REVELATIONS
Now that AUDIOSLAVE has released it's third album, it is probably time we stop trying to compare the group to its pieces (Soundgarden and Rage Against the Machine) and critique them as a unique and separate entity. Cornell and the boys have shown us that they know how to drive it home hard (self-titled debut) and how to go on the mellow side and still emerge with some very solid tunes ("Out of Exile"). Like many bands (see: Pearl Jam's
Vitalogy), Audioslave goes in yet another direction with its third release
Revelations.
Taking from their 70's funk influences,
Revelations turns out to be a very "groovy" album at times (forgive the
Brady Bunch terminology), while still maintaining the hard rock feel of the Audioslave we were initially introduced to. The first single, "Original Fire" has a very, let's say "different" sound to it, yet nevertheless is catchy. Why it was used in conjunction with the MLB playoffs, however, I will never know. But I digress.
The title track leads off, and although it is very "pop" for Audioslave, it is not vomit inducing. They follow with a few forgettable tracks and "Original Fire" comes in at #5 to rekindle interest. From that point on, the CD is quality. "Somedays" is fast paced, and while simple, is effective. "Jewel of the Summertime" is a very funky song, but at the same time, carries a dreary feel with it. Sounds like an odd pairing, but it results in a bad-ass tune. People who listen to Cornell's work may sometimes get chills from listening to certain songs (yes, it sounds horribly effeminate, but it's true), and "Wide Awake", a song about Hurricane Katrina, is one such song. The album ends with its hardest track, "Moth," a song reminiscent of the debut album.
When all is said and done, Audioslave's third album,
Revelations comes out as expected: quite different yet more than digestible, with a only a few standouts, but no true wastes of songs.
