SOUNDGARDEN's KIM THAYIL: MATT CAMERON Was The 'Perfect' Drummer For PEARL JAM

In a new interview with Anita Stelmasiuk of 90 The Original, SOUNDGARDEN guitarist Kim Thayil was asked whom he would pick to be the new PEARL JAM drummer following the recent departure of Matt Cameron. Kim responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "If I had to pick… Well, I guess Josh Freese is free now that he's no longer with FOO FIGHTERS. Well, he's damn good. Barrett Martin [SCREAMING TREES, MAD SEASON] would be damn good too. I don't know. Apparently they have picked somebody, so…

"Matt Cameron was the perfect pick for PEARL JAM because he had played on [PEARL JAM's] Stone [Gossard] and Jeff's [Ament] demo prior," Kim continued. "He played with TEMPLE OF THE DOG. They knew exactly his skill. And he is so talented, he can flesh out the best of other musicians, And I believe that's what he did with PEARL JAM. I never heard PEARL JAM as good musically and as free as they were when Matt was drumming for them."

Last July, it was announced Cameron had exited PEARL JAM after a nearly three-decade run with the band.

Cameron first joined PEARL JAM as the replacement for Jack Irons.

Dave Krusen was the original drummer for PEARL JAM, followed by Matt Chamberlain and Dave Abbruzzese.

Cameron started playing drums professionally at age 14 in various cover bands in San Diego. He took private lessons from ages 17-19 with Jon Szanto from the San Diego Symphony. Matt moved to Seattle at age 20 (1983). He played in a variety of bands, and instantly found the creative local music scene very inspiring. While in Seattle, Matt met lots of creative people, including neighbor Kim Thayil. Kim's new band, SOUNDGARDEN, needed a new drummer, so Matt joined the pioneering Seattle grunge act and played with them from 1986 until 1997. They toured the world many times over, met lots of great people and won two Grammy Awards. Soon after the band broke up, Matt was asked to join PEARL JAM in 1998. Matt also took pride in his various side project bands (HATER, WELLWATER CONSPIRACY) and studio work (Tony Iommi, ELEVEN, Geddy Lee).

In 2010, SOUNDGARDEN reunited for new tour and released a new album, "King Animal", on November 13, 2012. The band effectively split up again following singer Chris Cornell's death in May 2017.

PEARL JAM hasn't performed since May 18, 2025, when the band wrapped up its "Dark Matter" world tour in Pittsburgh. Cameron announced he was leaving about two months later.

PEARL JAM released its latest studio album, "Dark Matter", in 2024.