Image by A2H2Z
Quite regularly a band comes along that blows me away. They create an album of pure genius which they tour, promote and I listen to for months on end.
Then every now and again two of my favourite bands form to create one mega supergroup and push the boundaries of rock ‘n’ roll.
Here are my top five supergroups to have formed in the 21st century. Enjoy!
1. Audioslave
Chris Cornell, along with Eddie Vedder and Kurt Cobain, was one of the pioneers of the grunge scene that came out of Seattle in the early 1990s with his band Soundgarden.
Hits like ‘Fell on Black Days’ and ‘Slaves & Bulldozers’ made him internationally recognised as one of best rock singer/songwriters in the world. Then in 2001 he announced he would be joining Tom Morello and co from ‘Rage Against the Machine’ to form Audioslave.
They released three albums with hits such as ‘Like a Stone’ (see above) and ‘What You Are’ among many others.
2. Velvet Revolver
Since he left ‘Guns ‘N’ Roses’ in 1996, lead guitarist Slash has done many collaborative efforts with a huge amount of musicians. But one of his most popular is his band Velvet Revolver, which he formed with GNR bassist Duff Mckagan, GNR drummer Matt Sorum and grunge band ‘Stone Temple Pilots’’ singer Scott Weiland.
Their key hit ‘Slither’ (see above) has had over eight million views on You Tube – such is the popularity of the song and the video.
3. Alter Bridge
Once the rock band ‘Creed’ announced their breakup in 2004, with singer Scott Stapp headed towards a solo career, they soon recruited singer Myles Kennedy to form a new band in Alter Bridge. Alter Bridge kept the heavy sound retained from the Creed albums, except this time their new singer boasted a tremendous vocal range which allowed them to vary their style a lot more.
Kennedy is also part of another supergroup with Slash (called…’Slash’) in which he belts out some more cracking rock songs too.
4. Chickenfoot
A monumental gathering of rock legends in Joe Satriani, Sammy Hagar, Michael Antony (both Van Halen) and Chad Smith (‘Red Hot Chili Peppers’) formed to create fun lovin’ rock band ‘Chickenfoot’.
A favourite of the rock radio station Planet Rock, as you would expect the band’s signature sound is based around the gruff voice of Sammy Hagar and Joe Satriani’s virtuoso guitar playing.
5. Them Crooked Vultures
In my opinion I have left the best till last. A trio containing Dave Grohl (‘Nirvana’ and ‘Foo Fighters’), Josh Homme (‘Queens of the Stone Age’) and John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin) produced an album of sheer quality that barely contains a dud track.
Josh Homme’s iconic distortion saturated guitar tone laces perfectly across the funk bass lines of Jones. All the while, Grohl keeps everyone in check with stomping drum beats.
There you have it. For those long winter nights ahead, grab a pair of headphones, crank the electric heater up, and rock out!
I’d love to hear your favourite supergroups, so comment below with your suggestions!
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James Duval is an IT Support Manager and loves finding new rock songs to put in his playlist whilst he is at work. When he’s not shredding his guitar with tasty riffs he’s blogging for electrical specialists Alert Electrical.
