Tom Morello announces star-studded new solo album, debuts "shredding" Highway to Hell cover with Bruce Springsteen and Eddie Vedder

Tom Morello has announced a brand-new, star-studded solo album, The Atlas Underground Fire.

Arriving October 15 via Mom + Pop Music, the release follows the Rage Against the Machine firebrand's 2018 solo effort The Atlas Underground, and promises his “remarkable guitar playing will be on full display”.

The record – which will fuse “rock, alternative and electronic music together” – is set to play host to a smorgasbord of musical guests, including Bring Me the Horizon, Chris Stapleton, Phem, Damian Marley, Sama' Abdulhadi, Mike Posner and more.

Kicking off the album's cycle, Morello has dropped a cover of AC/DC's Highway to Hell, featuring Bruce Springsteen and Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder. Check it out below.

“Our version of Highway to Hell pays homage to AC/DC but with Bruce Springsteen and Eddie Vedder, bringing this legendary song into the future,” Morello says. “One of the greatest rock 'n' roll songs of all time sung by two of the greatest rock 'n' roll singers of all time. And then I drop a shredding guitar solo. Thank you and good night.”

Much of The Atlas Underground Fire was written and created during the Covid pandemic, which, naturally, presented some logistical challenges.

“During lockdown I had no access to an engineer so I had to record all of the guitar parts on the voice memo of my phone,” Morello explains. “This seemed like an outrageous idea but it lead to a freedom in creativity in that I could not overthink any of the guitar parts and just had to trust my instincts.”

And while Tom Morello is widely known for his work pertaining to social justice, the new record focuses more on the emotions and anxiety brought about by the pandemic.

“This record was a life raft in a difficult time,” he says. “[It] allowed me to find new ways of creating new global artistic connections that helped transform a time of fear and anxiety into one of musical expression and rocking jams.”

Check out the full tracklisting for The Atlas Underground Fire below:

1. Harlem Hellfighter 
2. Highway to Hell (featuring Bruce Springsteen and Eddie Vedder)
3. Let’s Get The Party Started (featuring Bring Me The Horizon)
4. Driving to Texas (featuring Phantogram)
5. The War Inside (featuring Chris Stapleton)
6. Hold The Line (featuring grandson)
7. Naraka (featuring Mike Posner)
8. The Achilles List (featuring Damian Marley)
9. Night Witch (featuring phem)
10. Charmed I’m Sure (featuring Protohype)
11. Save Our Souls (featuring Dennis Lyxzén of Refused)
12. On The Shore Of Eternity (featuring Sama’ Abdulhadi)