Audioslave
Audioslave
Chris Cornell singing over the musicians from Rage Against the Machine was always going to attract attention. The useful question is what they could do together once the names stopped being the main attraction. Audioslave gives a convincing answer, although it takes a little longer than necessary to finish giving it.
Cochise makes an excellent opening statement. Tom Morello's guitar noises clear the way for a huge riff, Brad Wilk and Tim Commerford give it a firm foundation, and Cornell arrives with the right amount of force. Show Me How to Live keeps that weight while giving the vocal more room to stretch. The players have obvious individual styles, but the best songs make those styles work towards the same result.
Like a Stone is the strongest example. Its steady pace leaves space around Cornell's voice, and Morello's strange, high guitar solo provides a completely different sort of release from a conventional blues-rock lead. The song doesn't need to hurry or pile on extra parts. The melody does most of the work. I Am the Highway is similarly patient, showing how well this group can handle a song that stays melancholy rather than building towards an inevitable explosion.
Shadow on the Sun offers more of that explosion. Its quieter passages make the final stretch hit harder, with Cornell pushing towards the rough edge of his voice. There is something particularly effective about hearing such a powerful singer over a rhythm section this controlled. They leave enough room for him to sound unpredictable.
Fourteen tracks and more than an hour is a lot of this particular sound, though. A few of the riff-driven songs make less of an impression, and the album would be stronger with a little less material competing for space. The highlights make that worth accepting. Audioslave is a confident hard-rock debut with several genuinely lasting songs, especially when the band lets atmosphere and melody carry as much weight as the guitars. Famous names help get people through the door. These songs give them a reason to stay.
