Audioslave

Given that most supergroups last little longer than a single album, it was easy to assume that Audioslave - the pairing of Soundgarden vocalist Chris Cornell and the instrumental trio at the core of Rage Against the Machine - was a one-off venture. That suspicion was given weight by their eponymous 2002 debut, which sounded as if Cornell wrote melodies and lyrics to tracks RATM wrote after the departure of Zack de la Rocha, but any lingering doubts about Audioslave being a genuine rock band are vanished by their 2005 second album, Out of Exile. Unlike the first record, Out of Exile sounds like the product of a genuine band, where all four members of the band contribute equally to achieve a distinctive, unified personality…

It's subtle, but telling, that the cover of Audioslave's eponymous debut is designed by Storm Thorgerson, the artist behind Pink Floyd's greatest album sleeves. Thorgerson, along with Roger Dean, epitomized the look of the '70s, the era of supergroups, which is precisely what Audioslave is - a meeting of Rage Against the Machine, minus Zack de la Rocha, with former Soundgarden vocalist Chris Cornell. Though both bands were leading lights of alt-metal in the '90s, the two came from totally separate vantage points: Rage Against the Machine was fearlessly modern, addressing contemporary politics over Tom Morello's hip-hop-influenced guitar, while Soundgarden dredged up '70s metal fueled with the spirit of punk…

Given the short distance separating Audioslave's second album, Out of Exile, in 2005 and their third, Revelations, in 2006, it's easy to assume that the Rage Against the Machine/Soundgarden supergroup has finally turned into an actual working band - either that or the group is working hard to get to the end of their contract so they can go their separate ways (a suspicion stoked by the flurry of Chris Cornell-centric press surrounding its release, including the announcement that he's recording a solo album and will be singing the theme song for the new James Bond film, Casino Royale, on his own)…

The limited edition 4-CD Deluxe Edition of Chris Cornell holds 64 songs with 11 recordings previously unreleased from all stages of Chris’ career including Soundgarden, Temple of the Dog, Audioslave and his solo works. Creative Director for the project is Jeff Ament (Pearl Jam, Temple of the Dog).

The 4-disc set contains three discs of live footage taken from the Live 8 shows staged in London and Philadelphia alongside key highlights from the seven other concerts staged across the world. Japanese four DVD box set of the Live 8 Festival on July 2, 2005. Features Pink Floyd performance at the festival, and video of their rehearsal…

Chris Cornell - Carry On
FLAC, EAC, LOG & CUE | Artwork | Size: 541 MB
Cat#: Interscope 0602517348837 | Country/Year: Europe 2007
Genre: Alternative Rock | Hoster: Filesonic/Uploaded

Chris Cornell's first solo album, Euphoria Morning, was released just after Cornell had shaken the shackles of Soundgarden and he was making a definitive break from their heavy heavy sound by indulging in bucolic singer/songwriter clichés. It went nowhere commercially but led him toward Audioslave, where he spent three albums pushing and pulling against the core of Rage Against the Machine. If Euphoria Morning was breaking from the past, Carry On is about reconnecting to it, returning Cornell to music that feels more comfortable than Tom Morello's staccato riffs…

Kiss My Ass: Classic Kiss Regrooved is a 1994 tribute album, featuring a variety of artists covering songs KISS. Released to coincide with Kiss' 20th anniversary. Only the vinyl release includes the bonus track "Unholy" performed by Die Ärzte and sung in German. Released in a limited red vinyl edition, it's become fairly rare to find now.