Chris Cornell: Ranking Every Album From Worst To Best

Coming from two entirely different backgrounds of the 90s alt-rock movement, Rage Against the Machine and Soundgarden had only the flimsiest of similarities. It was exciting to think of their styles merging, but the question leading up to their debut was "Which band's methodology will come to the forefront?"

That was answered rather definitively with the release of lead-off single "Cochise," which simply plugged Cornell's muscular wailing into what could have very well been a pre-written instrumental track for an unreleased Rage album.

But this is a benefit for Cornell, and for his fans who had waited a long time to hear him unleash his shredding vocals in such a powerful way. It doesn't matter that he's not doing it over Kim Thayil's brand of brooding riffage.

Audioslave formed their own kind of chemistry. Rather than trying to feverishly whisk oil and water together, they simply let Cornell's oil hang out over Rage's water. Occasionally the two immiscible ingredients somehow merged together for a wholly original concoction. "Like A Stone" and "I Am the Highway" are two slow-burners that neither faction would have come up with individually, but all in all, what you see is what you get.

And what you get is pretty !*$% good.