First Review!

As promised here is number 1 of the top 10 albums that influenced me. Im technically 'reviewing' an album after a long time, so forgive if seem too formal or too casual!

Audioslave - Audioslave (2002)

Formed in 2001, Audioslave was one of those 'supergroups' that had the potential of becoming one of modern rock's greatest bands.Whether or not they lived up to that potential is a highly debatable point,a question to which even i can't come up with an answer.On paper they seemed formidable,consisting of 3/4ths of Rage Against the Machine and 1/4 of Soundgarden,two of the greatest bands of the 90s. Their debut, in my opinion, blew away many albums by the mainstream rock bands of the time (yes nickelback and creed i am talking about you guys).Critics said that it lacked a cohesive sound, that of a band yet to find it's identity.However it was the first true rock album i heard from start to finish and it enabled me to further explore more and more genres and artists.

The album kicks off with a modern rock classic,Cochise. The helicopter-ish guitar builds up the tension culminating in an explosive main riff which keeps you hooked till the end.Chris Cornell's powerful voice is also captivating showing us why he is one of rock music's greatest vocalists.Other cuts on this album include the bass-heavy 'Show me how to live' and the 'Shadow on the Sun', the latter on which Cornell truly shines.On the whole the album sounds more like Rage Against The Machine, with an abundance of heavy riffs although lacking in real texture. However,it would be wrong to say that the album's more introspective songs don't shine.'Like a Stone' is a haunting yet beautiful ballad.'I am the Highway' is also a easy-going song with a beautiful solo by Tom Morello.I felt that the album was bogged down by too many songs that were not really necessary such as 'Exploder' and 'Bring em back alive'. To fans of Tom Morello,the guitar solos aren't as good as the ones back in his RATM days, but to a then-newcomer, it simply stunned me. You could never beleive that half the sounds heard on the album are from his guitar! Overall while it was mixed bag,Audioslave's debut self-titled album was an amazing experience for me, the kind i'll never forget.

Song picks :

• Cochise
• Show Me How To Live
• Shadow On the Sun
• Like A Stone
• I Am The Highway
• Set It Off