Temple of the Dog Demo ‘Black Cat’ Debuts Ahead of Deluxe Album Reissue

Fans are getting an early glimpse of the upcoming Temple of the Dog 25th anniversary reissue, in the form of the long-archived demo track "Black Cat."

As Consequence of Sound notes, the song — which you can stream above — has been available online for years, but never seen official release until now. It's just one example of the reissue's new additions to the original track listing; the newly expanded LP will be available in several different configurations, including a deluxe set that includes two CDs, a DVD, and a Blu-ray audio disc. Seven previously unreleased demos have been added, along with five studio outtakes and live footage of the band — some of which dates back to 1990.

Along with the bonus material, fans can expect to hear a remixed version of the original record, courtesy of producer Brendan O'Brien — although as bassist Jeff Ament told Rolling Stone, making that happen was as much a matter of necessity as it was a gift to fans.

"The quarter-inch tapes got lost," Ament admitted. "The only way we could've used the original mixes would have been pulling it off a CD, which would have been inferior. Brendan really didn't mess with the levels, but he just pulled back a bit on the effects and reverb. The new mix is just a bit crisper. The way we listen to music is so different than 25 years ago. People have gotten used to so much clarity on the top end, and I think he really brought a lot of that out."

The Temple of the Dog reissue is scheduled to arrive Sept. 30 and is available to pre-order now. The band will celebrate the anniversary with a short tour set to begin Nov. 4 in Philadelphia and conclude later in the month. Check out the complete list of currently announced dates below.

Temple of the Dog Tour Dates
11/04 – Philadelphia, Pa.
11/05 – Philadelphia, Pa.
11/07 – New York, N.Y.
11/11 – San Francisco, Calif.
11/12 – San Francisco, Calif.
11/14 – Los Angeles, Calif.
11/20 – Seattle, Wash.
11/21 – Seattle, Wash.

Grunge's Best Supergroups