On Oct. 29, Audioslave’s East Coast tour hit Madison Square Garden. The night opened with performances by 30 Seconds to Mars and Seether, both of which left something to be desired. The anticipation for Audioslave’s set was high when the lights dimmed, the curtain dropped, and Chris Cornell and 3/4 of Rage Against the Machine burst into the opening track on their new album “Out of Exile,” “Your Time Has Come.”

The concert, engineered by New York’s “K-Rock” radio station, included an odd array of interests from emo fans to metal fans to fans Rage and Soundgarden to adults interested in today’s hard rock scene. The band managed to please everyone, covering material from Temple of the Dog, Soundgarden, Rage Against the Machine as well as doing material from their first, second, and soon to be released third album. The announcement of the coming third album came as a shock to many fans, considering the second album was released in May, and the first album was released in 2002. The band explained that during those three years they had come up with material for more than one album, but not quite enough to release a double album. After explaining their creative process on the upcoming album, Audioslave rocked into a track from the upcoming album, leaving the audience salivating for more new material.

Some highlights of the night were Chris Cornell’s efforts on “Black Hole Sun,” “Getaway Car,” “Spoonman” and “I Am The Highway,” as well as Rage covers of “Bulls on Parade,” “Sleep Now In The Fire” and “Killing in The Name Of.” They also managed to do some of their own songs, including “Doesn’t Remind Me,” “Be Yourself,” “Like A Stone” and “Cochise.” The band kept Madison Square very alive, with the audience rocking, screaming, jumping and singing throughout the entire show. The future for this formidable super group looks very bright, and their creative genius looms large in the writing of some of the most substantial songs in recent memory.