2008 Woodie Awards
Audioslave Makes Good on Expectations
Veteran band members work well with each other as Audioslave hits its stride.
Trevor Owens
Issue date: 9/13/06 Section: Arts & Entertainment
"Revelations" will not be a revelation for anyone. This band's sound is simply a sum of two parts; three fourths Rage Against the Machine, and one fourth Soundgarden's Chris Cornell. Audioslave is what Rage would sound like if they had a singer instead of a rap artist on lead vocals. Thank goodness.
Rage may have broken up, but the key components (Tim Commerford, bass; Tom Morello, guitar; Brad Wilk, drums) are all here. One listen to Rage's debut album will leave you hungry for more. Rage began to sputter, though, before they parted ways. Despite two good follow-ups to the initial album, the last Rage album was less than
lackluster. Chris Cornell was like an injection of nitro into the engine of the remaining Rage members.
The first album from Audioslave was full of great guitar licks and melodic vocals, but again, the next album seemed to fall flat. Strange then, that Audioslave follows it's somewhat disappointing sophomore release, "Out of Exile" with this successful exercise in hard rock. Listeners will find the band at it's best on "Revelations." The 'best' for Audioslave is crashing guitar riffs that get the point across with absolute simplicity and authority.
Wilk and Commerford hold up their end admirably, creating driving rhythm or funky backgrounds as needed. The real star here, however, is the interplay of drums and bass with Tom Morello's guitar work. Although his lead guitar sounds have always leaned towards the strange and squeaky, his rhythm sounds tighter than ever. His guitar wails around, and always comes home to blast the listener into ecstasy.
Morello's return to simple, yet effective guitar means that Cornell is given ample room to stretch his instrument. The result is as good a record as Audioslave will ever create.
This kind of music begs not to be played on an iPod or mp3 player with headphones. "Revelations" sounds best blasting from your car, or from big speakers at home.
The best tracks on "Revelations" are "One and the Same," "Sound of a Gun," and the album's final track, "Moth." "Moth" is a rhythmic monster that holds the listener tightly in its grasp, helping Audioslave live up to it's ambitious name. "Wide Awake" is an angry response to Hurricane Katrina's snail-paced cleanup efforts. These songs recall the best aspects of the band's heritage, both musically and lyrically.
It's hard to find any fault with "Revelations." It is good hard rock record, even if it is more of the same from these four veterans. If you didn't care for Audioslave's self-titled debut, then nothing on this album will change your mind. If you miss the raw power of early Rage Against the Machine or Soundgarden albums, then you will find that a well-known scientific theory holds true. Energy cannot be destroyed, only transferred.
Rage may have broken up, but the key components (Tim Commerford, bass; Tom Morello, guitar; Brad Wilk, drums) are all here. One listen to Rage's debut album will leave you hungry for more. Rage began to sputter, though, before they parted ways. Despite two good follow-ups to the initial album, the last Rage album was less than
lackluster. Chris Cornell was like an injection of nitro into the engine of the remaining Rage members.
The first album from Audioslave was full of great guitar licks and melodic vocals, but again, the next album seemed to fall flat. Strange then, that Audioslave follows it's somewhat disappointing sophomore release, "Out of Exile" with this successful exercise in hard rock. Listeners will find the band at it's best on "Revelations." The 'best' for Audioslave is crashing guitar riffs that get the point across with absolute simplicity and authority.
Wilk and Commerford hold up their end admirably, creating driving rhythm or funky backgrounds as needed. The real star here, however, is the interplay of drums and bass with Tom Morello's guitar work. Although his lead guitar sounds have always leaned towards the strange and squeaky, his rhythm sounds tighter than ever. His guitar wails around, and always comes home to blast the listener into ecstasy.
Morello's return to simple, yet effective guitar means that Cornell is given ample room to stretch his instrument. The result is as good a record as Audioslave will ever create.
This kind of music begs not to be played on an iPod or mp3 player with headphones. "Revelations" sounds best blasting from your car, or from big speakers at home.
The best tracks on "Revelations" are "One and the Same," "Sound of a Gun," and the album's final track, "Moth." "Moth" is a rhythmic monster that holds the listener tightly in its grasp, helping Audioslave live up to it's ambitious name. "Wide Awake" is an angry response to Hurricane Katrina's snail-paced cleanup efforts. These songs recall the best aspects of the band's heritage, both musically and lyrically.
It's hard to find any fault with "Revelations." It is good hard rock record, even if it is more of the same from these four veterans. If you didn't care for Audioslave's self-titled debut, then nothing on this album will change your mind. If you miss the raw power of early Rage Against the Machine or Soundgarden albums, then you will find that a well-known scientific theory holds true. Energy cannot be destroyed, only transferred.
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