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Revelations (Audioslave album)

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Revelations
An angled view of a blue planet from space with a landmass shaped like Audioslave's flame logo
Studio album by
Audioslave
ReleasedSeptember 4, 2006 (2006-09-04)
Recorded2005–2006
Studio
Genre
Length48:28
Label
ProducerBrendan O'Brien
Audioslave chronology
Out of Exile
(2005) 		Revelations
(2006)
Singles from Revelations
  1. "Original Fire"
    Released: July 17, 2006
  2. "Revelations"
    Released: November 2006

Revelations is the third and final studio album by American rock supergroup Audioslave, released on September 4, 2006 internationally and a day later in the United States through Epic Records and Interscope Records. Chris Cornell quit the band in February 2007 and the remaining members disbanded Audioslave rather than looking for a new vocalist since they were busy with a reunion of Rage Against the Machine.

Background and recording

[edit]

According to guitarist Tom Morello, most of the 20 songs that Audioslave brought to the studio for possible inclusion on Revelations had been written before the band went on their most recent U.S. tour, so they were able to "[work] out the kinks of some of these songs in front of a live audience".[2] Many of the songs incorporate 1960s and '70s soul and funk influences that were new for the band, with Morello saying the album "sounds like Led Zeppelin meets Earth, Wind & Fire",[2] and Chris Cornell referring to his new "Seventies funk and R&B-flavor vocals."[3] The song "Wide Awake" was written to criticize the Bush administration's response to Hurricane Katrina.[4][5][6] The band had completed recording the album when producer Brendan O'Brien requested one more song to close it, so they wrote and recorded "Moth" the next day, making it the last song Audioslave made together; in it, Chris Cornell sings: "I won't fly around your fire anymore".[7]

While promoting the album, Morello stated in an interview that "Revelations is the first record [Cornell] didn't smoke, drink or take drugs through the recording."[8][9] However, he later clarified that "Chris was stone sober during the making of our Out of Exile album. Chris was also sober during the making of Revelations and prior to recording he gave up smoking as well. I apologize for any confusion or concern that was stirred up by the original article. Sobriety can be a matter of life or death and Chris' courage in maintaining his health for years has been an inspiration."[8]

After leaving the studio, Audioslave went on hiatus to allow Cornell to complete "You Know My Name", the theme song for the 2006 James Bond film Casino Royale, and Morello to pursue his own solo work under the moniker of The Nightwatchman.[citation needed] In July 2006, Cornell denied that his work on a new solo album meant he planned to quit Audioslave, saying: "We hear rumors that Audioslave is breaking up all the time ... I always just ignore it."[10] The band never toured behind Revelations, however, and on February 15, 2007, Cornell officially announced his departure from the group in a statement that read: "Due to irresolvable personality conflicts as well as musical differences, I am permanently leaving the band Audioslave. I wish the other three members nothing but the best in all of their future endeavors."[11] The other three members were busy in 2007 with a reunion of Rage Against the Machine and Morello and Cornell each released a solo album that year, so Audioslave officially disbanded.[12] As a result, most of the songs on Revelations were never performed live by the band, except for those that were debuted live prior to recording the album: "One and the Same", "Wide Awake", "Original Fire", and "Sound of a Gun".[13]

Promotion

[edit]

On July 3, 2006, a private listening party was held for fan club members and non-fan club contest winners. The album received a strong fan review that noted the album's darker tone and anthemic choruses.[citation needed]

Prior to the release of the album, the songs "Wide Awake" and "Shape of Things to Come" were prominently featured in Michael Mann's 2006 film Miami Vice, and the title track appeared in the video game Madden NFL 07. The marketing campaign also included getting the fictional nation from the album art, dubbed "Audioslave Nation", featured on Google Earth for a time.[14]

"Original Fire" was released as a single seven weeks before the album, and "Revelations" was released as a single two months after the album.

Reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic60/100[15]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[16]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[17]
Entertainment Weekly(B)[18]
PopMatters6/10[19]
Q (#243, Oct. 2006, p. 127)
Rolling Stone[20]
The Skinny[21]
Slant[22]
"Original Fire" (2006)
The first single from Revelations, inspired by the Seattle music scene.[23]
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Critical

[edit]

The album received mixed reviews, earning a score of 60 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 15 reviews.[20] Rolling Stone wrote: "Most of these twelve tracks are impressive structures with periodic highs ... that never resolve into songs."[20]

Commercial

[edit]

Revelations was released in the United States on September 5, 2006. It sold 150,631 copies in its first week of release, debuting at number two on the Billboard 200 chart. The album has been certified gold in the U.S. (for shipment of 500,000 units), Canada (for shipment of 50,000 units), Australia (for shipment of 35,000 units, which occurred its first week of release) and New Zealand (for shipment of 7,500 units, which occurred its first week), and it has sold nearly one million copies worldwide.

Track listing

[edit]

All lyrics written by Chris Cornell, all music composed by Audioslave.

Revelations track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Revelations"4:12
2."One and the Same"3:38
3."Sound of a Gun"4:20
4."Until We Fall"3:50
5."Original Fire"3:38
6."Broken City"3:48
7."Somedays"3:33
8."Shape of Things to Come"4:34
9."Jewel of the Summertime"3:53
10."Wide Awake"4:26
11."Nothing Left to Say but Goodbye"3:32
12."Moth"4:57
Total length:48:28
Japanese bonus tracks[citation needed]
No.TitleLength
13."Set It Off" (live at the Quart Festival)4:25
14."Doesn't Remind Me" (live at the Quart Festival)4:50
15."Gasoline" (live at the Quart Festival)5:34
16."Out of Exile" (live at the Quart Festival)5:04
iTunes bonus tracks[citation needed]
No.TitleLength
13."Show Me How to Live" (live at the Quart Festival)5:02

Note

  • The lyrics of the bridge of "Sound of a Gun" were also used in the background during the bridge of "Drown Me Slowly" from Audioslave's previous album Out of Exile.

Special edition

[edit]

A Special edition of the album was released that included a DVD with a 16-minute film directed by Danny Clinch. The film featured interviews with the band members and some performance footage.

Personnel

[edit]

Audioslave

Production and design

  • Produced and mixed by Brendan O'Brien
  • Recorded by Nick DiDia
  • Additional engineering by Billy Bowers; Assisted by Tom Syrowski and Matt Serrechio
  • Band technicians: Bobby Schneck and Pete Lewis
  • Mastered by Bob Ludwig
  • Art direction by Brandy Flower
  • Album cover by P.R. Brown
  • Band photography by Danny Clinch

Chart positions

[edit]
Weekly chart performance for Revelations
Chart (2006) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[24] 1
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[25] 6
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[26] 52
Belgian Alternative Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[26] 32
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[27] 70
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[28] 1
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[29] 6
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[30] 21
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[31] 2
French Albums (SNEP)[32] 46
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[33] 8
Irish Albums (IRMA)[34] 7
Italian Albums (FIMI)[35] 12
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[36] 1
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[37] 5
Polish Albums (ZPAV)[38] 25
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[39] 22
Scottish Albums (OCC)[40] 10
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[41] 28
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[42] 6
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[43] 8
UK Albums (OCC)[44] 12
UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC)[45] 1
US Billboard 200[46] 2
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[47] 1

Certifications

[edit]
Certifications for Revelations
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[48] Gold 35,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[49] Gold 50,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[50] Gold 7,500^
United Kingdom (BPI)[51] Silver 60,000*
United States (RIAA)[52] Gold 500,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Martins, Jorge (September 17, 2024). "10 Divisive Post-Grunge Albums From the 2000s That Are Actually Great". Ultimate Guitar. Archived from the original on September 16, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Harris, Chris (March 31, 2006). "MTV News - New Audioslave LP: 'Led Zeppelin Meets Earth, Wind & Fire'". MTV. Archived from the original on September 14, 2007. Retrieved May 15, 2007.
  3. ^ Rogulewski, Charley (April 27, 2006). "Tom Morello Swings His Hammer". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on May 4, 2006. Retrieved August 20, 2007.
  4. ^ "Audioslave ponders perils of success". Yahoo! Music. Reuters. September 13, 2006. Retrieved September 26, 2009.[dead link]
  5. ^ "Audioslave ponders perils of success". Today (American TV program). September 13, 2006. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  6. ^ Yates, Henry (March 17, 2024). ""I don't think there was a single riff I wrote after 1992 that Zack de la Rocha even liked": how Audioslave saw Rage Against The Machine's Tom Morello escaping his own past". Louder. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
  7. ^ Songfacts. "Moth by Audioslave - Songfacts". songfacts.com. Archived from the original on June 18, 2019. Retrieved June 18, 2019.
  8. ^ a b "Slaves To The Music'". The Age. Australia. August 25, 2006. Archived from the original on March 2, 2010. Retrieved April 28, 2008.
  9. ^ "Audioslave Frontman Cleans Up His Act For 'Revelations'". Blabbermouth.net. August 26, 2006. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved August 25, 2007.
  10. ^ Harris, Chris (July 26, 2006). "Chris Cornell Working On Solo LP—But Dismisses Rumors Of Audioslave Split". MTV. Archived from the original on August 8, 2007. Retrieved August 25, 2007.
  11. ^ Harris, Chris. "Chris Cornell Talks Audioslave Split, Nixes Soundgarden Reunion". MTV News. Archived from the original on December 27, 2008. Retrieved October 19, 2008.
  12. ^ "Video interview with Tom Morello". Toazted. 2007. Archived from the original on October 22, 2007. Retrieved August 20, 2007.
  13. ^ "Audioslave Album Statistics | setlist.fm". www.setlist.fm. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  14. ^ "Come to Audioslave Nation!". Audioslave.com. Archived from the original on February 11, 2012. Retrieved November 15, 2010.
  15. ^ "Revelations by Audioslave". Archived from the original on October 10, 2018. Retrieved October 10, 2018 – via metacritic.com.
  16. ^ "Revelations - Audioslave". AllMusic.
  17. ^ Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press. ISBN 9780857125958. Retrieved May 1, 2019.
  18. ^ Pastorek, Whitney (September 8, 2006). "Revelations Review". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on April 27, 2009. Retrieved March 26, 2012.
  19. ^ Schiller, Mike. "Audioslave: Revelations". PopMatters. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved May 15, 2007.
  20. ^ a b c "Metacritic - Revelations by Audioslave". Metacritic. Archived from the original on November 17, 2011. Retrieved September 4, 2022.
  21. ^ "The Skinny - Audioslave -- Revelations". The Skinny. Archived from the original on September 29, 2006.
  22. ^ "Audioslave: Revelations". Slant. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007.
  23. ^ "Audioslave's Chris Cornell Says He's Still Got The 'Original Fire'". Blabbermouth.net. August 3, 2006. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved August 25, 2007.
  24. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Audioslave – Revelations". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  25. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Audioslave – Revelations" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  26. ^ a b "Ultratop.be – Audioslave – Revelations" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  27. ^ "Ultratop.be – Audioslave – Revelations" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  28. ^ "Audioslave Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  29. ^ "Danishcharts.dk – Audioslave – Revelations". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  30. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Audioslave – Revelations" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  31. ^ "Audioslave: Revelations" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  32. ^ "Lescharts.com – Audioslave – Revelations". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  33. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Audioslave – Revelations" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  34. ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Audioslave". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  35. ^ "Italiancharts.com – Audioslave – Revelations". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  36. ^ "Charts.nz – Audioslave – Revelations". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  37. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Audioslave – Revelations". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  38. ^ "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  39. ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – Audioslave – Revelations". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  40. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 23, 2021.
  41. ^ "Spanishcharts.com – Audioslave – Revelations". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  42. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Audioslave – Revelations". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  43. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Audioslave – Revelations". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  44. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  45. ^ "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company.
  46. ^ "Audioslave Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 22, 2013.
  47. ^ "Audioslave Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved January 2, 2021.
  48. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2006 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved September 27, 2017.
  49. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Audioslave – Revelations". Music Canada. Retrieved September 27, 2017.
  50. ^ "New Zealand album certifications – Audioslave – Revelations". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved September 28, 2018.
  51. ^ "British album certifications – Audioslave – Revelations". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved September 28, 2018.
  52. ^ "American album certifications – Audioslave – Revelations". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved September 28, 2018.
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