now, the iconic survival horror game Dead by Daylight.”
“Collaborating with Dead by Daylight gave us the chance to step into a world that feels deeply aligned with our creative instincts,” Charnas continues. “The game has an incredible legacy, and that chaotic, eerie, immersive energy is something we respect and admire. We wanted the song to feel like a real extension of that universe, not just inspired by it, but genuinely part of it.”
“Dead by Daylight has always been about celebrating horror in all its forms, and Ice Nine Kills shares that same passion for the genre we have,” said Mat Côté, Head of Partnerships for Dead by Daylight. “We’ve always been big fans of their music, and their creativity and deep connection to horror culture made this collab feel incredibly natural. We’re excited for our players to represent the band in-game with the Collection we created together, and we can’t wait for everyone to experience the new Dead by Daylight crossover track the guys cooked up.”
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