Germany’s Rock am Ring festival wrapped up tonight (4) after a shortened first night that saw the 90,000-strong crowd evacuated after a credible terror threat. Given what took place the following evening in London, it was a good move to do so. Yesterday, another emotional moment took place, but this time, it was due to the music. Prophets of Rage, which includes Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave’s Tom Morello, Brad Wilk and Tim Commerford, performed Audioslave’s biggest single, “Like a Stone,” and as a tribute to Chris Cornell, Serj Tankian came out to perform the song.
The song is a moving tribute. Tankian’s voice is as powerful and emotional as Cornell’s was, and while his unique voice doesn’t match Cornell’s, he puts his own take on the song while hitting all the notes. Sure, it doesn’t sound exactly like Cornell, but as he presciently said in “Black Hole Sun,” no one sings like you any more.