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| Audioslave - Audioslave Classification: Pop Band: Audioslave Tracks: - Cochise - Show Me How To Live - Gasoline - What You Are - Like A Stone - Set It Off - Shadow Of The Sun - I Am The Highway - Exploder - Hypnotize - Bring Em Back Alive - Light My Way - Getaway Car - The Last Remaining Light Almost as good as you'd expect First off, there those who rather sneeringly refer to Audioslave as a "super group" are off the mark; whatever this album may (or may not) be it is nothing if not sincere. If they were in it solely for the money, Audioslave certainly could have made a more commercial album, instead they stretched their legs artistically, and while they don't always succeed, they certainly make a game of it. By way of some background, Audioslave is made up of Chris Cornell, of Soundgarden fame, on vocals with Tom Morello (lead guitar), Tim Commerford (bass), and Brad Wilk (drums) all formerly of Rage Against The Machine rounding out the group. The funny thing is, I was never a particularly big fan of either band, but the match-up intrigued me. As Henry Rollins once said, Cornell's voice can, "peel paint off the walls", and I always liked Rage's fusion of funk and rock, personified in Morello's remarkable guitar playing. The problem was, Zach de la Rocha's self-consciously political lyrics ruined the music for me (what rhymes with 'Zapatista'?). With de la Rocha's ouster, I saw a lot of potential, and while the end result is a mixed bag, it's more than worth the price. The first three tracks on this album ("Cochise", "Show Me How To Live", and "Gasoline") are flat out rockers. There is no one thing about them that makes them stand out; it's just an all out group effort with excellence at every level. "Cochise" in particular is a brilliant combination of the stripped down grunge we would have heard Cornell recording a decade ago, and the flourishes that are Morello's hallmark. The fourth track, "What You Are" foreshadows some of the difficulties found later in the album. Morello, gets stuck in a pretty dull chord progression for most of the song, and when he finally breaks out with a Truly remarkable riff (sort of a melodic, Electronic version of a catfight, if that makes any sense) it seems oddly disconnected from the rest of the song. "Like A Stone" is the first single off the album, and rightfully so as it represents the best fusion of Soundgarden and Rage on the album. Cornell's voice is in fine form soaring to ear-piercing shrieks only to dip down to a steady rumble and then back again. In addition, Morello's guitar work is nothing short of breathtaking; I don't even know how to begin to describe it other than that it is the perfect counterpoint to Cornell's voice and some of the most original and creative stuff I have heard in a long time. "Set It Off" seems to be Cornell's nod to Rage's political base, and while it's not a bad song (in fact it's a pretty good tune) it seems oddly out of context on the album. Moreover, Cornell, a multimillionaire pushing forty singing "...set it off now children..." is more than a little amusing. If " entertaining and familiar It's not exactly "rage against the machine", and it's not exactly "soundgarden", yet in both the backgound music and in the vocals of Chris Cornell, it adds up to a very good mix. The whole album is well done and shows true tallent (that is almost expected from guys like this). Not all the songs are wonderful, but the ones that are are a joy to listen to. Tom Morello and Tim C. have kept their same jazz fusion style mostly (including those funky guitar effects that we Love so much), and Chris is still, undoubtedly, is one of the best vocalists in rock. The politics have completely gone along with Zach (though perhaps i've missed a couple metaphors) and are replaced with Chris's poetry about simple day to day life. Of all the courses Tom, Tim, and Brad could have taken this was probobly the best. I still miss Zach, his energy, and the political messages. Though Rage only managed to do 4 albums, I still think they were one of the best bands ever, and rage's essence will be missed. Audioslave is a good effort. it's not better nor worse, just different. Reincarnation of Rock:The Release of Audioslave "Go and save yourself! Take it out on me!" screams Chris Cornell surging through Brad Wilk's war of drums, Tom Morello's menacing guitar hooks and Tim Commerford's penetrating bass lines. The ex-Soundgarden and ex-Rage Against the Machine members have risen from The Ashes of their former bands to create a supergroup - Audioslave. In a time when everything in rock are cliches, the world needs a Band that can step up against the conventional. In the nineties, Soundgarden and Rage both took the honors of inventing a new genre of their time. Soundgarden's hard rock displayed the metal side of Seattle grunge. Rage introduced the blend of rap, metal, and politics. Despite their successes, the two bands had musical limitations. Soundgarden did not have innovated musicians who could extend their talents beyond their genre, and Rage did not have a singer who could carry a melody. With the construction of Audioslave, the new members have been able to explore uncharted territories of epic proportions. Instrumental jams channeling from the soul and lyrics stemming from the Heart have created 14 breath-taking tracks of pure genius. Tom Morello is the guitar god. 1. Cochise - Cochise was the name of the last Native American chief who went on a warpath through the Southwest avenging his murdered family. This blind fury of Madness describes the sound of this opening track. It begins with Tom Morello whacking the strings of his guitar to get a helicopter sound. 2. Show Me How to Live - Classic Rage meets Soundgarden. 3. Gasoline - The chermistry between Cornell and the ex-Rage members is unbelievable on this track.<BR> <BR>4. What You Are - Filtered wah sound that alternates with a pitch bend creating a devastating harmonious guitar solo. 5. Like A Stone - Phenomenal Morello handiwork with a pitchglide-with-echo sound. 6. Set It Off - Very cool guitar intro that drops and detonates an explosive barrage of electric guitars, bass, and drums. 7. Shadow on the Sun - Awesome guitar solo with a "hummingbird wing" effect that is like a gated sound. 8. I Am The Highway - Cornell speaks from his Heart to create a masterpiece accompanied by a soft, laid-back southern rockish feel. 9. Exploder - BOOOMMMMMM!!!!!! 10. Hypnotize - Morello looked to DJ's as inspiration for this album which clearly explains this Chemical Brothers influenced dancebeat. 11. Bring Em Back Alive - Another amazing guitar solo from the Harvard graduate. 12. Light My Way - Funkish groove that develops into an Arena epic-rocking anthem 13. Getaway Car - Very Traditional blues. Something never heard before from Soundgarden or Rage. 14. The Last Remaining Light - Jazzy Wes Montgomery style who definitely was an influence for this song Buy Audioslave Audioslave at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.comJamster - the latest ringtones for your phone! |
