Old members, new group make great music
Jeff Reid

Executive/Online Editor

It s not Rage Against the Machine, and it s not Soundgarden. It s Audiovent, and it s best to know that right off the bat.

Tom Morello, Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk, from Rage Against the Machine, have moved away from the rap metal scene, and with new lead singer Chris Cornell from Soundgarden, have taken an extremely interesting turn in their musical style.

Rechristened as Audioslave, the quartet has released its first CD, Audioslave, backed by the first single,  Cochise. 

Based on the sound of the first single, one might think Audiovent is going for an almost Rage-like sound, but there is more depth, musically, to this CD, than anything Rage eve produced. This can be credited to the addition of Cornell and a desire by the rest of the band to change its sound.

And this desire for change shows through clearly on  I am the Highway,  a slow, well thought out, haunting song, in which Cornell shows the lyrical talent that made Soundgarden so popular.

Every track on the CD is excellent, when you get right down to it. From funk to blues, nearly every style of music is incorporated into at least one track on the CD.

What makes this musical variation even more interesting is the way Morello uses the different genres to create absolutely incredible guitar solos.

On  Shadow of the Sun,  Morello creates an effect that sounds like it has been digitally created, but is done entirely with guitar. I have no idea how he does it, but it sounds awesome.

And the guitar on  Getaway Car  sounds very traditional, almost bluesy guitar effects. It sounds so different from anything else that s out there today, it s impossible to classify.

One thing many people are wondering about is if the political aspect Rage preached so much is still there. The answer is yes and no.

Morello has joined with System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian to form Axis of Justice (www.axisofjustice.org), an organization that aims to  save the world, fight power, etc.  But without Zach de la Rocha fronting the band, the political component, like de la Rocha, is missing in action.

Even if you weren t a fan of Rage or Soundgarden, this CD is so completely different from everything else that either band put out, it s impossible to judge based on what you ve heard in the past.

But if you re a fan of incredible vocals, and the greatest guitarist since Stevie Ray Vaughn, then this CD is definitely for you. So go buy it. Right now.