“This station was named Audioslave in honor of the last American heroes to whom speed means freedom of the soul…” begins the music video for ‘Show Me How to Live.’ Audioslave was not meant to be as good as it was. Chris Cornell fell victim to an alcohol addiction causing their spot at Ozzfest to be revoked. Cornell continued to a rehab facility where he remained for two months. Unfortunately, this very issue caused his marriage to sever. To make matters worse, early demos of the album leaked onto the internet.
Audioslave found a way to get back on their feet and lived to tell their story. “Freedom of the soul” is a sentiment shared in the self-titled album. Faith, addiction, and religion are discussed through bouncing riffs, top-notch vocals, and grooving basslines.
Audioslave doesn’t hold back in quantity or quality. The album is stacked with 14 tracks of pure fury. Although clocking in at over an hour, the album doesn’t have any dull moments. The songs show the incredible chemistry the group shares.
Audioslave sounds exactly like one would expect Tom Morello and Chris Cornell to produce. Bouncy pedal-induced riffs decorate each track with a unique beat to entice its audience. ‘Show Me How to Live” has a stop-and-go riff that crawls up the fretboard with a chugging muted verse. The chorus explodes into the stereo with, “Nail in my hand--from my creator. You gave me a life, now, show me how to live.” A digitalized tremolo solo shreds the atmosphere as the song gives its last go-round.
Audioslave has a tendency to play around with different styles. ‘Getaway Car’ has a noticeably jazzy riff alongside Chris Cornell’s powerful vocals. ‘I am the Highway’ is a ballad driven track that slows the album down towards the middle of the record. ‘Gasoline,’ as one would expect, is a slow burn that packs a lot of energy for the Audioslave Nation. ‘Set it Off’ swallows its listeners into an extremely immersive track contemplating how belief affects life.
The lyrics are equally as impressive as the music. They’re just as soulful, impactful, and enigmatic as one would expect from Chris Cornell. ‘Like A Stone’ shows off the yearning for something greater Cornell uses throughout the album. The lyrics are almost a massive soul-search if one were to attempt interpretation. “Staring at the loss looking for a cause. And never really sure, nothing but a hole,” are a mere excerpt from the tragic “Shadow of the Sun.” Cornell doesn’t shy away from powerful narratives and haunting lyrics.
What surprises me is the initial mixed reaction
Audioslave received upon release. There’s nothing fundamentally wrong with the album. The songs are coherent, the music is consistent, and Audioslave doesn’t bask in the shadow of Rage Against the Machine or Soundgarden. The entirety of the
Audioslave album creates its own market separate from the bands previous efforts. Most critics believe the album to be “uninspired” and lacking purpose. I find this hard to say because there is nothing meaningless in the album itself.
As far as criticisms go, the album isn’t perfect. 14 tracks is a bit much for a debut record. I would have capped the record at 8 or 10. Although all 14 tracks were quality songs, I would have saved a few for another album. What’s even more surprising is the band wrote 21 songs in 19 days of recording. Most critics disapproved of the bands predictable style, but I tend to disagree. The music meshed well with Cornell’s voice as well as the tone of lyrics. The music was also a lot heavier and had a 70’s vibe to it. Most others felt
Audioslave was over produced, however, I leave that up to the listener.
All in all,
Audioslave was a solid debut that offers a lot of potential. The music was refreshing to hear in the 2000’s rock climate and was different from the rest. For a band riddled in turmoil with every obstacle coming at once, the group triumphed and delivered a unique album that defined their existence. Returning to our beginning quote, the personality continues, “…the question is not when they’re going to stop, but who’s going to stop them?” Such a haunting question can only be answered with Chris Cornell.
Standout Tracks
Show Me How to Live
Shadow of the Sun
The Last Remaining Light
Set it Off
I Am the Highway
