by depressed goth » Wed Sep 13, 2006 11:25 pm
There has never been any doubt Audioslave are fine pedigree.They are the product,after all,of the collapse of two of the best-known alternative rock band's of the 90's.Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell matched with the slick Rage Against The Machine in Tom Morello (guitar),Tim Commerford (bass) and Brad Wilk (drums).
But while the match-up always looked good on paper,it has taken until this,their third album,for the band to really perform to anywhere near their potential.
Yes,they have had a handful of good songs-Be yourself and Cochise were standouts.But consistency,on albums has never been their forte.That's changed here.
A short time back guitarist Morello told Rolling Stone magazine this record was "Led Zeppelin meets Earth,Wind and Fire"Not quite true,but the guys do have their funky pants on this time.
The opening title track builds into solid,soul groove.The group have never sounded better as the song explodes into glorious,kind of danceable pop chorus.
Broken City is so pop-funky it's almost Red Hot Chilli Peppers-esque.
Everything falls into place on the tracks Original Fire and Wide Awake,the latter a politically charged song about Hurricane Katrina,where Cornell rages,"You can look a hurricane right in the eye/Twelve hundred people dead or left to die/Down on the road the world is floating by"
There are weak moments,Sound of a gun is slightly stifled and Until We Fall starts off a bit like a Tenacious D rip-off.
Revelations is not the blistering album we"ve all been waiting for,but it is their best foot forward so far.
Stephen Downie, The Daily Telegraph 07/09/06