Look out rock music fans! The front man of the now defunct Soundgarden, Chris Cornell, has joined forces with the metal band Rage Against The Machine to form the explosive new band, Audioslave. The much-anticipated CD was released Tuesday and is already creating a buzz in the music world, and thanks to our friends at Hastings we at The Houstonian were able to get our hands on the new CD to tell everyone what we think.Both Soundgarden and Rage were once disbanded due to creative differences inside each group and the sound of their music was feared to be dead. The remaining members of Rage contacted Cornell and decided to pool together their unforgettable talents to create the new band Audioslave. Because of the combination of such highly acclaimed artists, Audioslave is being hailed as the first “Super group” of the new millennium. The band brings together the unforgettable sounds of its old bands and recreates the awesome rock vibe they once each had in the new self-titled CD “Audioslave”. After listening to the CD, I am truly convinced that this band lives up to all of the hype that they are receiving. In the first single off the CD, “Cochise”, you can easily catch yourself bobbing your head and singing along. Track after track, this band does not let up. Cornell’s vocals are unbelievable, and after hearing the riffs from guitarist Tom Morello, it is hard to believe these sounds originate from a guitar. Even if you are not into hard rock, there are a few “softer” songs on the CD. In the song, “I Am The Highway”, Audioslave brings back the power ballad and shows off many of their musical talents by changing the fast paced direction of the CD. Honestly, the band sounds like a mix of the two original bands, which is a good thing because several of the songs are reminiscent of Soundgarden and some bring Rage back from the dead. You can catch this combination on the song “Set It Off”, which is my personal favorite, because it includes the heavy bass that is a characteristic of Soundgarden and the funk-rock based guitar riffs that made Rage famous. Audioslave brings a renewed character to the rock world by bringing back the sound we once loved. I certainly hope this band is here to stay. If I had to describe this CD in one word, it would be ‘amazing’. This is one CD I am glad I own, and it is definitely going to stay in my CD player quite a while. I highly suggest everyone go check this CD out. It retails at Hastings for $16.99, a small price to pay for a 14-track, fast-paced CD.