Living up to the hype surrounding them, Audioslaveis eponymous 2002 debut album won two Grammy nominations and was on track for her third platinum certification by the time her second album, Out Of Exile, was released on May 23, 2005.
Inevitably, the group’s celebrity status goes both ways. They had a head start because their line-up included Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell and the three instrumentalists of the incendiary alt.rock refuseniks Rage Against The Machine. On the other hand, Audioslave had to prove that they could contribute something that stood up to the quality of their collective past.
Listen to out of exile now.
The group’s debut album proved that it was entirely possible to forge a believable new identity. Offering a host of murderous hymns that enhanced their classic rock roots with the dynamics of contemporary alternative rock, the Audioslave album enjoyed general appeal and its creators established a tremendous reputation live on their next world tour, which included a long passage on the Lollapalooza bill of 2003.
The title of Out Of Exile might suggest the band later drifted into the wild, but they were already working on new songs during the ride to Lollapalooza, and by the end of 2003, Audioslave was back in the studio with the producer. Rick Rubin. While they took a short sabbatical while guitarist Tom Morello worked on his solo project, The Nightwatchman, they certainly haven’t let go. Out Of Exile remained the main focus of the band, and it was all done and dusted off in early 2005.
“We continued the journey”
In the sleeves for Chris Cornell’s eponymous career review in 2018, Morello said, “On Out Of Exile, we continued the journey”, and that rings true, as the record was a natural progression from its predecessor. Like the awe-inspiring “Your hour has come” and the scorching, Led Zeppelin-esque titular track groove proven, big screen rock anthems were always Audioslave’s forte, and – as Morello also stated – the slow-burning “Be Yourself” was indeed “the spiritual heir” of the highly acclaimed “Like A Stone. ”
Elsewhere, however, Out Of Exile has hinted that Audioslave is eager to stretch out sonically. On “Man Or Animal” they worked on a visceral, hardcore punk attack with a brilliantly left-field Morello solo that was more like the work of a DJ terrorizing his decks, while on “Heaven’s Dead” they performed. changed course and heavy, the size of an arena power ballad. Cornell continued to evolve, too, with his voice displaying new richness and depth on songs such as The Glorious, Release-esque “Dandelion” and the heavy but contagious poppy “Doesn’t Remind Me,” which went on to earn a well-deserved Grammy nomination in 2006.
“We alone demolished the rock’n’roll blockade”
Audioslave made history as the release of Out Of Exile approached when they became the very first American rock band to perform in Cuba, presenting a free show to around 70,000 people in Havana on the 6th May 2005. During their stay they made it a point of honor to interact with Cuban musicians and, as Morello later recalled, “We single-handedly demolished the rock’n’roll blockade against Cuba – what a pleasure it was to pour every ounce of our fortitude into the performance.
Following their pioneering trip to Cuba, Out Of Exile was released and rocketed straight to the top of the Billboard 200. The album’s signature hit, “Be Yourself,” cracked the US Top 40 while the record went on to score another platinum record for the group. Further accolades were won throughout 2005, with Cornell and company securing a seat at the Live 8 televised worldwide concert in Berlin in July, followed by their first arena tour in North America and the release of the highly acclaimed DVD Live In Cuba. .
The sonic advancements that Audioslave made with Out Of Exile suggested they were here to stay, but circumstances then conspired to prove otherwise. Indeed, Chris Cornell turning to his high level solo set Carry On, and Rage Against The Machine regrouping in 2006, the third album of Audioslave, Revelations, became their swan song. The ambitious soul and funk styles of this album, however, showed that they continued to evolve until the very end.
Out Of Exile can be purchased here.
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