The fact that
Audioslave only has one album makes the intent of this quickie tribute suspect. And though the band's self-titled debut had its weak moments, there's no question that the union of a
de la Rocha-less
Rage Against the Machine with Mr. Huge Voice,
Chris Cornell, is an interesting dynamic that's hard to fake. "The Highway Sun All-stars" -- in other words, the studio musicians hired for this job -- can't make their guitars melt like
Tom Morello or scream out of hell like
Cornell. Instead, they turn in MOR modern rock versions of 12 of
Audioslave's 14 tracks. "Cochese" and "Bring Me Back Alive" rock appropriately, and "Like a Stone" is able to replicate a bit of the original's brooding yearn. But ultimately, Tribute to Audioslave won't be very exciting for anyone but the most rabid of fans. ~ Johnny Loftus