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   Audioslave solidify themselves as a serious supergroup with the release of their third album “Revelations,” which features a sound the band can finally call their own. 

   After the demise of Soundgarden in 1997 and of Rage Against The Machine in 2000, Chris Cornell, the frontman from Soundgarden, joined forces with the instrumentalists of Rage to form Audioslave. Though they struggled to find an original sound for years to come, they sold many records in the process – over four million to be exact. 

   Though their self-titled debut featured some amazing tracks, it sounded more like Cornell dubbed over Rage, rather than an independent band with a unique sound. The band tried too hard to remedy this with their follow-up album, “Out of Exile,” a bit of a disappointment that featured mostly weak pop songs with only a few tracks worth keeping.  

   With “Revelations,” the band’s compiled an organic blend of funk and rock, which works on so many levels because it not only gives the band a unique sound, it also gives listeners a variety – something not necessarily found on previous efforts. In some respects, it combines elements of their first two discs, but it also features something all its own, a subtle uniqueness that can only be understood through listening, but no doubt sets the work apart. 

   One of “Revelations” defining characteristics would be its energy. The opening track, also titled “Revelations,” jolts the listener into an album that slowly morphs itself into an intense, funk-rock experience. From pure rock tracks like “Sound of a Gun” and “One and the Same,” to funkier, more experimental tracks like “Broken City” and “Jewel of the Summertime,” the disc’s sound constantly changes, keeping things unpredictable and dynamic. 

   Though fans will adore the aforementioned tracks, it’s the latter part of the album that showcases the band’s true talent. On “Shape of Things to Come,” Cornell croons beautifully at the beginning, only to blow you away on the chorus with those gritty trademark vocals he pulls off with ease. The song simply encompasses the Audioslave sound. And the final track, “Moth,” ends the album the same way it began -- beautifully. 

   However, the greatest achievement on the disc would be “Wide Awake.” Though Cornell stated at the band’s conception he hoped their songwriting would avoid political influence, the Bush Administration apparently changed his mind. “Wide Awake” features lyrics critical of the administration’s response to Katrina as well as their occupation in Iraq. The lyrics, however, only represent half of the song’s beauty; the other half comes in the form of one of the most impressive vocal performances in the last… forever. Cornell’s emotion seeps into the song in a way that seems certain he’s no longer just performing, but that he also believes in the material and wants everyone to know it. 

   Though “Revelations” features a few missteps (“Original Fire,” anyone?), the quality of the work as a whole remains evident. Brilliant moments can be found scattered throughout the disc, which by default makes it more worthy of your money than 99 percent of anything else being released.

Rating: A-