With Alice In Chains and Stone Temple Pilots back in action, it was only a matter of time before fellow Grunge veterans Soundgarden followed suit. Finally, after an acrimonious split in 1997, singer Chris Cornell announced via Twitter on New Year's Eve that the band is primed to rock again. "The 12-year break is over and school is back in session," Cornell wrote. "Sign up now. Knights of the Soundtable ride again!"

The announcement linked to the website www.soundgardenworld.com, which features a picture of the group and a place for fans to enter their e-mail address to get updates on the reunion. Entering that information unlocks an archival video for the song "Get On The Snake" from the 1989 album Louder Than Love.

The full lineup of Cornell, guitarist Kim Thayil, bassist Ben Shepherd and drummer Matt Cameron has not played live since splitting up in the spring of 1997. In the past they had said that a reunion was unlikely, but all four members were present at an October 6, 2009 Pearl Jam show in Los Angeles where Cornell reprised the Temple of the Dog song "Hunger Strike" with the band, and sources say reunion plans began to take shape shortly after that. Although no details have been set, Billboard.com says the group is weighing offers from several major U.S. and international festivals. However, a touring schedule is still a work in progress, due to Cameron's prior commitments to play with Pearl Jam in the spring and summer of next year.

It is also still unclear whether Soundgarden will finally release a B-side or box set collection. Thayil and Shepherd have long discussed compiling a box set, which would include a wealth of unreleased material, and Cornell told Rolling Stone in July that the band was considering releasing a B-side album and a box set.
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