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Epic. Just plain epic. Every so often the stars perfectly align and a group of individuals come together for the sole purpose of creating meaningful and genuine art that doesn't feel cheesy or forced. This was the band known as Audioslave. Their self-titled debut album was released on November 19th, 2002 to mixed reviews. Legendary producer Rick Rubin brought together Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell (R.I.P.) with the explosive powerhouse trio that is Tom Morello, Brad Wilk and Tim Commerford of Rage Against the Machine. Based on the album reviews that I've read, some seemed to enjoy the collaboration while others were... unimpressed to say the least. In 2002, Pitchfork writers Chris Dahlen & Ryan Schreiber wrote the following about the group: "It's kind of incredible how slick and lifeless the Rage band sounds without de la Rocha spitting all over everything. The guys just autopilot their way through the most generic hard rock possible behind Cornell's Dio-like wailing about highways and death and more highways. Morello tries to stick out with his wanky solos, but all his effort amounts to little more than an indulgent novelty" (Dahlen and Schreiber). I respect their opinion, but do not agree with this statement and that's okay. Maybe they've changed their opinion since writing it? Who knows. Being only seven years old at the time, I was unaware of the impact that this album would have on me in the near future. I actually discovered this album by accident when I was about 17. I was browsing the used CD section of the Princeton Record Exchange (in Princeton, NJ), which I did very often back then, and stumbled across this gem. It was only five bucks and in pretty good shape. Couldn't beat that! There was something about the cover that really grabbed my attention. It was a man who was barefoot staring at this giant asteroid shaped flame from another planet in some kind of barren wasteland. I thought it was edgy and strange. I was both curious and excited. And as soon as I plopped that used CD in my car stereo, I knew what the cover meant to me. They. Have. Arrived... becuase the music was so different than anything I've heard before. It took a couple of listens to fully appreciate the album, but it eventually became a part of me. So I'm glad I went to the record store that day!
Every single freakin' song on this album is perfect to me, at least. It helped me get through some tough times and I'm grateful for that. Chris Cornell's ability to glide effortlessly from soothing croons to banshee-like screams was simply mind-boggling. How was his voice able to do this? How can anyone do this?? Is he even human!!?? Probably took years of practice and hard work. On the other hand, he just might have been born with it! I swear to this day I still get goosebumps whenever I listen to the ending of "Shadow on the Sun" and I just crank it up every time. I don't care who's around. It sounds like they just recorded the sound of a nuclear bomb exploding off the coast of an island somewhere! You could just feel the pain and vulnerability in his voice and that's what I love about it. One of my favorite lines from this song is: "Shapes of every size move behind my eyes. Doors inside my head are bolted from within. Every drop of flame lights a candle in memory of the one who lived inside my skin." That's some pretty heavy stuff right there.
This whole album bleeds with intensity and passion. Whether it is the incredible production value (see credits below), the songwriting, the musicianship or just a perfectly calculated combination of the three, there is just something about the dark and heavy energy that draws me in. It's like a drug and I just can't escape. In my opinion, Chris Cornell had one of the most unique and powerful voices in rock and metal. In Soundgarden, he combined thought-provoking lyrics with hard-hitting, dark and driven music with his fellow band mates. This carried over into the lyrics for Audioslave, which mostly dealt with existentialism, coping with death and... using a car as a metaphor for loneliness and feeling isolated from the rest of the world (take the song "Gasoline" or "Getaway Car" for example). "Like a Stone" perfectly captures Cornell's uncanny ability to paint a beautifully haunted picture with his lyricism. I give him so much credit for being able to pour his heart and soul out in these wonderful batch of songs. It is not an easy thing to do. He is a true wordsmith and a poet that has the ability to transcend time. I'm not going to lie, it was very difficult for me to listen to this album after Cornell's passing becuase I feel some of the songs foreshadowed his death. In "Exploder" he writes: "There was a man who had a face who looked a lot like me. I saw him in the mirror and I fought him in the street. And when he turned away I shot him in the head. Then I came to realize I had killed myself." Creepy. It could've meant something else, though. His lyrics channeled a dark place, yet he transformed it into something beautiful. Do yourself a favor and really listen to his lyrics because they may just change your life.
Thanks for reading!
Every single freakin' song on this album is perfect to me, at least. It helped me get through some tough times and I'm grateful for that. Chris Cornell's ability to glide effortlessly from soothing croons to banshee-like screams was simply mind-boggling. How was his voice able to do this? How can anyone do this?? Is he even human!!?? Probably took years of practice and hard work. On the other hand, he just might have been born with it! I swear to this day I still get goosebumps whenever I listen to the ending of "Shadow on the Sun" and I just crank it up every time. I don't care who's around. It sounds like they just recorded the sound of a nuclear bomb exploding off the coast of an island somewhere! You could just feel the pain and vulnerability in his voice and that's what I love about it. One of my favorite lines from this song is: "Shapes of every size move behind my eyes. Doors inside my head are bolted from within. Every drop of flame lights a candle in memory of the one who lived inside my skin." That's some pretty heavy stuff right there.
This whole album bleeds with intensity and passion. Whether it is the incredible production value (see credits below), the songwriting, the musicianship or just a perfectly calculated combination of the three, there is just something about the dark and heavy energy that draws me in. It's like a drug and I just can't escape. In my opinion, Chris Cornell had one of the most unique and powerful voices in rock and metal. In Soundgarden, he combined thought-provoking lyrics with hard-hitting, dark and driven music with his fellow band mates. This carried over into the lyrics for Audioslave, which mostly dealt with existentialism, coping with death and... using a car as a metaphor for loneliness and feeling isolated from the rest of the world (take the song "Gasoline" or "Getaway Car" for example). "Like a Stone" perfectly captures Cornell's uncanny ability to paint a beautifully haunted picture with his lyricism. I give him so much credit for being able to pour his heart and soul out in these wonderful batch of songs. It is not an easy thing to do. He is a true wordsmith and a poet that has the ability to transcend time. I'm not going to lie, it was very difficult for me to listen to this album after Cornell's passing becuase I feel some of the songs foreshadowed his death. In "Exploder" he writes: "There was a man who had a face who looked a lot like me. I saw him in the mirror and I fought him in the street. And when he turned away I shot him in the head. Then I came to realize I had killed myself." Creepy. It could've meant something else, though. His lyrics channeled a dark place, yet he transformed it into something beautiful. Do yourself a favor and really listen to his lyrics because they may just change your life.
Thanks for reading!
-JM
Score = 10/10
Score = 10/10
Track Listing:
1. Cochise
2. Show Me How to Live
3. Gasoline
4. What You Are
5. Like a Stone
6. Set It Off
7. Shadow on the Sun
8. I Am the Highway
9. Exploder
10. Hypnotize
11. Bring Em Back Alive
12. Light My Way
13. Getaway Car
14. The Last Remaining Light
Link to Album: https://youtu.be/KDMvN45sjo4
Pitchfork Review: https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/356-audioslave/
Album Credits: https://www.discogs.com/Audioslave-Audioslave/release/368264
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