Audioslave formed in Los Angeles in 2001, pairing Soundgarden's Chris Cornell with Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello, Tim Commerford, and Brad Wilk. The self-titled 2002 debut is the essential document of that union, with Out of Exile (2005) close behind before the 2007 split. Find Audioslave vinyl, CDs, and reissues at Wax Trax Records.
Audioslave formed in Los Angeles in 2001 from the union of Chris Cornell (formerly of Soundgarden, which had disbanded in 1997) with the three instrumentalists of Rage Against the Machine after vocalist Zack de la Rocha's departure: Tom Morello, Tim Commerford, and Brad Wilk. The band signed with Epic/Interscope and released three studio albums between 2002 and 2006, dissolving in 2007 with Cornell continuing solo work and the RATM members reuniting with de la Rocha. A one-off Audioslave reunion performance occurred in 2017, shortly before Cornell's death.
Audioslave combined alternative metal, hard rock, and post-grunge with Cornell's vocal range and Morello's distinctive guitar work. The band's sound moved away from Rage's political rap-rock and Soundgarden's grunge toward a more direct hard rock approach, with bluesier songwriting on the second and third albums.
Epic/Interscope pressings of the three Audioslave albums have been issued in multiple variants and reissue formats. The self-titled debut has appeared in anniversary editions, including 20th anniversary pressings.
Listeners new to Audioslave typically start with the self-titled debut (2002) or Out of Exile (2005).
