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AUDIOSLAVE
Here we have another double review for an album. It's unintentional, of course. Marc just happened to write his review at the same time Steve did. Both reviews pretty much kiss the band's ass, so there's not much dispute over the overall rating of the disc.
Marc's Review: WOW!!! That's all I can say after literally spinning this disc for three
days non-stop. The songs on this album are tight, nasty and downright
catchy.
It's as though they found some of that magic Led Zeppelin aura and drank a
ton of booze and recorded one of the best stripped down, ear slamming
discs of the year. I will honestly admit that I first thought when hearing
about this group that this could possibly be the worst pairing of two groups
EVER!!! Chris Cornell, who we all know is the wailing banshee of Soundgarden
(a band who for the most part could write a couple of great songs, but
fill their albums with some downright awful filler) fronts this 'band' (who
comprise of Tom Morello, Tim Commerford, and Brad Wilk who lead the front
with Rage Against the Machine). But now they have joined forces to create an
amazing, cohesive unit that not only sounds like the best of both worlds,
but also proves that these two camps can write some seriously intense music.
Granted opening track and lead off single "Cochise" sounds EXACTLY
like a Rage tune with Chris Cornell singing over it, but the rest of the
disc is intense, brooding and very well conceaved. I have to say that the
band
sounds as though they have been playing together forever and the tracks
reflect their diverse influences. This disc has an old school 70's rock vibe
with a healthy dose of alternative edgyness that can really draw the
listener into each track without bashing their auditory senses. Now the only
thing
that remains to be seen is if they can pull it off again. I hope so.
Steve C's Review: Despite what AUDIOSLAVE guitarist Tom Morello says in interviews, if you downloaded a copy of the band's debut online a few months ago, you had yourself a fairly similar version of what is hitting record store shelves. True, the mixes were unmastered, and there were certainly some studio enhancements yet to be made, but what you heard, was basically what you're getting when you buy the Audioslave disc.
With that said, you SHOULD go out and buy the band's disc. Why? because not only are you supporting the artists who make the music when you buy their CDs and see their shows, but you're getting the final product they actually WANT you to hear...which is nothing short of fantastic. My God, it is so nice to hear Chris Cornell scream again. I for one, did not like his solo albums. I like the SOUNDGARDED Chris Cornell, not the sappy, artsy-fartsy one who showed up on Cornell's solo disc, Euphoria Morning.
Considering Audioslave is made up of the remaining members of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE and SOUNDGARGEN's singer, the result is pretty much what you'd expect; Morello's riff-heavy, low-end guitar work and octave pedal-laced solos mixed with Cornell's howling...and that's just the opening track, "Cochise".
It's not all crunch-rock though; The disc is filled with twists and turns, moving from LED ZEPPELIN-esque riffage to more subdued, slower paced, haunting melodies.
Produced by Rick Rubin, this disc is the ultimate wet dream for anyone who was pissed off when Soundgarden called it quits and Rage Against the Machine lost their singer.
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