Go 'Out' and get this album

Audioslave is a solid band -- how could they not be? With Chris Cornell powering out his catchy vocals and top-20-all-time-guitarist Tom Morello reproving himself on every song, every Audioslave album should be good.\nAs with any superband, though, the expectations are high. I grew up on Soundgarden (Cornell) and Rage Against the Machine (everyone else in the band), and find myself listening to Out of Exile wishing it was Rage's self-titled CD.\nWhen I get past that, though, I find myself enjoying my Exile.\nTracks like "Doesn't Remind Me" resurrect an early-90s grunge feel, without the unclean feeling that comes when other bands try the same sound. Other songs, like the album's namesake, are just plain captivating, with great choruses and even better guitar solos. Though I must say the handful of songs that aren't impressive are a bore -- there's not much middle ground.\nEvidently, Morello's hands are faster than I ever knew. Many rock guitarists go for speed and inherently sacrifice quality, reverting to stereotypical metal solos -- like the kind you might hear in boring Motörhead-esque speedmetal ballads. Not Morello. He lays down ridiculous, so-fast-you-know-they're-one-handed solos on top of his inventive verse and chorus riffs, yet stays fresh.\nFor guitar solo superiority in our generation of musicians, Morello is challenged only by the great blues/funk table-steel guitarist Robert Randolph, The Mars Volta's Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and Tim Reynolds. \nOn Tracks like "#1 Zero" and the aforementioned "Doesn't Remind Me" and "Out of Exile," Cornell shreds down the house like it's made of cheese.\nBut not everything's fantastic Out here. Cornell's lyrics just don't match the energy of the boys from Rage sometimes. They are making great music, but I, and I expect others, can feel how much better their energies could coalesce. I miss Zack de la Rocha's fire on the mic. Regardless of whether you agree with the man's political leanings, he had a way of making you empathize and then want retribution. \nBut Out of Exile is given some off-the-bench support from bassist Tim Commerford. He makes a mark for himself on this record. No longer simply adding depth to Morello's ideas, he takes the bass out for a walk on the lighter songs and punches down the deep notes during what would otherwise be modest drum breaks. "Yesterday to Tomorrow," for example, breaks you off with a deadly riff from Commerford.\nThis album is not quite as good as Audioslave's self-titled first effort, which I loved front to back, despite critics hailing down hate.\nIf you like rock -- not just indie, not just nu-metal, not that terrible Nickleback/Three Doors Down-esque pop-rock pile of dog crap -- then this album is worth some spins.