King Diamond going back in the studio w/RATM

Chris Cornell, Rage Members Heading Back To Studio

Rage Against the Machine and Chris Cornell will re-enter the studio next week to continue making the "groundbreaking" music that they caution fans may never hear.

Rage's Epic Records spokesperson stressed that Cornell and the group, who recorded three songs together earlier this year, are "just going in to jam" and that it's too soon to speculate on what the sessions may mean for the future.

But bassist Timmy C. told San Jose, California, radio station KSJO-FM on Tuesday that he, guitarist Tom Morello and drummer Brad Wilk have formed a new group with Cornell, which will not be called Rage Against the Machine, a representative for the station said.

Morello recently described the group's first sessions with Cornell as "groundbreaking and fantastic."

"He's one of the greatest singers and songwriters in rock history, and jamming with him was off the hook," Morello said at the Grammy Awards last month. "We were just making up new, exciting rock. ... Chris Cornell is definitely not the singer of Rage Against the Machine, but the music that we made in the couple of days that we jammed together was really groundbreaking and fantastic, and was so exciting. He's amazing."

The guitarist said he and his two Rage bandmates have been jamming with several musician friends recently, but he declined to give any names. Singer Zack de la Rocha left the group in October (see "Zack Leaves Rage Against The Machine").
Teri van Horn, mtv.com

Rage Against The Machine Members Book Studio Time For Cornell
(3/8/01, 4 p.m. ET)
Rage Against The Machine drummer Brad Wilk, bassist Tim C., and guitarist Tom Morello have booked a month's worth of studio time with former Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell, continuing the relationship that spawned three songs earlier this year. Rage is on a promo tour, while Cornell is writing lyrics to the songs. The project will not be called Rage Against The Machine. No name has been given to the group yet and there's no word on when the Rage-Cornell recordings will be released.

Morello was recently asked how the collaboration with Cornell went. "Unbelievably fantastic," he said. "He's one of the greatest singers and songwriters in rock history, and jamming with him was off the hook. We were just making up new, exciting rock. Chris Cornell is definitely not the singer of Rage Against The Machine, but the music that we made in the couple of days that we jammed together was really groundbreaking and fantastic, and was so exciting. He's amazing."

Meanwhile, former Rage Against The Machine singer Zack De La Rocha is continuing to work on his solo album, but he says the idea of his former band continuing on without him is "disheartening." He told Spin, "I never thought that if Rage continued on without me, I would be upset. But I found myself feeling like, 'Yo, I thought of that sh*t, you know?'" - Darren Davis, New York

Here's a portion of the transcript of the above mentioned radio interview on KSJO:

NN: And of course Chris Cornell, I know it has been confirmed that you guys have been jamming, writing actually new songs.

TC: yeah

NN: So, what about Chris Cornell

TC: Well, I mean, since we’ve been a band since 1990, we would write riffs, and a lot of time, most times, we’ll name the songs by the riff, you know the riff will remind us of a lot of band’s riffs or something like that. So we have a lot of songs that were called ‘Sound Garden riff A’ or something like that, before we get a name. And they’ve been a huge influence on us and Chris Cornell especially. And it’s like, before Rage, there was the Seattle Grunge movement. And they are arguably the trail blazers of that whole movement. And it’s just like, he’s the same age, sold the same amount of records, excited to jam, he wants to play the heaviest music ever, and we’re all kind of like wanting to make... be Zeppelin, you know?

NN: “Hi, I’m Chris Cornell, I want to play the heaviest music ever. Uh, I need a backup band. Hmmm.

laughing

TC: It worked out!

NN: Yeah I think you guys would fit the bill.

TC: The stars align.

NN: I mean, are you guys writing whole new songs? Is this something that may or may not see the light of day? What is your feeling on that?

TC: Well, it’s like one of those things where chemistry is such a key thing. We got together four days. One day we got to know each other, and then three days we decided to write songs. And we wrote 3 songs, and so…you can’t ask for a better track record than that.

NN: What was it like meeting Chris Cornell, have you known him before or were you just like, “Dude, you’re Chris Cornell.”

TC: My ear is still ringing on the right side from the PA system. I mean, it’s weird...he’s got some lungs on him, that’s for sure. I don’t know it’s…I’m a big fan. I’ve met him a couple times and have always been taken aback by him. He’s just, he’s legendary. I’m psyched man.

NN: Yeah, that’s exciting. I just wonder if you guys are like “Woah, you’re Chris Cornell!” and he’s like “Woah, you’re Rage Against The Machine!”

TC: It is like that, man. It is... I look over and there he is, and I just start laughing.

NN: Is that something that you could see him singing for Rage or would that be like a new project?

TC: He’s definitely not going to be singing for Rage Against The Machine. And…the music that we’re making with him is incredible, and it will be something, but it’s not going to be Rage Against The Machine. But that’s not to say that we’re not going to find the perfect person for Rage some day…

NN: I mean, I definitely have some…you know Denis from Refused and the International Lawyer Conspiracy?

TC: No

NN: I’ll play it to you when we get off the air. They’re anarchists, I mean they’re…that’s one of things I wanted to ask you. What kind of things are you looking for? Is it important that the political philosophies of the new lead singer kind of, you know…are cohesive with the rest of the band? Is that like a priority, you know? Like if I was going to apply, would I have to say, you know, like hey…?

TC: You just have to be ready to make the heaviest music known to man, you know. That’s where we’re at, and that’s where we’ve always been. We write our music first, and we get moved by the music before there’s any lyrics on it, and then we put the lyrics on it in the past. And so right now it’s like an exciting time to get together, and we’ve been working with Chris and so it’s like we’re all in the studio in there with a vocalist. And a lot of times Zack wasn’t in the studio when we would write music. So it’s exciting to have somebody that’s listening to a sound that Tom’s making on the guitar and coming up with melodies…someone besides me. 'Cause in the past it’s just been the bass, you know. That’s a lot. laughs I’m psyched to let someone else step up.

NN: You’re like, “Yeah he’s got good ideas man!” That’s excellent.