Review critiqued

Who asked Richard Cromelin to critique Audioslave’s musical direction [“A Potential That Needs Nurturing,” June 5]? While Cromelin gives the band’s latest, “Out of Exile,” three stars, his actual “review” is merely an opinion on where the band should be headed rather than a critique of the actual musical work. Cromelin describes the band’s sound as “some Rage and some Soundgarden,” even though the new material bears little resemblance to either Soundgarden or Rage Against the Machine.

Audioslave has chosen to forgo Soundgarden’s complex time signatures and Rage’s vitriolic rhythmic pulsing in favor of simple bluesy rock songs presented with a clean and powerful sound that has more in common with Led Zeppelin than with Soundgarden or Rage.

James P. Noon

Burbank