FDF Volume 4 Issue 310 - Audioslave - Audioslave

Album - Audioslave

Artist - Audioslave
Key Players – Chris Cornell – vocals. Tim Commerford – bass. Brad Wilk – drums. Tom Morello - guitar

Produced By – Rick Rubin

Release Date – November 19, 2002

Overview – Okay, before you freak out saying “how can you forget this its still on the radio” just take it as a whole record...that came out ELEVEN years ago ya old bastard. The band got together for a bit, then decided it wasn't working, so they tried it again. The rhythm section from Rage Against the Machine and the vocalist from Soundgarden would release three records over their short career. Blending the powerful lead vocals and bombastic bass, guitar and drums, the band would garner many fans and set themselves appear from their prior work. They'd be nominated for Grammy awards and tour the world. It wouldn't last though. Cornell would leave the band in 2007, thus ending it.

FDF Comments (aka the songs) – Fourteen tracks at over 65 minutes is pretty impressive for any debut and the band wastes little time doing in the big build on lead off single "Cochise"
 As expected the vocals are gruff and soaring at the same time. Commerford, Morello and Wilk are a very tight unit having spent years working together in Rage Against the Machine. The grinding bass and guitar are a common theme for the record. The first three songs made their way as radio singles (
"Show me How To Live" and “Gasoline”). All keep that common sludgy, rock/funk tone. Cornell has the pipes and singing along can be a chore even for the best shower singers. “Gasoline” has mellower feel, but it is one of the heaviest songs on the album. Cornell puts it down really well. Morello gets to flash off his choppy guitar lines ("What you Are") but many of the solos are short and on point. About as calm as they get are tracks in the vein of “Like a Stone” where the simple 4x4 time and verse chorus verse formula is used. No flash, just a catchy hook in the chorus and a screetchy/delay filled solo from Morello. The band shows the softer and melodic side on “I am the Highway” a cool, sit around the fire type sing along. Rocking chairs and acoustic guitars for all, while “Explorer” rips back like the album opener. “Bring em Back Alive” has the longest Morello solo. The usual hard chops and fuzzed out chords. The final two songs “Getaway Car” and “The Last Remaning Light” are mellower tracks that break some of the mold they've provided. Decent tunes to close it all out.

Where are they now? - Commerford has been doing some studio work (Sound City) and with Maynard from Tool on his side project Pucifer. Wilk was the studio drummer for the latest Black Sabbath release and keeps busy playing in various project and has done some acting work as well. Cornell is back with Soundgarden who released a new cd and they are currently on tour. Morello works sometimes solo as “The Nightwatchmen” and also has a new project called “Street Sweeper Social Club”. He also has worked in the studio with bands like Primus, and even was a touring guitar player for Bruce Springsteen. He is also a a political activist most notably with his cause "Axis of Justice"

FDF Overall Take - At the time of its release fans of Soundgarden and Rage Against the Machine were in heaven. The silence from each bands camp was deafening so when rumors and then a release happened it was a solid moment for fans. The songs have that rock staying power to be kept around and its little surprise the record still has singles played on radio. It was short lived but left quite the mark.

You can find the album easy enough.  Try here

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