Soundgarden never intended to reunite.

The group recently got back together after splitting 16 years ago and frontman Chris Cornell admits the reunion only came about when they held meetings to discuss ways of reconnecting with their fans online.

"The idea originally wasn't to restart the band. We got back into a room just to think about ideas of reconnecting with our fans, like starting a website again and starting the fan club again. But after the first five minutes of seeing if anyone had changed or gone weird had passed, it felt really comfortable," Chris said.

The 47-year-old rocker also insisted the group haven't reunited for financial reasons and says they are looking forward to making music in their own way: "We're back for the right reasons. No one is trying to go for the quick money. Now we don't have to try to be like anyone. We are who we are and we do what we want."

Soundgarden play the Download festival on June 10 and Hard Rock Calling on July 13.