Audioslave

When the embers of Rage Against the Machine met the soaring howl of Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell, Audioslave was born—a supergroup both inevitable and, at the time, divisive. Their self-titled debut, released on 18 November 2002, saw the band fusing RATM’s muscular riffage with Cornell’s world-weary, bluesy wail. While critics were split, Audioslave still stands as an essential chapter in early 2000s rock.

Right out of the gate, “Cochise” sets the tone, with Tom Morello’s guitar screeching like an air raid siren before the track explodes into a bruising stomp. “Like a Stone” follows with a brooding melancholy, showcasing Cornell’s introspective lyricism and the band’s ability to dial things down without losing weight. Elsewhere, “Show Me How to Live” and “I Am the Highway” balance thunderous grooves with moments of grandeur, revealing the band’s undeniable chemistry.

The road to release wasn’t without turbulence—leaked demos, Cornell’s struggles with addiction, and even a brief breakup threatened to derail the project. But the band regrouped, delivering an album that, while occasionally over-polished by Rick Rubin’s production, still carries moments of raw power.

Critically, Audioslave divided opinion. Some found it derivative, a watered-down amalgamation of its members’ former bands. Others heralded it as a necessary jolt to mainstream rock, likening its bombast to the best of Zeppelin and Sabbath. The album’s commercial success, however, was undeniable—certified triple platinum and boasting a string of radio-dominating singles, it cemented Audioslave’s place in rock’s 21st-century landscape.

Twenty years on, Audioslave endures as a curious beast: neither revolutionary nor redundant, but a record that—at its best—burns with the fire of its creators’ past glories.