The first thought I had while listening to The Atlas Underground Fire was that AC/DC doesn't get enough credit. I was like, 'Mmm, that's not the case.'Īs if you just listen to Public Enemy on loop all day. Back in the day, people assumed I only listened to rock/rap bands. Because I'm not embarrassed by any of my tastes, it's hard to even think of anything. There are no dirty secrets in regard to what I like.

Give me a band you love where it confuses people that you like them.

One of the reasons why I appreciate that band is the singer has a rich, dark, milk-chocolate baritone voice like myself. There's almost a techno element to it as well. Have you tried Floodland? Floodland is the jam for Sisters of Mercy. They're on the list of bands I really want to like, but I haven't found an entrance to them. I was so mesmerized by the voice and attitude of that band that clearly did not care about anything that was not dark. What's your favorite outré cult band that you stand by?

I'm more of an appreciator of the Fall than I'm an enjoyer of the Fall. This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity. Read on for an enthusiastic, in-depth interview with Morello about all things music and why he thinks Rage Against The Machine-who will ride again in 2022-successfully welded rap to rock. Thanks to you-know-what instrument, what would be a disparate grab-bag of tunes sounds like a whole-even though everyone was physically separated due to COVID-19. Other than that fist-pumping tribute to what he calls 'one of the greatest rock 'n' roll bands of all time,' The Atlas Underground Fire, which arrives October 15, embraces metalcore ('Let's Get The Party Started' with Bring Me The Horizon), country ('The War Inside' with Chris Stapleton) and Middle Eastern sounds ('On the Shore of Eternity' with Sama' Abdulhadi). And that's what binds The Atlas Underground Fire, his new set of originals-plus an incendiary cover of AC/DC’s 'Highway to Hell' with high priests of gruffness Eddie Vedder and Bruce Springsteen. So, when the Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave and Prophets of Rage guitarist decided to combat the lockdown blahs by recording a bunch of tunes with his musician friends, there had to be one throughline: The electric guitar. Read More: For The Record: Saluting Los Angeles Revolutionary Rockers Rage Against The Machine

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