Audioslave combine three former members of Rage Against The Machine with ex-Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell. Despite early talk that the group might retain the RATM name, and some stop-start activity prior to releasing their debut, the band emerged as a newly named unit in 2002 with a sound that substituted Cornell's powerful introspection for Rage's political fury. Though it's hard to hear their debut as much more than a collaboration between two forceful personalities, the dynamic does offer enough fist-pumping power to keep fans sated until Audioslave's definitive statement gets made.