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 It was planned, cancelled, then planned again and cancelled again. But finally the collaboration between former members of Rage Against the Machine and Chris Cornell (former singer/guitarist of Soundgarden) came to pass with a blockbuster album in November 2002. The new disc not only combines the powers of RATM and Soundgarden, it also pushes music to new frontiers. But then, who would expect anything less from Chris Cornell, Tom Morello, Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk? Tim Commerford was on interview duty when he met up with Gabriella. And he decided to address a couple of issues without mincing words.... | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
After Zack De La Rocha left Rage Against the Machine, how did the project with Chris Cornell come about? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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TIM: | It came as a surprise for us when Zack decided to pack it in and didn't want to be a part of RATM anymore. I was really surprised when he left, and to be honest, we were all quite worried. Tom, Brad and I discussed it quite frequently because, as I said, it was quite a surprise and we didn't know what to do. For a while, we were shell shocked, but we didn't want to give up, so we talked about what we could do and we knew we had to find another singer. We discussed quite a few and when Rick Rubin suggested Chris, we were up for it. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Why not go on as RATM? Why a new name? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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TIM: | After we all met up, we decided that we'd let RATM die and form a new band. To be honest, it wasn't too hard to give up RATM. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
From what I understood, you guys worked really well together right from the start.... | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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TIM: | It was unbelievable. In a way, we were simply jamming along and when Chris liked something he was singing along, no words, no lyrics, just a melody. He used his voice as simply another instrument. We recorded absolutely everything because it was so much, we were afraid that we wouldn't be able to remember anything. We just didn't set ourselves limits. We had no plans. The only motto we had was "Just do it. What sounds good is good," and it seemed to work. In a way, it was something completely new, you know? We could play slow songs. If we played a slow song with Rage it was always just in the studio or in the rehearsal room and we all knew that it wasn't serious, that we only experimented and a slow song would never see the light of day – at least not with RATM. All of a sudden it wasn't just an experiment anymore. We could do whatever we wanted to do. We could record whatever we felt like recording. It was like some walls had come down and it opened the sight for a completely new world. Because we weren't RATM anymore we could do as we pleased and didn't have to think if it would be what our fans expected or if it was the sound for RATM. We could follow different ideas and different influences, it was really liberating and I, for myself, did grow through the experience. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Sounds like you don't miss RATM at all.... | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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TIM: |
If you want the honest truth, I think there is only one musician right now who might feel happier than I do and that's Dave Grohl. He's a member of three bands and all three bands are bands where you jerk the volume up if their songs are on the radio! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Audioslave wasn't an easy birth. Everything seemed to be over before it began, with Chris calling it quits, the cancelled slot on the Ozzfest tour, etc. ... | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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TIM: | What it basically all came down to was trouble with the management. Chris had a management and we had a management and the bosses of the managements picked exactly that moment in time to remember that they never liked each other and under no circumstances possible they would ever work with each other. It was a very stressful time. Our album wasn't even finished when the Ozzfest was confirmed. While we should be in the studio recording, mixing and practicing our instruments, we were busy trying to sort out the troubles with the labels and the managements – or at least minimize them. We managed it with the labels, but with the managements it was absolutely hopeless. Imagine it, we had a hell of a lot of trouble, an album that wasn't even finished and not even a name for the band, on top of that we were absolutely stressed out because of the trouble with the dates and the Ozzfest. So we cancelled and, you know, in retrospect it definitely was for the better. To be honest, I don't think that tour would have been right for us. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
So if you take the new album, which influence would you consider stronger, RATM or Soundgarden? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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TIM: | I think in a lot of songs you find passages that remind you of Rage Against the Machine and Soundgarden. But Rick, our producer, always complained that we didn't have a clue how to play a slow song, so we had to learn it. It was pretty tough, but I think we all grew with it. With Audioslave I feel much more as a musician than I did with RATM. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
It seems that RATM and Soundgarden were not your only influences. Somehow you created a unique sound.... | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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TIM: | That's true. Take "Hypnotize," for example. There we tried out how it would sound if we'd combine some Led Zeppelin parts with elements of the Chemical Brothers. Now it sounds like something else and completely new! We simply did what we felt like doing and it did feel great. All it was about was music, pure music, nothing else, the feeling was incredible, and in a way it was so innocent, pure music and pure innocence. Tom (Morello) summed it up and said, "Wow, this is great... It feels like the first time I played my guitar with others, I heard it in a room with other instruments and was surprised how good it sounds!" I guess that says it all and it was the feeling we all got from it. We made something happen, something new, something fresh and great. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NYROCK: |
Do you still stay in touch with Zack and, if so, what does he think about the album and the band? | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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TIM: | Zack and I haven't talked in ages. We didn't talk since he left. If I could be sure that he would give me an unbiased opinion, then I'd be interested in hearing what he thinks about our sound and how he likes. But, truth to be told, I don't think that much about Zack anymore in musical terms. It was pretty hard when he left, but when we met up with Chris, and Chris joined the band, it was a fresh start and it was a new feeling. The older I get, the more I drift away from the "Fuck You, I Won't Do What You Tell Me" from our debut. I'm 34 and I ask myself what I want to do when I'm 44. I was a part of Rage Against the Machine and it was great. Maybe it would have lasted a lot longer if Zack wouldn't have left. For now, I just want to be 34 and to be taken seriously on a different musical level. I think when I'm 54 and turn the radio on I'd rather hear Audioslave than Rage Against the Machine. January 2003
More Chris Cornell • More Rage Against the Machine
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