Rage Against The Machine and Prophets of Rage's Tom Morello announces his upcoming solo studio album featuring a number of collaborators.
On Thursday, July 26, renowned rockstar announced The Atlas Underground due to come out later this year via Mom + Pop Music.
Tom Morello Recruits EDM, Hip-Hop Collaborators
Morello also dropped a tracklist including his star-studded collaborators. Among the artists who will appear in The Atlast Underground is Portugal. The Man, Killer Mike (of Run the Jewels), Marcus Mumford (of Mumford & Sons), RZA and GZA (of Wu-Tang Clan), Steve Aoki, and his Rise Against The Machine bandmate Tim McIlrath.
In an interview with It's Electric, a radio show hosted by Lars Ulrich of Metallica, the 54-year-old described his new album as "e-mail rock," a reference to how the collaborations were made possible through the power of the internet. Morello also spoke about his decision to make music with electronic artist despite his hate for EDM in the past.
"No one was a [greater] enemy of EDM than myself," he stated.
He also explained that by listening to artists such as Skrillex and Knife Party, he realized that electronic and metal are not too different after all.
In a press release, Morello also spoke about why he decided to work with hip-hop and electronic dance music artists for his next album.
"Amid this heightened sense of impending doom, it's now time to rally the troops in a last-ditch effort to save the planet, and our artistic souls," he stated. "By challenging the boundaries of what music is and has sounded like before, you can open people's eyes to changing the status quo in society."
Tom Morello Drops Two New Tracks
As a sampler, Morello dropped two new tracks from his upcoming album. True to his word, "We Don't Need You" and "Battle Sirens" marry anti-establishment rock anthems with EDM and hip-hop.
The first song, "We Don't Need You," is a collaboration between Morello and rapper Vic Mensa.
Meanwhile, in "Battle Sirens," Morello recruits Australian EDM duo Knife Party.
Both tracks are now available for streaming in all major platforms.
The Atlas Underground is set for release on Oct. 12. It will feature 12 tracks including "We Don't Need You" and "Battle Sirens."
Morello is also currently working on a new album with his rock supergroup Prophets of Rage. No release date has been announced to the public as of this writing.
