From the Mean to the Metta
by: Erin "D*J*E" Jacobson

Audioslave
Revelations
Epic/Interscope

This is the album Audioslave should have made a long time ago. As one of rock's super-groups comprised of ex-Soundgarden front man Chris Cornell and members of Rage Against the Machine, one would think the idea of "artist development" wouldn't apply. However, sometimes even the best musicians need time to find themselves as a group. In general, Audioslave's music has lacked that indescribable feeling evoked when a band's sound just connects with something inside of me. With Revelations, I am happy to say they are getting closer.

Sales of Revelations have been surprisingly disappointing at just over 250,000 after the first month. I find this perplexing, although I'll admit I have a Chris Cornell bias.

As is the continuing and unfortunate trend in music production these days, everything on this album is over-compressed. This is especially apparent in the vocals, resulting in a partial loss of Cornell's natural vocal tone. Moreover, every song is further compressed as a whole, making some of the instruments sound crunchy. Overall, the other effects are not overused, however, and there are some nice effects to complement guitarist Tom Morello's clean and clear tone. The best tune here is "Jewel of the Summertime," which has a great rhythmic groove and an appealing riff. The title track runs a close second for best track.

Despite my criticisms and poor sales as of yet, this album is solid. Revelations begins to show us what Audioslave is capable of in the future because, despite their five years and three albums together, they seem to be just getting started. While it may not quite live up to its name, Revelations rocks the all way through, and in this single-driven state of music, that is a revelation in itself.

Yogi
Metta
Sound Assembly Music

Yogi is one multi-faceted cat and a talented guitarist/multi-instrumentalist. He got his first taste of fame as a member of Buckcherry, has toured with The Wallflowers, and has worked with an immense list of talents. He is also one of my favorite independent artists and I have featured him several times on Electric Effect (www.electriceffect.net).

On his first solo album, Metta, Yogi finally steps into the limelight and showcases his love of classic rock sounds (you should see his CD collection) and melodic disposition. Personally, meditation is a large influence on Yogi and this shows through in his choice of instruments, especially on "Full Speed Ahead," where he plays the sitar. "Inside You," my favorite track, showcases Yogi's higher vocal register along with a relaxed, Jack Johnson-esque groove.

Yogi produced or co-produced all the tracks on Metta, creating a set of sonically warm tracks. Thankfully, he didn't lose sight of objectivity, unlike many self-produced artists. If you are in the mood for something more on the mellow side (and who couldn't use some mellow music while cracking' those cases?), give this one a spin.

For more information on Yogi and to purchase Metta, visit www.yogimusic.com.