Artist: Audioslave
Label: Epic Records
Release Date: 11/19/02
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Title: Audioslave Artist: Audioslave Label: Epic Records Release Date: 11/19/02 |
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Abyss's Review:
It's always interesting reviewing a multi-faceted product when you don't really like one of the facets. To be honest, I've always been a huge fan of Soundgarden, but I've always been bored to tears when it came to Rage Against the Machine. Basically, I'm of the opinion that if you take away the political rambling they just seemed like a one-dimensional band. Not that there is anything wrong with politics in music, I just really don't care for them. Let's face it, if someone's political beliefs are going to be molded by musicians, I think they're missing the big picture. But anyway, the question for me was which sound was going to take center stage here? Would they be sounding like the machine, or raging against the garden?
"The question for me was would they be sounding like the machine, or raging against the garden?" Upon first listen it definitely appears that the Soundgarden side is carrying most of the weight. Chris Cornell's voice pretty much takes center stage no matter who surrounds him, cause let's face it, no matter whether you love or hate him, there is no one else out there that remotely resembles him. The Rage influence is much subtler, and I didn't really notice it until I had listened to the album about two times. The influence of Rage Against the Machine is largely centered in the songwriting and not the actual sound. The riffs sound like they were written by the same people, but that another band is playing them. Rather than sounding urban they sound rural and earthy, almost like they were making a solid attempt to sound as much like Mr. Cornell's old band as possible.
As a result, the songs, even the more 'ballad' like ones, are significantly heavier than those found on Cornell's solo album Euphoria Morning. It is also less commercial than that album, as the melodies are less obvious and a little more awkward. Bottom line is that this album is damn good, and as close to what I was hoping for as I could, well, hope for (please allow myself to introduce...myself). It's the perfect diversion for the metalhead that likes to step outside the box every once in awhile and slum with the common folk.
"It's the perfect diversion for the metalhead that likes to step outside the box every once in awhile and slum with the common folk." So I guess if you were a Soundgarden fan, this album is definitely worth your while, and if you were a RATM fan, well I'm not sure what you saw in them anyway. But I think both sides are happy to hear that Chris didn't decide to rap. One word review: Different.
Death's Review:
Soundgarden and Rage Against the Machine were two of the biggest and best bands that reigned the mainstream music world during what I call the "alternative" years, the time between when metal "died" in the mainstream eye and before it was reborn in its "nu," suddenly once again commercially palpable form toward the turn of the millennium. Ironically enough, it was the "death" of mainstream metal in approximately 1992-94 that ushered in some of the best non-metal hard rock music ever made. For those who liked to listen outside the metal box once in a while, there was some exciting stuff happening during these "alternative" years, as everything from Pearl Jam (first album only) to Alice in Chains to the Red Hot Chili Peppers to Faith No More to Primus brought a little something more to the table than Poison/Warrant/Slaughter/Firehouse or Limp Bizkit/Papa Roach/Linkin Park could ever hope to. Lesson learned: when the mainstream decides to write off metal, the resulting "hard rock" music on the radio and MTV is actually good (e.g., 70's stuff like Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, the Scorpions, Judas Priest, Rush, Black Sabbath and The Who or 90's stuff like Jane's Addiction, Fishbone and Living Colour); when the mainstream decides to "embrace" metal, it is usually some crappy, watered-down, bastardized or just plain bad form of the music that really doesn't relate to the good stuff (e.g., 80's stuff like Enuff Z'nuff, Vixen or Bang Tango or 00's stuff like Crazy Town, Drowning Pool, Nickleback or Puddle of Mudd).
"Audioslave is hard rock that is actually good." Well folks, the shit just might be comin' back around. Everyone who is anyone in mainstream music industry land is tripping over themselves to declare the nu-metal phenomenon dead. It's about fucking time. Some day white dudes wearing baggy pants with wallet chains, green spiky gelled hair and tons of piercings may indeed look just as stupid as some 80's jackass with his hair sprayed out like a poodle and a codpiece shoved down his polka-dotted spandex with the ass-cheeks cut out. One can only hope. Further evidence of such a sea change can be found in the release of the debut album from Audioslave, featuring vocalist Chris Cornell (ex-Soundgarden) and backed by Tom Morello, Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk (all ex- Rage Against the Machine). Audioslave is hard rock that is actually good.
Sure, many of you extreme metal enthusiasts will think I've gone off the deep end for singing the praises of a mellow band like Soundgarden. Still more will freak at the very mention that Rage Against the Machine was a good and interesting band. But those of you with a taste for the lighter side of the heavy shit know that Soundgarden were actually a legitimate early punk/metal/grunge crossover contender, with long hair, trippy tunes and wailing vocals long before "Black Hole Sun" was played on MTV ad-nauseum. And while Rage Against the Machine did employ a white rapper for a vocalist, he actually was borderline good and a long way from these mall metal jackasses who have no fucking clue and that ended up giving rap metal a horrible name a few years later. Further, any musician who actually listened to the Rage music could easily tell that Morello's guitar playing was truly original and the band as a whole was musically really fucking "tight" (meant not in the modern-day rap-derivative vernacular way but in the three musicians working together as one kinda way). No one would really accuse Rage of being nu-metal anymore than they would the Beastie Boys or Faith No More.
So when Zack left Rage and Cornell joined forces with the remaining Rage trio, the prospects were intriguing. Hard rock had gone to shit of late, with Cobain and Stayley dying, Vedder, Weiland and the Chili Peppers losing all semblance of aggression and Faith No More, Primus and Living Coour effectively ceasing operations. We needed some of the old veterans to come back and kick our asses once again, and these guys sounded like as a good of a prospect for doing so as anyone else. Our only collective concern: please don't let Chris Cornell rap.
"Of course, it is the vocal work of Chris Cornell that takes the simple yet powerful and cool music and turns it into something truly special." Rest assured, he does not. And Audioslave's album has turned out to be quite good. In many ways, with Cornell's voice being so distinct, this could be viewed as effectively the long, lost next Soundgarden album, but only on a superficial listen. The tight musicianship and unique stylings of the former Rage band are definitely in there, they just sound much less abrasive without the whiny rapping overlayed. Sure, Morello isn't going off with his trademarked guitar sounds, squeals and percussive elements at every turn, but they are definitely in there and there are several places on the album where you would surely know it was him playing even if you were not told. The music is full of stomping, simple, Led Zeppelin style riffs and standard dynamics, expertly delivered.
Of course, it is the vocal work of Chris Cornell that takes the simple yet powerful and cool music and turns it into something truly special. While many of the tracks seem like standard hard rock at first listen, if one allows themselves the time to get into the Cornell vibe and get swept away in the songs, you'll realize that this is a fantastic first effort from Audioslave, far beyond the usual "supergroup" drivel. Songs like the awesome "Shadow of the Sun" capture the singer at his brooding, emotional best (and even feature some borderline metal screaming toward the end). This is exactly what I had hoped to hear from this album, and it is exactly what Audioslave has delivered.
Yes, much of the record is routine in a sense, simple riffs over 4/4 beats with a verse-chorus-verse type song structure. Nothing too technical here. But like I said before, I miss having a good hard rock record in my life, as I like expanding my musical spectrum beyond only the most extreme material sometimes while still staying squarely entrentched on the hard and heavy side of the overall musical spectrum. Until Audioslave, there weren't too many interesting options to fill this void. Now there is at least one.
Hel's Review:
Well, here it is at last - the long-awaited, oft-discussed release from "That Guy Who Used to Sing in Soundgarden" and "Those Guys Who Used to be Rage Against the Machine." Predictably, the political agenda went out with Zach, as did the rapping. Back when this was just a concept and people asked me if I thought that Chris Cornell would be rapping, I laughed at the notion, and the final product vindicates my laughter. However, Cornell does ultimately prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that he's a white guy anyway, though not via rapping, instead, he sadly attempts to scat - which provides us with essentially the same result.
"Frankly, I think it sounds just like Chris Cornell singing with Rage Against the Machine." But let's get down to the question that everyone is asking: What does it sound like? Frankly, I think it sounds just like Chris Cornell singing with Rage Against the Machine. Take a traditional Chris Cornell vocal line, minus the Soundgarden background. Then, take the Rage Against the Machine background, minus their traditional vocal line. Put these two together, and you've got Audioslave. Yes, it's just that simple. Having been a fan of both bands back in their heydays, I still recognize the base elements in the formula independently from each other, even after they've been mixed together.
"The music is much more boring when there's no anger." The primary difference between this new "Supergroup" and either of the original groups from whence the members came, is that the end product is less heavy and angry than either of the two original bands. This may be a result of their maturation in life, or maybe the anger came from one of the people who were in the "other" bands, but not in this one. In any case, this is the part I miss most. While the component pieces sound as I expected, the whole lacks the fire, the aggression, which drew me to the original bands.
Audioslave falls squarely into the "hard rock" category, never to be mistaken for metal. For those who are looking for something in that arena, I'm certain this is the best band you'll find doing it. The talent of the musicians involved is unquestionable. So, while I'll be happy to hear this come over the speakers in between the other crap they're playing at the local bar, that's pretty much the only time I can foresee that I'll be actually excited to hear it. The music is much more boring when there's no anger. Overall, Audioslave is a novel listen the first time around, but quickly becomes "blah" with repetition. My concession to the quality of the musicianship and songwriting is the third skull, which they would never receive were I grading on my standard metal scale.
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