In 2001, Chris Cornell teamed up with Rage Against the Machine members Tom Morello, Tim Commerford, and Brad Wilk to form the supergroup Audioslave. During their short six years together, the band put out three studio albums. According to Morello, however, there’s more Audioslave music that has yet to see the light of day.
In a new interview with YouTube channel SNSMix, the guitarist says that the recording sessions for the band’s three albums produced a significant amount of unreleased material.
“There’s probably like an album’s worth of great Audioslave songs that were not released,” Morello said.
“When bands are deciding what songs go on their records and what don’t, it’s not always sensible. It’s not like here’s the 10 best jams. Sometimes it’s like, someone likes this one, someone’s not feeling that one. So, we had from each of the three Audioslave records, we had songs left over, some of which are really great.”
Morello added that while he hopes the music will eventually surface, fans shouldn’t expect it anytime soon, as there are currently no concrete plans to release it.
“It’s not for lack of anything other than that just we don’t have it together,” he explained. “There’s no plan to not put it out. I would love for it to get in the world, and hopefully it will one day.”
10 years after disbanding, Audioslave reunited for the last time with singer Chris Cornell in January 2017, just months before he passed away. Together, they performed a three-song set at Prophets of Rage’s “Anti-Inauguration Ball” in Los Angeles.
Following Cornell’s death, Morello and Wilk performed a few Audioslave songs with Perry Farrell, Brandi Carlile, and Dave Grohl on vocals during a tribute concert for the late singer in January 2019.
Earlier this year, Soundgarden confirmed that they are in the process of completing their final album with late frontman Chris Cornell. The project, recorded shortly before his death in 2017, is expected to include some of Cornell’s last studio performances.
Now, in a new interview with Allison Hagendorf filmed the day before the band’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, Soundgarden gave an update regarding the record’s progress.
Sharing new details about the long-awaited album, the band revealed that they are working with producer Terry Date – who produced Soundgarden’s second and third studio albums “Louder Than Love” and “Badmotofinger” – and noted that some of the new material will mark a return to their classic sound.
“There’s very familiar elements in some of this new music,” drummer Matt Cameron said. “There was a couple songs that felt like it was kind of a new chapter or it could have been a new chapter. So it’s really exciting to hear that. It’s bittersweet, of course.”
“I’m really excited for people to hear it, have our fans hear it,” Cameron continued. “It’s fun for us to be working on it. And sometimes listening to it, it’s overpowering. But, yeah, I’m super proud of the music that we did put together. And we’re pretty close [to finishing it]. And, yeah, it is nice having Terry on board with us, for sure.”
This past May, in a post to social media, bassist Ben Shepherd reflected on what it’s been like to hear Cornell’s vocals being brought back to life.
“I can tell you, it feels good and invigorating to hear Chris singing from over that horizon and hear the mighty… mighty life, of souls sharing,” he said. “To hear, as a fan… and band member, a song or two Chris brought in a few years ago turn before my very ears and finger blisters into a full blown Soundgarden tune is like feeling a glacier fall away off your chest.”
