Audioslave
Breaking a new act is a crapshoot. To minimize the risk, record labels often sign musicians with proven track records.
The combination of Soundgarden’s frontman with Rage Against The Machine (sans Zach de la Rocha) would seem like a sure bet. But Audioslave was one of those blue chip “marriages” that nearly blew apart before it got rolling.
After de la Rocha’s departure from Rage Against The Machine, guitarist Tom Morello, bassist Tim Commerford and drummer Brad Wilk decided to press on.
It was Morello who asked Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell to come on board. Cornell was initially agreeable but soon bailed, saying things weren’t moving in the direction he hoped (whatever that means). Was that the end? For a while. But Cornell was persuaded to return.
The video for debut single “Cochise” used the equivalent of a medium sized city’s 4th of July fireworks. The good news was the group had pyrotechnics of its own.
Their debut full-length effort (cleverly titled “Audioslave”) entered the Billboard 200 at #7 on first week sales of 152,000 copies. An equally successful tour followed.
Audioslave released their platinum-certified sophomore album “Out Of Exile” in 2005. It was the band’s only album reach #1 on the Billboard 200 selling 263,000 copies in its first week of release.
The album spawned the singles “Your Time Has Come,” “Doesn’t Remind Me” and “Be Yourself,” which topped the Mainstream Rock chart.
Audioslave did something later in ’05 that would have been typical of Rage Against The Machine. They performed in Cuba. The U.S. State Department actively discouraged any contact with the country or its citizens but Audioslave went anyway playing their songs before 70,000 fans while tossing in Soundgraden tracks (“Spoonman” and “Black Hole Sun”) and Rage songs (including the classic “Bulls On Parade”). The, “Live In Cuba” set resulted.
Returning to U.S. soil, the group began work on their third album “Revelations.” The 2006 release, with the single “Original Fire,” was produced by Brendan O’Brien (who had worked with both Soundgarden and Rage Against The Machine).
But in February 2007, word arrived that singer Chris Cornell had left Audioslave, effectively ending the supergroup. A planned Rage Against The Machine reunion tour (with Morello. Commerford. Wilk and de la Rocha) was a major issue.
“Due to irresolvable personality conflicts as well as musical differences, I am permanently leaving the band,” said Cornell. “I wish the other three members nothing but the best.”
But there was one last shot… On January 20th, 2017, Audioslave reunited at the Teragram Ballroom in L.A. for their first show in twelve years at Prophets Of Rage’s Anti-Inaugural Ball, protesting Donald Trump’s’ inauguration as President of the United States.
Cornell passed away shortly thereafter.
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