Audioslave Album: “Out of Exile”

Out of Exile

As the final song in Out of Exile marches its way through the speakers, you receive a strong sense of déjà vu, almost as though it was the ending song played as the credits of a movie roll across the screen. It was a movie you have experinced many mixed emotions with, but in the end it was incredibly satisfying.

Thus is the story so far with Audioslave, the Soundgarden + Rage Against the Machine incarnation, and the trend continues with their sophmore effort, Out of Exile. After a steller first effort, which has been overly and unfairly critisized, I came into Out of Exile with expectations sky high. Unlike many fans, I was not around in the hey-day of Soundgarden and Rage Against the Machine and have since been turned on to their music through Audioslave, and not the reverse. Therefore, I have the intriuging ability to examin Audioslave based not on what they have done in their segragated pasts, but only against their potiential in the future.

With that being said, Out of Exile is good album, no, a great album. At first I was a little disapointed. I had dove headlong into their self-titled debut without a single seed of anticipation and loved every minute of it. This album, however, I had been anticipating for months and was expecting, and demanding, an instant classic. What I found, at least a first listen, was an unoriginal, strictly formualic, and somewhat disapointing sequal to what was a fantastic first effort. The songs all seemed to be lacking that certain freshness that the first had so eagerly accepted. The first single, "Be Yourself," was generic, formualic, and about as predictable as any other radio friendly song that dominates the rock charts nowadays. Many of the songs were also disapointingly simple, a surprising move by Chris Cornell, who has been known for his deep, if inaccessable lyrics. "Doesn't Remind Me," is in a fact nothing more than a list of things Cornell likes because, they don't remind him of anything. And, at first listen, nearly all the more Rage-esq rockers such as "Drown Me Slowly," and "Man or Animal," sounded terribly mechanical. But after being able to listen through the album muliple times, I can safely say that this an exceptional 50 minutes of music.

Like all good rock and roll, this album requires time to set in. As the initial disapointment faded to tolerance and then to acceptance, I came to realize just how strong of a set this is. The most noticable difference from the first was just in it's overaul feel. Out of Exile has a much tighter structure to it, making for a smooth and beautiful flow. The band still follows the strict Verse-Verse-Chorus-Verse-Chorus-Solo-Conclusion formula, but every song is worked to perfection. The voice of Chris Cornell is matched only by the outrageous guitar playing of Tom Morrello and there are times when it almost seems as if the two are trying to out-do each other. It is, however, on the occasions when they truly merge together, that a glimpse of the future is seem, and it is a bright future indeed. When the complete marriage of Cornell and Morello, Voice and Instrument, is attained the result is an absolutely stunning display of what music should sound like.

The band's amplified unity and confidence in each other is also readily apparent throughout the album, and every one of the twelve songs could be a new single. Out of Exile has managed to expose the softer and even blissful nature of the band that was only touched on in their debut. Songs such as Dandelion, an obvious and inspirational ode to Cornell's newly born daughter convey this newfound sense of peace and optimism. Not to disapoint fans of their more Rage-esq tunes, this album rocks just as hard as the first. Highlighted by such headbangers as "Your Time has Come," "The Worm," and the title track, "Out of Exile," Audioslave has still managed to channel their rage, despite its ever loosening hold on them. Cornell's continued dabblings in blues are present as well in the mournful melodies "Heavens Dead," and "#1 Zero." The true strengh of the album, however, lies in its almost 80s like power ballads, which are reminisent of the great bands of the past. Its difficult to put into words the magnificence and power of the tracks "Yesterday to Tommorrow," and "The Curse," their cool beauty is just something that you'll have to hear for yourself.

Yet dispite the overall maturity of the band and the undeniable greatness of this album, I still feel like there is so much more to come from Audioslave. Chris Cornell has been quoted to say that he wants to turn out albums on a rapid yearly basis, like the some of the great bands of old. But to reach the upper echelon of the immortal bands of the past, Audioslave needs to take that step into the unknown. The need to break the formula - tried and true though it is - has never been more dire, and to have already been so great, Audioslave has barely begun to tap into their vast potential.

People complain that Audioslave lacks a certain unplacable something, that they are nothing more than a wild experiment in the soundscape of rock. The truth is there are times when they sound like Soundgarden, times when they sound like Rage, and even times when they sound like U2 or Zeppelin, but in the their second effort, Audioslave finally just sounds like Audioslave. Chris Cornell has cemented his status as one rock and roll's great vocalists, and Tom Morello's guitar playing will take you out of this world. And even if they never break the mold, even if they continue to put out albums like Out of Exile that only touch on greatness, I will thrilled. For Audioslave has arrived and is hear to stay, this may not be Soundgarden, and this may not be Rage, but this is damn good rock and roll from four of the best in the business.

Don't listen to the people who like to hear themselves talk about how this album is sub-standard. Chris Cornell shines in his own way as usual and the past Rage Against the Machine members are also strong throughout. The writing is solid and the chemistry between the members of the band is evident.

In the past I was more of a Soundgarden fan than a Rage fan. Trust me, there's no sense in comparing this group to the past bands. This is a good album in it's own right and yes, even if they weren't past members of these bands this CD would still get looked at. Why? Chris is a unique and distinct vocalist. So are his lyrics. Tom Morello is a unique and distinct guitarist. You can't get around that.

If you are a fan of the genre and if you are at all a fan of the previous album then you should definitely pick this one up. If you aren't familiar with these guys, pick it up and get back in touch with your rock and roll roots.

From one person who likes good rock and roll to another or to someone still getting into it, check it out. And let yourself enjoy it free of comparisons and reviews rife with obnoxious vocabulary.

Like a monster out of the gates, Audioslave has finally come crashing back into the music world with their much-awaited sophomore album.

They have returned to prove yet again that the sum is, impossibly so, greater than its parts. The supergroup enjoyed a self-titled debut in 2003 that skyrocketed up the charts with radio favorites "Cochise," "Like a Stone," and "Show Me How to Live," though by the end of that summer, nearly the entire album had been played out on rock radio stations.

Ex-Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell has returned at the helm, bringing his original lineup of guitar wizard Tom Morello, Brad Wilk, and Tim Commerford, all formerly of Rage Against the Machine. And the effort here is much more solidified, the group identity has been realized to a much fuller extent. While 2003's self titled was an immensely successful effort, and a hard rocker in its own right, it had points of sounding like what it really was at the time, Soundgarden singing over Rage Against the Machine instrumentals.

After a year on the road, the supergroup seems to have cast off the chains of their former groups, and Audioslave is now an entity of its own stylistic ventures. Upon first listen, Rubin's production has brought the group together to create a wall of harmonic hard-rock sound, of group energy and unity. And as Cornell's vocals have ventured beyond the croon-scream song structures of the debut album, Tom Morello's chops have worked to weld themselves more deeply to the musical foundations of Audioslave.

It is in this sense that we see an expansion of range, and upon second and third listens it is apparent that the sound has become more heavily blues-tinged, while still hanging on to the hard edge and whammy solos that popularized the first album. Cornell steps forward even more as a modern day Robert Plant, playing off Morello's Robert Plant, and the result is dynamic. Wilk and Commerford, equally, have become a truly muscular rhythm section.

The first single, "Be Yourself," has garnered much criticism on fan forums and sites for being too "formulaic" in the vein of the previous hit "Like a Stone." While it is true that the skeletal aspects of this work, with the hypnotic rhythm section and mystical guitar leads mirroring Cornell's tenor crooning, reflect that particular hit, it is an original in its own right. Within the context of "Out of Exile" the song thrives wonderfully, nestled between two great rockers.

Hard rock ballads like "Doesn't Remind Me" and "Heaven's Dead" would bring a solemn tear to the eye of any GNR or Zeppelin fan, and yet the songs contain so much more modernity that one could never consider this work dated. Fringe rockers like "The Worm" and "Man and Animal" are remniscent of recent supergroup Velvet Revolver in their fearless melding of punk and metal with sheer pop sensiblity.

This album is truly a recommendation for anyone, pop music and metal fan alike. It contains just the right balance of hard rock, shredding, and ear-candy vocals to satisfy even the most critical of tastes.

Very few musicians have explored so many genres of music as Chris Cornell. He first established himself as one of the industries most powerful and versatile voices in Rock, Metal, and Grunge with Soundgarden. His solo album 'Euphoria Morning' wonderfully explored R&B, Folk, and a medley of music found by no other Seattle musician. His work in Audioslave dominated Rock charts once again and led the group to a multi-platinum selling album. But after 20 years, Chris has finally achieved something he never has before: salvation.

Audioslave's 'Out of Exile' contains a bold new direction for Chris, but will his fans accept it? Yes. Many fans of Chris found redemption in their own depressions because someone else shared the same feelings. These same fans would not care for other more upbeat artists because they couldn't identify with them. Chris' lyrics here not only identify with his same fan base, but give them hope, something that has not been seen by any of the other Seattle singers yet. Two have died needlessly, never achieving peace, and only confirming to their fans that the Generation X depressions are real and not a phase. This 'Fight Club' style of thinking has never been challenged so thoroughly by anyone else until now. Chris' new lyrics provide salvation not only for him, but reestablish hope in his fans, and listeners. This is his best work to date.

Tom Morello has already established himself as an incredible musician who can experiment on the guitar like no other. Not since the likes of Hendrix has a guitarist made such bold and experimental playing style. Tom continues his legacy here with new sounds, riffs and methods that even he has never played before.

Audioslave is not Audioslave anymore. They've come together as a band and are no longer Soundgarden + Rage Against The Machine for a new sound and direction that puts this album as their best work to date. There are no songs to listen for, because the album contains no filler. Each and every song could hold its own as a radio single. I'd highly recommend it to anyone, not just previous fans.

I absolutely loved Audioslave's self-titled debut. It was one of the best rock CDs released in a long time, and as successful as the album was, I still don't think it recieved enough recognition. For those of you that don't know, the group consists of Tom (guitar), Tim (bass), and Brad (drums), all of which are from Rage Against The Machine. And on vocals, is Chris Cornell from Soundgarden. I'm a big fan of both groups, mostly Soundgarden.

This time around, the members claimed that this new album would sound a lot LESS like Soundgarden-meets-Rage. But ironically, I think this album sounds MORE like Soundgarden than the last album. Songs like "Drown Me Slowly" sound just like something from SG's "Superunknown" days, and "Heaven's Dead" sounds like something from Temple Of The Dog (the Soundgarden / Pearl Jam side-project from '91). Tom Morello's guitar style is not as similar as it was on past albums from Rage or Audioslave, except on songs like "The Worm". But most of the songs still carry Tom's wacky signature solos that sound more like a turn-table than a guitar. Overall, the band sounds a lot more classic rock-ish. If you listen to songs like "Doesn't Remind Me" or especially "Dandelion", you'll think that you're listening to an old Led Zeppelin album. In my opinion, I think it's great! I'm sick of all these new alternative groups who are getting away with making hit songs without being able to sing or do guitar solos. Audioslave puts those groups to shame.

To sum up, this is a great album. Give it more than one listen though, because I actually wasn't that impressed with it until my 3rd listen...now I can't stop listening to it. If you liked their last album, than you should like this one to. I would definitly recommend it more towards the Soundgarden fans than the RATM fans.

BEST SONGS:

Drown Me Slowly

The Worm

Man Or Animal

Doesn't Remind Me

Your Time Has Come

Be Yourself