Tom Morello paid tribute to his late Audioslave bandmate Chris Cornell in new liner notes on the Chris Cornell career retrospective album.
“In Soundgarden and Audioslave, Chris helped redeem the genre of hard rock and metal. He unapologetically embraced badass riffs but eschewed lyrics about dungeons OR dragons and instead wrote deep, dark, soul searching poetry that opened the door for generations of artists who felt empowered to use their brains along with their musical brawn. For this I tip my hat to the darker corners of Chris’ soul because I believe that’s where his brilliance as a lyricist and musician stemmed from.
Sure Chris had demons, but he harnessed those demons and rode them like a mother flippin’ Chariot Of Lightning strapped with Marshall Stacks to make some of the greatest rock n’ roll of all time. Chris was as melodic as The Beatles, as heavy as Sabbath, and as haunting as Edgar Allen Poe and I’m damn proud to have been in a band with him.
As much as Chris was a bandmate and friend I never stopped for one second being a huge FAN of his artistry, of his smile, of his ridiculously beautiful hair, of his love of family, and of his willingness to help others.”
