Audioslave - Audioslave
EPIC - 5101302 - 2002
By Paddy Walsh
The union of the instrumental section of Rage Against The Machine and ex-Soundgarden vocalist Chris Cornell was met with some degree of suspicion, it must be said. Was Chris going to start rapping about social injustice? or would Tom Morello completely abandon the hip hip/occasional funk stylings of his playing, and move toward a grungier side? Well, Audioslave was the result, and thankfully Cornell doesn't rap, nor does Morello resort to clichéd hard rock noodlings. Think of Audioslave as literally a hybrid of Soundgardens dark early 90's angst, coupled with Morello's unique riff and solo stylings. If you're finding this hard to imagine, then just listen to the self titled debut, and it seems to work better than you might have suspected. Not all the time, but most of it at least.
Blasting off with first single 'Cochise', Audioslave begin with a heavy number. The opening riff is pure Rage Against the Machine, plodding yet strangely hummable, and Morello's guitar tone is intact. It must be said that while Rage... were never the most progressive of bands, they at least had a distinguishable sound in Morello's guitar playing, one that can be heard all over this record. Which is a good thing, I suppose, but at the same time one must wonder if such a talented guitarist could perhaps be tempted into spreading his wings a bit more? He does do this with Audioslave a bit more often than with Rage... however. Acoustic led balladry such as 'I Am A Stone' or 'I Am A Highway' could never have made it onto a Rage... record, but they slot in nicely here, especially with the presence of Cornell at the mic.
On to Chris Cornell, then. What a guy. After penning some truly inspired tunes with Soundgarden such as 'Spoonman', 'Jesus Christ Pose' and 'Black Hole Sun', he seemed to disappear after their demise in the mid-90s, only resurfacing for the rather (too) laid back Euphoria Morning. Thus it is something of a revelation to hear him screaming and wailing just like the good ol' days again, and once again we are reminded of the truly amazing set of pipes he possesses. Awesome stuff, his voice sounds better than ever, like a Robert Plant who can actually hold his notes, Cornell is forceful, affecting, and beautiful. Thumbs up for this one, and thankfully he wrote the lyrics, and they aren't political.
So, the gripes then, and there are a few. The first is the lack of activity going on with the rhythm section. Drummer Brad Wilk and bassist Tim Commerford seem to have taken a back seat with Audioslave. "That was the case with Rage... as well!" I hear you scream. True, but at least you could always count on them to be making weird noises in the background. On Audioslave they are content to merely be a rhythm section, and let Tom and Chris do all the work. Not to say that their playing is bad by any means, just...ordinary. And we know from Rage... what these guys can do, especially Commerford. Many an awesome funky bassline he did write, so there's no excuse. The second problem I have is that some of the song structures seem somewhat stilted and predictable. Always a problem with hard rock albums these days, it must be said, but with Chris Cornell involved I would have thought that some of Soundgardens more ambitious constructions would have rubbed off. They didn't. The songs are, however, catchy as hell, with some brilliantly powerful choruses on display (particularly 'Show me how to Live' and 'Like A Stone'), and some great moments of beauty, such as the lovely 'I Am A Highway'.
Overall, a solid debut from Audioslave. The talent on display is obvious, we just need a bit more adventurous songwriting and a more inspired performance from the rhythm section, the band will rival any of the greats from the 90s. Perhaps even Soundgarden or Rage Against The Machine themselves.
7.5/10
Official Audioslave Website
Official Epic Records Website
EPIC - 5101302 - 2002
By Paddy Walsh
The union of the instrumental section of Rage Against The Machine and ex-Soundgarden vocalist Chris Cornell was met with some degree of suspicion, it must be said. Was Chris going to start rapping about social injustice? or would Tom Morello completely abandon the hip hip/occasional funk stylings of his playing, and move toward a grungier side? Well, Audioslave was the result, and thankfully Cornell doesn't rap, nor does Morello resort to clichéd hard rock noodlings. Think of Audioslave as literally a hybrid of Soundgardens dark early 90's angst, coupled with Morello's unique riff and solo stylings. If you're finding this hard to imagine, then just listen to the self titled debut, and it seems to work better than you might have suspected. Not all the time, but most of it at least.
Blasting off with first single 'Cochise', Audioslave begin with a heavy number. The opening riff is pure Rage Against the Machine, plodding yet strangely hummable, and Morello's guitar tone is intact. It must be said that while Rage... were never the most progressive of bands, they at least had a distinguishable sound in Morello's guitar playing, one that can be heard all over this record. Which is a good thing, I suppose, but at the same time one must wonder if such a talented guitarist could perhaps be tempted into spreading his wings a bit more? He does do this with Audioslave a bit more often than with Rage... however. Acoustic led balladry such as 'I Am A Stone' or 'I Am A Highway' could never have made it onto a Rage... record, but they slot in nicely here, especially with the presence of Cornell at the mic.
On to Chris Cornell, then. What a guy. After penning some truly inspired tunes with Soundgarden such as 'Spoonman', 'Jesus Christ Pose' and 'Black Hole Sun', he seemed to disappear after their demise in the mid-90s, only resurfacing for the rather (too) laid back Euphoria Morning. Thus it is something of a revelation to hear him screaming and wailing just like the good ol' days again, and once again we are reminded of the truly amazing set of pipes he possesses. Awesome stuff, his voice sounds better than ever, like a Robert Plant who can actually hold his notes, Cornell is forceful, affecting, and beautiful. Thumbs up for this one, and thankfully he wrote the lyrics, and they aren't political.
So, the gripes then, and there are a few. The first is the lack of activity going on with the rhythm section. Drummer Brad Wilk and bassist Tim Commerford seem to have taken a back seat with Audioslave. "That was the case with Rage... as well!" I hear you scream. True, but at least you could always count on them to be making weird noises in the background. On Audioslave they are content to merely be a rhythm section, and let Tom and Chris do all the work. Not to say that their playing is bad by any means, just...ordinary. And we know from Rage... what these guys can do, especially Commerford. Many an awesome funky bassline he did write, so there's no excuse. The second problem I have is that some of the song structures seem somewhat stilted and predictable. Always a problem with hard rock albums these days, it must be said, but with Chris Cornell involved I would have thought that some of Soundgardens more ambitious constructions would have rubbed off. They didn't. The songs are, however, catchy as hell, with some brilliantly powerful choruses on display (particularly 'Show me how to Live' and 'Like A Stone'), and some great moments of beauty, such as the lovely 'I Am A Highway'.
Overall, a solid debut from Audioslave. The talent on display is obvious, we just need a bit more adventurous songwriting and a more inspired performance from the rhythm section, the band will rival any of the greats from the 90s. Perhaps even Soundgarden or Rage Against The Machine themselves.
7.5/10
Official Audioslave Website
Official Epic Records Website
