Former AUDIOSLAVE/SOUNDGARDEN singer Chris Cornell has tapped hip hop and R&B superstar Timbaland to produce Chris' third solo album.

Speaking to Ryan Seacrest of Los Angeles's 102.7 KIIS-FM this morning (Thursday, March 27), Timbaland — who has worked with Justin Timberlake, Nelly Furtado and a host of other big names — called his collaboration with Cornell "the best work I've done in my career."

Cornell stated about the unlikely pairing, "This is different from anything I've ever done. I've come from an indie rock world, where, if you have a producer, it's somebody who's not a musician, not a songwriter. He's just someone who twists knobs and can kinda tell you if they think a song is too long or too short or needs to be more aggressive. Tim's a songwriter, so I was working with him in a collaboration, sort of as if we were in a band."

According to the World Entertainment News Network, Cornell called the new album, which hasn't got a release date at present, "a highlight of my career."

Timbaland added, "This will be everybody's favorite album of this year."

Listen to Cornell and Timbaland's interview with Ryan Seacrest at this location.