Rock n’ roll resurrections

Some people have told me that music these days is just comprised of repackaged material and remade tunes. I look at this from a different perspective. A lot of bands from the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s are still big to this day. Such examples are U2, Duran Duran, and Foo Fighters. Their sound has somehow evolved with the times and they still continue to churn out hits. The originality of this generation, however, is not found in long-standing icons like U2. Some of the past decade’s best stuff came from bands like Guns N’ Roses, Rage Against the Machine and Creed. All of these bands are now broken up, leaving behind a legacy of powerful rock music. To the entire world’s benefit though, these groups have, in a way, resurrected and resurrected to a fresh new form. Velvet Revolver, Audioslave and Alter Bridge are all products of this rock and roll resurrection.

Three former Guns N’ Roses members, Slash, Duff McKagan, and Matt Sorum, realized they still had some rock left in them and decided to dabble on a new project which was aptly labeled as "The Project." The band later added Dave Kushner on guitar and ex-Stone Temple Pilots frontman Scott Weiland as their lead vocalist. Their debut album "Contraband," which was released early last year, combines some of the trademark guitar of Slash from his GNR days and Weiland’s dizzy vocals from his STP fame. Their carrier single, Slither became a big modern rock hit and steadily climbed up the charts. The combination of the old Guns N’ Roses and Stone Temple Pilot sounds and a new found spirit and musical maturity makes Velvet Revolver one of the most popular rock bands today.

Audioslave is basically Rage Against the Machine sans troubled vocalist Zack de la Rocha. He was replaced because of too much buzz, with ex-Soundgarden lead singer Chris Cornell. The ex-RATM members and Cornell clicked right away after they jammed together. Rumors quickly circulated that Cornell would eventually become their lead singer and it eventually materialized with their first album, "Cochise," which was released in 2003. The album was a big hit, despite veering away from the themes that made Rage Against the Machine famous. Instead of the old leftist rants of De la Rocha, the new album featured a cooler, almost spiritual tone with Chris Cornell, who in my opinion is one of the best living rock vocalists. The general feel of their sound has gotten a bit more calm and mature since their previous projects. With their new album "Out of Exile," Cornell and the gang have put together music that’s serious without being anarchist and that rocks without being too heavy. The dampened mood of the group in their lyrics looks like a Sunday morning sermon compared to some of the stuff Zack de la Rocha was screaming about.

One of the late ‘90s and early 2000’s biggest rock acts was Creed, lead by singer Scott Stapp and guitarist Mark Tremonti. They were responsible for such rock hits like Higher, What If, and With Arms Wide Open, which won a Grammy for Best Rock Song. With the band breaking up in June 2004, three of their members, including Tremonti, decided to form a new band and replace Stapp with Mayfield Four vocalist Myles Kennedy. They called themselves Alter Bridge. Alter Bridge features the familiar religious and spiritual themes that Creed used to incorporate in their music. I personally prefer Kennedy’s vocals to Stapp. Creed’s sound still lives through this band, and some might even say they improved on it. Alter Bridge has been successful with the release of their first album "One Day Remains" late last year. They performed at this year’s Major League Baseball All Star Game.

The next time someone tells me that current music is just rehashed, I’ll hand them my iPod and make them listen to these three bands. Yes, the members are repackaged, but the music isn’t. This is rock resurrected to save the day.