TOM MORELLO - The Atlas Underground Fire 2xLP (Orange Splatter Vinyl)

Label: Mom + Pop

Tom Morello wants to prove the electric guitar has a future. In the ’90s, his squawking, snarling riffs made political rockers Rage Against The Machine sound like the very revolution they were singing about, but in later years, his iconic style hadn’t really evolved. And at first glance, new album ‘The Atlas Underground Fire’ seemed like it was going to be more of the same.

But after one nod to the past, Morello’s new album charges towards the future. He’s teamed up with the very best in forward-facing heavy music (Grandson, Bring Me The Horizon) and challenging himself with collaborations with pop stars (Mike Posner), psych-rock duos (Phantogram) and even Palestinian techno (Sama’ Abdulhadi). ‘The Atlas Underground Fire’ sounds like the definitive mixtape of future rock & roll, with Morello’s gnarly riffs very much a part of that progression. This record sees Morello adapt with the times to create a record on the cutting-edge of a genre often afraid to evolve.