Prophets of Rage Aiming to Release New Song Before Summer’s End
When interviewing Tom Morello, there's no shortage of things to discuss. We caught up with the legend at the Sonic Temple festival, where he discussed his solo record The Atlas Underground, the 2020 Presidential election, prison reform and revealed that a new Prophets of Rage song may be released before the summer is over.
The intent behind The Atlas Underground was to bring in modern artists from outside genres and bring those sounds in to create "a guitar record for the new millennium," said Morello. Onstage, he's performing songs from across his career, including songs from Rage Against the Machine, Bruce Springsteen and Audioslave among others. To bring these works to life, he collaborated with Sean Evans, who was the artistic director behind Roger Waters' past two tours.
Moving from music to politics, Morello touched on the upcoming 2020 Presidential election. He was reluctant to endorse any candidate specifically, joking, "No one is metal enough for me," when summing up the potential Democratic candidates.
Speaking further about the current state of the country, Morello said the nation isn't as divided as the media makes it out to be and that many citizens all share common wants and needs such as being able to make a living, having a fair justice system and a world free of war and homelessness.
Turning back to music, it's impossible not to ask about a Rage Against the Machine reunion. Morello shut it down quickly, instead urging those who want to affect change to start a band and do it themselves rather than wait for Rage to get back together.
As for new music, Morello confirmed Prophets of Rage have written "about half a record" and will "hopefully have new music out before the end of the summer." The group last released "Heart Afire," a new song, last July.
Watch the complete interview in the video above.
Where Does Tom Morello Rank Among the Top 66 Hard Rock + Metal Guitarists of All Time?