Metal Underground.com

As live acts go, Audioslave are oft noted for standing directly beneath the shadow of their past. Being a composite of members from Rage Against the Machine and Soundgarden damns the band to a career rife with comparisons. Rage Against the Machine’s live performances are the stuff of legend and street riots (see Lolapalooza 1993, Woodstock 1999, and Wall Street in 2000) while Soundgarden’s “thinking man’s metal” preserved and even restored the genres credibility after years of glam decadence.

Audioslave come off as a rock band that enjoys what it does but lacks the energy and purpose of its precursors. This may have something to do with the band incorporating some of U2's warmth and simplicity while exorcizing some of the metal and funk swagger that are the bands' signature. The band get off on the right foot with “Set It Off” which sounds like a revived RATM with Chris Cornell sending his vocal chords out of his mouth more than once. “Doesn’t Remind Me” seems a bit sedated by comparison but it is more lively than the studio version. It seems a bit forced but “Gasoline” is a tight demonstration in which Cornell seems to get a second wind during the bridge. Closing track “Out of Exile” finds engaging performances by all members, with Cornell singing fluidly and guitar prodigy Tom Morrello knocking out a studio perfect solo.

Audioslave may never fully outshine their previous track records but they play with an undaunted confidence nonetheless. The band demonstrate veteran dexterity and Cornell rarely gives fans halfhearted vocal performances. However, the bands forays into pop-rock might induce yawns from the those eagerly awaiting a stomping anthem and otherworldly guitar solos. Audioslave are a mostly consistent act in the live setting and have clearly set the bar for all modern super groups. Only time will tell whether this band can achieve the acclaim established by its predecessors.