It is that time of the year where we begin celebrating all the best of the previous year and as usual, we here at Moshpits and Movies are once again handling the music and movie side of the awards. We are unfortunately not working together with 365 Movies Challenge blog any longer, but we have reacquired Mr. X’s Punch Out who will handle the wrestling side of things. For right now though, we are looking at the music side of the awards which is now in it’s eighth year and we are pretty excited. Besides the usual awards for Album of the Year, Metal Album of the Year, etc., we have added a couple of new categories to the awards which are Cover of the Year and Rookie of the Year. Every year, there are plenty of bands that record covers of famous songs they love from bands and we want to celebrate by voting for the best one. Much like cover of the year, there are always new bands that pop onto our radar and we want to celebrate them as well. We tried our best to not include supergroups, but rather if it’s their current and only focus then they are allowed. So, now we just want to hear from YOU guys and see who you pick to win each award. You have until March 13TH to decide so choose wisely and just have some fun.
Posts Tagged ‘Chris Cornell’
Album Of The Week: Audioslave Eponymous Debut
Posted: May 24, 2017 in Album Of The WeekTags: Audioslave, Brad Wilk, Bring Em Back Alive, Chris Cornell, Cochise, Exploder, Gasoline, Getaway Car, Hypnotize, I Am The Highway, Light My Way, Like A Stone, Rage Against The Machine, Rock, Set It Off, Shadow on the Sun, Show How Me To Live, Soundgarden, Supergroup, The Last Remaining Light, Tim Commerford, Tom Morello, What You Are
Last week on May 17, the world lost yet another legend as Chris Cornell died at the age of 52 in Detroit, MI. Chris Cornell left behind a legacy that is full of amazing music ranging from his time in Soundgarden to his solo career and his time in Audioslave. Chris had one of the most amazing voices in all of rock and metal music that will never be matched no matter how hard the music industry tries. For this week’s album of the week, I wanted to pay tribute to Chris by covering one of his albums and after already covering a Soundgarden I decided to cover the debut album from one of the best supergroups ever in Audioslave. The band featured Chris on vocals with the members of Rage Against The Machine in Brad Wilk (Drums), Tom Morello (Guitars), and Tim Commerford (Bass). After the album was almost sabotaged by someone close to the studio, it was finally released on November 19, 2002 (ten years after Rages debut album). The album would shoot to the top of the charts peaking at number seven on the Billboard Top 200 charts with four top five hits on the Modern Rock charts as well as landing at number 100 on the year end charts for the US Billboard top 200. The album would be certified triple platinum meaning 3 million in sales.
1.Cochise– A song that was named after Cochise, an Apache Indian starts off with a cool build up with Morello and Wilk before it explodes right into the track that is just an in your face rock anthem in the vein of what Rage sounded like. The lyrics have nothing to do with the actual Cochise, it has a lot of religious themes in it. 5/5
2. Show How Me To Live– The song keeps that Rage funk like guitar and bass riff going with Cornell’s amazing vocals. Towards the end of the song, Cornell hits his throat with the side of his hand to have an effect while he changes the pitch of his vocals. Most people think the song is religious, but I believe the song is referencing Frankenstein and his monster. 5/5
3. Gasoline– The song kind of mixes that grunge sound at first with the Rage sound before it gets a little cool with the effect on Morello’s guitar during the verses. The song seems to be about escaping whatever or where ever your are in your life. 5/5
4. What You Are– The tempo is turned down a little compared to previous tracks and it’s a track that is pretty deep about being in control of someone or something’s power. Chris was always a deep person lyrically. 5/5
5. Like A Stone– One of my favorite tracks on the album and from the band in general. The song has a very cool tempo with a sick bass line from Commerford. Cornell has described the meaning of the song’s lyrics saying, “It’s a song about concentrating on the afterlife you would hope for, rather than the normal monotheistic approach: You work really hard all your life to be a good person and a moral persona and fair and generous, and then you go to hell anyway.” 5/5
6. Set It Off– a return to the bombastic in your face Rage sound that we all love with lyrics that could be stemmed in religion or MLK. 4.5/5
7. Shadow on the Sun– Another favorite of mine from Audioslave period. The tempo is slowed down and Chris’s vocals really shine through on this track. The song’s lyrics are definitely about a relationship, heartache, and maybe even reconciliation (or maybe not). 5/5
8. I Am The Highway– A very cool track that also has a mellow melancholic tone to it in a track that seems to be about someone who is just fed up with life and the way that its’ going. 5/5
9. Exploder– A col funky bass line helps drive this track about a man who is going through some sort of psychosis where he is freeing himself of everything. The choruses are cool because Morello comes in with those huge power chords that are bombastic and in your face. 5/5
10. Hypnotize– A very different kind of track for Audioslave that almost has a English dub sound to it, but it features that signature solo from Morello. The song is all about sharing the wealth. 4.5/5
11. Bring Em Back Alive– The track starts with a driving metal like riff with Cornell having some cool effects on his vocals the reminds me of something Ozzy did on a Black Sabbath track. 4/5
12. Light My Way– A cool funky track that has Morello throwing some cool effects with his guitar as Cornell sings about a man who had strayed from God asking for forgiveness. The chorus has that sound you all love from Morello and co. 4.5/5
13. Getaway Car– Another slow tempo track from the band which is all about having to learn to love yourself before you can learn to love others. The track features a very bluesy solo from Morello which is cool. 4/5
14. The Last Remaining Light– The last track on the album from the band and its kind of an eerie track just from Morello’s guitar playing and Cornell’s delivery. 4/5
My Final Thoughts– I honestly feel like the first nine tracks are drastically different than the last five and I don’t know if that was done on purpose, but very noticeable. Nonetheless, this was an amazing album from start to finish. It’s just very sad to know that Chris won’t be back to perform these songs or even write new material ever again. I am giving the album 4.7 stars out of five for a final grade.
Soundtrack Saturday: Til the Sun Comes Back Around by Chris Cornell
Posted: January 30, 2016 in Soundtrack SaturdaysTags: 13 Hours, Audislave, Benghazi, Chris Cornell, Michael Bay, music, Rock, Soundgarden, Soundtrack, Soundtrack Saturdays, Til the Sun Comes Back Around
Chris Cornell is one of my favorite singers from that 90’s era grunge who has released amazing albums not only with Soundgarden, but solo as well as with Audioslave. I was excited to hear that Chris had a brand new track that he unleashed to the world that was specifically penned for a film. Chris has unveiled the track Til the Sun Comes Back Around which is featured on the Michael Bay film 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers Of Benghazi. 13 Hours is the film that tells the story of exactly what happened in Benghazi with the ambassador and the men who risked their lives trying to protect him. The song in my opinion is very soulful as far as the lyrics are concerned. Cornell has such a soulful voice and he utilizes it on this track. The tempo of the music is slow and very melancholic. It sounds like a mix of Cornell solo and Audioslave a little and I have to say that I love the track. Check out the song below and check out the film because I have heard nothing but great things about it.
Soundtrack Saturday: Breath by Pearl Jam
Posted: January 9, 2016 in Soundtrack SaturdaysTags: alice in chains, Breath, Bridget Fonda, Cameron Crowe, Campbell Scott, Chris Cornell, Eddie Vedder, Grunge, Kyra Sedgwick, Matt Dillon, Mike McCready, Mother Love Bone, music, Pearl Jam, Rock, Screaming Trees, Singles, Singles Soundtrack, Soundtrack, Soundtrack Saturdays, Stone Gossard, The Lovemongers, The Smashing Pumpkins
For this week’s soundtrack Saturday track, we are jumping from the 80’s and heading into the 1990’s which was a musical blender. In the early 1990’s, Grunge had taken over and bands like Nirvana, Soundgarden, Alice In Chains, and Pearl Jam were the new kids on the block. Hollywood of course jumped on the chance to capitalize on the scene so they made the film Singles which starred Bridget Fonda, Campbell Scott, Kyra Sedgwick, Matt Dillon, and it was written and directed by Cameron Crowe. While the film is described mainly as a film that focuses on the trials and tribulations of some 20-somethings and love, the film definitely had a kick ass soundtrack that featured the likes of Chris Cornell, Alice In Chains, The Smashing Pumpkins, Screaming Trees, The Lovemongers (Nancy & Ann Wilson of Heart), and our featured band today Pearl Jam. The song Breath was originally written during the time of Ten, but was left out and eventually re-recorded for the Singles Soundtrack. Mike McCready talked about the track saying, “That was a really old song of Stone’s from his days in Mother Love Bone. It was just another chance for me to do a lot of leads. The song was kind of cool at the time because it reminded me of performing. For me, it was about playing live.” Check out the track below: