Mark Menghi certainly didn’t take the traditional route to prominence in the rock and metal world. In fact, if you look back at his story, it might sound pretty familiar. For starters, he worked at a record store he frequented often, the legendary Looney Tunes in West Babylon on Long Island. Inspired by the likes of Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, and Cliff Burton-era Metallica, he began playing in local bands during his youth that scrapped their way through every tiny venue in Nassau and Suffolk County, as well as Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan with the same do-it-yourself ethos that every other band starting up tends to inherently have.
Though his journey as a musician stalled for a bit in his early twenties, Mark found himself with an opportunity to work on the business side of the music industry. Slowly but surely, he began to build a rolodex of contacts that read like a “Who’s Who” of the rock and metal world. In time, Menghi would call upon these friends to form Metal Allegiance, which first performed on the Motorboat Cruise with Motorhead in 2015. Originally featuring Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater), Dave Ellefson (Megadeth), and Alex Skolnick (Testament), the group has gone on to record two full-length albums and one covers EP with Mark as the key master and main lyricist for the group’s original works. Those featured on the two Metal Allegiance records read like a veritable metal Hall of Fame: Phil Anselmo, Randy Blythe, Troy Sanders, Gary Holt, Chuck Billy, Cristina Scabbia, Doug Pinnick, Ripper Owens, Alissa White-Gluz, Rex Brown, and Charlie Benante; just to name a few. He would also tour with Joe Satriani, one of his first contacts from the business side of the music world, in 2023 and get to perform in front of a crowd at his hometown theater at Jones Beach, a place where he’d only been a spectator previously.
But despite all the star-studded recordings and performances in the rock and metal world, the one artist who remained a constant for Mark as a music fan was Chris Cornell. As any rock music fan of the 1990s and 2000s, Cornell’s music was as inescapable as it was beyond reproach. Soundgarden, Temple of the Dog, Audioslave, and his solo material dominated the airwaves and eardrums of every self-respecting music fan during that time. Menghi’s introduction to Cornell came a bit before the casual grunge fan during his days working at Looney Tunes. His friend and co-worker handed him a cassette of Louder than Love, Soundgarden’s 1989 major label debut for A&M. From that day forward, Cornell would become Menghi’s musical constant.
That love for his music has now inspired Menghi’s latest musical endeavor. Named King Ultramega, the project features famous guest musicians from the rock and metal community who share his admiration for Chris Cornell covering songs from his many projects. All proceeds from King Ultramega go directly to MusiCares, a charity that provides health, financial, and rehabilitation resources to music people in times of need. I had a chance to speak to Mark about this new project and many other topics, including:
- his musical journey, local Long Island record stores and concert venues, and the importance of the Jones Beach Theater.
- how his love for Soundgarden developed, his impetus to start the King Ultramega project, and how he decided to turn it into a full album’s worth of songs.
- having the blessings of Vicky Cornell and Kim Thayil for King Ultramega, the gravity of having Kim re-record one of his own songs for it, and the great care needed to curate a project with such a legendary name attached to it.
- recording “Rusty Cage” with William DuVall, Bill Kelliher, and Charlie Benante, the adventurous decision to have Joe Satriani cover Chris’ vocal line in “Be Yourself,” and speculation on my part as to what song Alissa White-Gluz from Arch Enemy will be featured on.
- the timeline for King Ultramega’s releases including the hyped October single, talk of the new Metal Allegiance record that will be released in 2026, playing Cliff Burton’s bass, and commiserating over missing Ozzy’s final show.
- mourning the loss of Brent Hinds, compassion for his friends in Mastodon, revealing that Brent was supposed to be featured on a track from King Ultramega, and reflections on Mark’s journey to where he is today in the music world.
You can view the entire interview HERE:
Speaking with Mark, it’s clear that he understands what this project means to so many people, which explains him being painstakingly meticulous and respectful in his process of creating the final product. Though I doubt the kid who first popped in that Louder than Love cassette would believe he would be the one to do it, Mark’s journey to this moment certainly started at the first note of “Ugly Truth.” Through all the famous guest appearances and big names attached to this project, at its core, this is the story of a music fan paying tribute to his favorite artist who he loved way before that fan had any inkling of fame.
Perhaps Chris’ own words on “Zero Chance” sum it up best: “They say if you look hard, you’ll find your way back home.”
The first two singles from King Ultramega, "Rusty Cage" and "Be Yourself," are available on all major streaming platforms. The third single should be released in early October and so on, ultimately resulting in a full-length record being released through Reigning Phoenix Music later next year.
