Former Soundgarden and Audioslave frontman Cornell first approached uber-R&B/ hip hop producer Timbaland ? who's helped Justin Timberlake, OneRepublic, Nelly Furtado, Madonna and Missy Elliott, to name just a few ? to do remixes of some tracks from his previous solo album, 2007's 'Carry On'.

They got along so well that they decided a full-on album would be even better, and 'Scream' was born after six weeks of frantic collaboration.

The album has proved divisive ? critics and fans of Cornell's rock roots have slated 'Scream' as a mess from beginning to end, while Timbaland fans are still lapping up everything the prolific producer can churn out.

Both sides are probably right: Timbaland's trademark penchant for taking a bit of everything (Guitars! Car hooters! A baby crying!) and throwing it into the mix makes for a loud, bombastic listen that misses nearly as much as it hits the mark.

But Cornell and Timbaland have got some things very right: current radio hit 'Part of Me' has an emphatic chorus that will put a smile on your face even as it takes up residence in your head ("that bitch ain't a part of me!"), and the masterful 'Ground Zero' deserves to follow in its footsteps.

Utlimately 'Scream' is a mixed bag, though ? Cornell's voice doesn't always work with the beats, and ? three years after his latest (Nelly Furtado/Justin Timberlake-fuelled) takeover of radio charts ? Timbaland's style is becoming over-familiar, and in need of some renewed risk-taking.