Wednesday, February 27, 2002
Chris Cornell quits post-Rage Against the Machine gig
Former Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell reportedly is now also the former frontman of an unnamed quartet that, until this week, comprised Cornell and the three remaining members of Rage Against the Machine. No explanation was given for the split.
Former Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell reportedly is now also the former frontman of an unnamed quartet that, until this week, comprised Cornell and the three remaining members of Rage Against the Machine. No explanation was given for the split.
News of Cornell’s departure from the project comes just days after the group was named as one of several on the bill for this summer’s annual [L=/news/story.php?id=61]Ozzfest tour[EL].
Last May, Cornell and Rage Against the Machine trio Tom Morello (guitar), Tim Commerford (bass) and Brad Wilk (drums) confirmed that they were recording an album together. The news followed the October 2000 departure of Rage frontman Zack de la Rocha.
The new quartet never announced a name for itself, but did confirm that it would not be called Rage Against the Machine.
Despite Cornell’s departure, the group still plans to release this summer the album that it recorded with the singer, according to published reports.
Last year, Rage Against the Machine manager Peter Mensch, co-president of New York-based management firm Q Prime Inc. (Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers), told the Los Angeles Times that the group’s collaboration would be more than just a one-off project.
Cornell manager Jim Guerinot, of California-based management firm Rebel Waltz Inc., echoed Mensch’s assertion in the same Times article.
“Both of these groups of individual artists are more excited about this than at any other point in their career,” Guerinot told the Times. “I’ve never seen Chris so excited and that’s echoed from Brad, Tom and Tim. They think this is the best work of their careers. The rest of this [business] stuff is just noise that will be worked out. I can’t tell you what it was like hearing them together.”
A Q Prime Inc. representative would not comment on the news of Cornell’s departure. Rebel Waltz Inc. did not respond to a request for information.