Members of Rage Against the Machine and Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell are getting ready to put the Slave to the grindstone.

Audioslave, whose debut album is currently rocking the airwaves, have lined up their first full U.S tour.

The first date is February 21 in Denver, and the band will be on the road through March 22 in Seattle. Audioslave played a handful of short warm-up sets in Seattle, New York and Los Angeles late last year, where they realized their potential to rip it up live.

"There's a real chemistry and synergy between bandmembers in Audioslave that translates in the songs that we wrote and the way that we rock onstage," guitarist Tom Morello said. "It feels great playing those songs in any size room."

All of the upcoming concerts have been booked in small venues so the crowd will be able to experience the band's music on a more intimate level than they would at an arena. Also, the shows are all-ages and the tickets are general admission, so anyone who arrives early enough can rock from the front row.

Audioslave were first scheduled to hit the road the summer before last on Ozzfest, but they were forced to drop off the tour. Morello said the decision was made in order to focus single-mindedly on the songs for their record, which they had just started recording.

"It was our priority to make sure the record was great, and was absolutely everything it could be. We set the bar really high when we put this band together. We didn't want to relive past glories. We wanted the next thing we did to be the best thing that we had ever done."

Even though Audioslave features three-quarters of the politically charged Rage Against the Machine, Morello said playing with the new band is a different, but equally enjoyable experience.

"It's been really great," he said. "There seems to be a connection between the band and audience that's been really intense and that's been a great time. The first public performance of Audioslave was on Broadway [in New York] outside in front of thousands of people near Times Square, which was then shown to an audience of millions. For a first gig, that was jumping in at the deep end, but it went really well."

The second show was more low-key, but just as exciting.

"We played a gig in L.A. at the Roxy, and that was literally, completely a surprise show," Morello said. "The curtain went up and kids were expecting to see whatever band was on the marquee and you could see them tripping out going, 'Oh my God, I think that's the guy from Soundgarden.' That let us hone our chops for the two radio shows we did."

Like many bands about to hit the road for a big tour, Morello said he's dismayed by the lack of talented and charismatic artists currently making the rounds. But he's convinced that their shortfalls will be Audioslave's gain.

"We're psyched to get back on the road in the States to show fools how it's done," Morello said.

Audioslave tour dates, according to Epic Records:

  • 2/21 - Denver, CO @ Fillmore
  • 2/23 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
  • 2/24 - St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
  • 2/26 - Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theatre
  • 2/27 - Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theatre
  • 2/28 - Detroit, MI @ State Theater
  • 3/1 - Toronto, ON @ Koolhaus
  • 3/3 - Boston, MA @ Avalon Ballroom
  • 3/4 - Boston, MA @ Avalon Ballroom
  • 3/6 - New York, NY @ Roseland
  • 3/7 - Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
  • 3/9 - Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle
  • 3/11 - Austin, TX @ Music Hall
  • 3/12 - Dallas, TX @ Bronco Bowl
  • 3/14 - Phoenix, AZ @ Mesa Amphitheater
  • 3/15 - Las Vegas, NV @ The Joint
  • 3/17 - Los Angeles, CA @ Palladium
  • 3/19 - San Francisco, CA @ Warfield Theater
  • 3/20 - San Francisco, CA @ Warfield Theater
  • 3/22 - Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theater