Chris Cornell

When someone with Chris Cornell's rap sheet makes a stylistic turn as dramatic as Scream, it's difficult to take critical stock of the music on its own. The record sees the former Soundgarden and Audioslave singer embracing modern R&B with the help of super-producer Timbaland. The obvious question is: why? But Cornell's not supplying any answers. The good news is Scream is nowhere near as embarrassing as it sounds on paper. Cornell's voice is surprisingly suited to the genre. But Cornell had one of the greatest wails in rock - Mudhoney wrote the song "Overblown" making fun of his metal god image. And like much of Audioslave's output, everything here, including Cornell's voice, plods along like a One Republic rip. Even the beats from the usually reliable Timbaland sound like leftovers from one of his J.T. collabs, who actually lends his pipes to "Take Me Alive." It's the album's lack of energy, rather than the endeavour itself, that sinks Scream.