Audioslave’s third and final studio album Revelations reaches its 20th anniversary on September 4, 2026, marking two decades since Chris Cornell, Tom Morello, Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk completed their final record together.
by Paul Cashmere
Audioslave’s Revelations was released internationally on September 4, 2006, bringing together Chris Cornell with the former Rage Against The Machine members Tom Morello, Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk for the final studio album by the group. Recorded during 2005 and 2006 in Atlanta and Los Angeles, the 12-track record extended Audioslave’s hard rock foundation with elements of soul, funk and R&B, before the band’s eventual split less than six months after its release.
Produced and mixed by Brendan O’Brien, Revelations followed Audioslave’s 2002 self-titled debut and 2005’s Out Of Exile. The album represented the band’s third consecutive studio collaboration and, ultimately, its final statement.
The recording process involved approximately 20 songs being developed for consideration. Morello later explained that much of the material had been written before the band’s preceding US tour, allowing Audioslave to test songs in front of audiences before taking them into the studio.
The resulting album broadened the group’s established sound. Morello described the combination as resembling Led Zeppelin meeting Earth, Wind & Fire, while Cornell incorporated what he described at the time as a Seventies funk and R&B influence into his vocal approach.
Among the album’s politically charged material was Wide Awake, written in response to the George W. Bush administration’s handling of Hurricane Katrina. Other songs, including Original Fire, Sound Of A Gun and Shape Of Things To Come, demonstrated the band’s continued interest in combining heavy guitar-driven arrangements with more expansive songwriting.
One of the album’s most significant details emerged at the very end of the recording process. After the main sessions had been completed, O’Brien asked the band for another song to close the record. Audioslave wrote and recorded Moth the following day. It became the final song the four members made together.
Revelations was released by Epic Records and Interscope Records, with a running time of 48 minutes and 28 seconds. Original Fire was issued as the first single on July 17, 2006, while the title track followed as a single in November.
The album opened at number two on the US Billboard 200 and reached number one on the Australian Albums chart, Canadian Albums chart and New Zealand Albums chart. It also topped the US Top Rock Albums and UK Rock & Metal Albums charts. In Australia, Revelations was certified gold for shipments of 35,000 units.
Its commercial performance was accompanied by a mixed critical response. The album recorded a 60 out of 100 score on Metacritic based on 15 reviews, reflecting a broader critical assessment that recognised the strength of individual performances while questioning aspects of the songwriting.
The timing of Revelations became particularly important to Audioslave’s history. Cornell left the group on February 15, 2007, citing unresolved personality conflicts and musical differences. The band had not toured behind Revelations, meaning much of the album’s material was never performed live by Audioslave.
Only four songs from the album had been performed before its release: One And The Same, Wide Awake, Original Fire and Sound Of A Gun. The absence of a subsequent Revelations tour left the record as an unusual final chapter for a major rock act that had been built around musicians from two established bands.
Following Cornell’s departure, Morello, Commerford and Wilk concentrated on the reunion of Rage Against The Machine. Cornell pursued his solo career, while Morello continued developing his Nightwatchman project. Audioslave therefore ended without attempting to replace Cornell.
That decision gives Revelations a particular place in the group’s catalogue. Rather than serving as the beginning of another touring cycle, it became the last recorded document of the original line-up. The album’s stylistic expansion also showed a band continuing to explore new territory at the point when its future was already uncertain.
The 20th anniversary provides an opportunity to reassess Revelations within Audioslave’s brief but consequential catalogue. Its commercial results confirmed the group’s international reach, while its limited live life meant that several of its songs remained largely confined to the studio.
Two decades later, Revelations stands as the final collaboration between Cornell, Morello, Commerford and Wilk under the Audioslave name. Its closing track, Moth, consequently carries an unintended historical significance: it was the last piece of music the four musicians created together as Audioslave.
Tracklisting
Revelations
One And The Same
Sound Of A Gun
Until We Fall
Original Fire
Broken City
Somedays
Shape Of Things To Come
Jewel Of The Summertime
Wide Awake
Nothing Left To Say But Goodbye
Moth
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