Audioslave, “Audioslave” (Epic / Interscope)
ByNov 25, 2002 11:00 PM
For those of you who’ve been wondering: the combination of former Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell and former Rage Against the Machine members Tom Morello (guitar), Tim Commerford (bass) and Brad Wilk (drums) kicks complete and total ass.
For those of you who’ve been wondering: the combination of former Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell and former Rage Against the Machine members Tom Morello (guitar), Tim Commerford (bass) and Brad Wilk (drums) kicks complete and total ass.
When former Rage frontman Zack de la Rocha was at the mic, his angst-filled, politically charged raps were the focal point of the band’s music. With the addition of Cornell, the group’s music now seems to give equal shares of the spotlight to all four members.
Cornell’s otherworldly vocals--which range from a lush baritone to a banshee-like howl--inspired Morello, Commerford and Wilk to try their hands at several slower, more-melodic numbers, all of which are highly listenable, but will likely cause some Rage diehards to cringe. Salvation can be found in the majority of the album’s tracks, though--such as first single “Cochise"--which feature the thunderous grooves Rage was known for paired with Cornell’s fire-breathing delivery.