Tom Morello has released his second guest-heavy solo album of 2021, The Atlas Underground Flood.
The LP is the sister piece to The Atlas Underground Fire, which the Rage Against the Machine guitarist dropped back in October. Morello again tapped a host of famous musical colleagues to contribute, including Metallica’s Kirk Hammett, Rush’s Alex Lifeson, Jim James of My Morning Jacket, Nathaniel Rateliff, Ben Harper, and more.
Hammett and Lifeson join Morello on the track “I Have Seen the Way,” which also features electronic artist Dr. Fresch. For the guitar fans, the piece is a feast of shredding and vibrant soloing backed by propulsive electro beats.
Hammett provides the wah-heavy solos he’s made his trademark in Metallica, while Lifeson provides a more classic-rock style of guitar playing. Falling somewhere in between, Morello offers up his signature, effects-laden soloing style. See if you can pick out each guitarist’s respective part.
We previously heard three tracks from The Atlas Underground Flood, an album that “finishes what The Atlas Underground Fire started,” according to Morello.
“Fire and Flood are my London Calling,” he said in the original press announcement. “Admiring The Clash at their apex moment, I sought to make a double album where artistic intent supersedes genre. I aimed to forge a central curated vision to tie together a sonically fearless, wild, and wide-ranging musical ambition with a tremendous cast of collaborators. And of course, there are many guitar solos.”
You can purchase The Atlas Underground Flood via Morello’s merch store. Stream “I Have Seen the Way” and the full album (via a listening party hosted by Morello) below.
