Bruce Springsteen, Bring Me The Horizon or Chris Stapleton – already the list of guest musicians of Tom Morello’s 2021 album is absolutely impressive. Not too surprisingly, I just had to have a listen to The Atlas Underground Fire, which has been released on 15th October 2021. Here is my review.
Tom Morello – About The Artist
Tom Morello was born on 30th May 1964 in New York City. Even though he is best known for being a member of Rage Against the Machine, he is much more than a rock artist. For example, he even worked as a rapper. Some other acts he is related to are Audioslave, Lock Up or Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band. He started very late to release solo albums, though. His solo debut album was The Atlas Underground in 2018, followed by the 2020 one, Comandante. The Atlas Underground Fire is the third album labelled as Tom Morello solo album.
Tom Morello – The Atlas Underground Fire – Track by Track
The twelve song album lasts 46 minutes.
1. Harlem Hellfighter
The Harlem Hellfighter is like a two minute instrumental intro to the album to me. The track starts with guitar riffs, but then there is more and more distortion, electronic sounds and roughness. A transition through different sounds – like the whole album.
2. Highway to Hell (feat. Bruce Springsteen & Eddie Vedder)
If you just listen to the album, you might inevitably run into the question “Is that really the boss?”. Yeah, Bruce Springsteen and Eddie Vedder are the first guest musicians on The Atlas Underground Fire. If this top class of music celebrity is opening the album, the song has to be a special one. The three really do good in the AC/DC anthem of hard rock. Unfortunately, like at the intro track, the song breaks its style and then more and more moves into an alternative rock direction.
3. Let’s Get The Party Started (feat. Bring Me The Horizon)
Like Highwell to Hell, this collaboration with Bring Me The Horizon has been one of the single releases of the album. The song is a blast with excellent guitar play and a lovely solo. A song like standing in the jet stream of a starting plane.
4. Driving to Texas (feat. Phantogram)
Together with the US electronic rock duo Phantogram, Tom Morello recorded Driving to Texas. Even though the song has some rocking parts, it is overall having more of a dreaming, mystical atmosphere and thus a very melodic touch. Interesting.
5. The War Inside (feat. Chris Stapleton)
The album is a trip through different genres and their stars. Tom Morello is not shy to include one of the biggest country music rockers, Chris Stapleton, to his 2021 project. After a slow start performed by Stapleton, Morello joins and adds some more riffs. The song keeps having country music in its heart, which is a really nice new flavor to the album.
6. Hold The Line (feat. grandson)
No, this is not a cover of the Toto classic. Not at all. US-Canadian grandson stands for alternative rock and rap rock – and that’s a good description of this song already: distorted sounds, rhythmic parts and rapping in parallel to rather melodic parts. The song just comes with a lot of power – but also a nice groove. Thus, I like the song more than I would typically enjoy a song of that kind.
7. Naraka (feat. Mike Posner)
After all the songs before, which had a clear touch of rock music, the seventh song introduces pop sounds to the album. Few guitar riffs, rather melodic and electronic elements in the song. I overall feel that this is one of the weaker tracks on the the album, though.
8. The Achilles List (feat. Damian Marley)
A special kind of celebrity: Damian Marley is Bob Marley’s youngest song – the track he recorded with Tom Morello is a powerful, straight alternative rocker. Marley is adding hip hop parts with a Jamaican touch. Police sirens in the background of the chorus make the song feel too dramatic.
9. Night Witch (feat. phem)
On the ninth track, phem is adding a touch of Avril Lavigne to the album. The song Night Witch is rather a mixture of alternative rock and pop elements. Again, Morello delivers a beautifully grooving sound.
10. Charmed I’m Sure (feat. Protohype)
Protohype is regarded to be the inventor of Dub Hub and rather does bass music. The song is coming with alternative rock sounds, but also a lot of DJ music styles. I feel too old for that kind of sound. To me, it is too chaotic and comes with too many breaks.
11. Save Our Souls (feat. Dennis Lyxzén of Refused)
Save Our Souls definitely comes with the punk style of the Swedish band Refused. One of the key qualities of The Atlas Underground Fire: Morello invites other musicians and tries to adapt their music – instead of trying to make them act Tom Morello style. Some of the resulting songs may feel a bit weird, but it is actually a great variety of songs.
12. On The Shore Of Eternity (feat. Sama’ Abdulhadi)
The album closes with a very different genre: Sama Abdulhadi is a techno DJ from Palestine. And – just in line what I wrote above – Tom Morello is doing techno sounds with her. Electronic beats from Palestine mixed with sounds right from the temple of rock. The eight minute track works surprisingly well – also because the electronic part gets a stronger presence than the guitars.
Tom Morello – The Atlas Underground Fire – Spotify
Here is The Atlas Underground Fire on Spotify:
Tom Morello – The Atlas Underground Fire – My View
The Atlas Underground Fire is a really interesting release. You might even not enjoy all tracks on the album. I don’ as well. Nonetheless, I love the way Tom Morello is having a one-song visit into the music of other artist. From hard rock to techno – the range of songs is huge. But the album still feels like a Tom Morello one. A brave experiment – which finally turns out to be a success.
New York related Media Reviews
Here are music / media reviews related to New York:

Somnuri – Desiderium


Overcoats – Winner


Sophie B. Hawkins – Free Myself


The Moon City Masters – The Famous Moon City Masters


Jeremy Black – Part of Me EP



Joe Satriani – The Elephants of Mars


Jon Spencer & The HITmakers – Spencer Gets It Lit



Slash feat. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators – 4


Rickie Lee Kroell – Hauptsache was mit Deichkind


Jeffrey Mitchell Ross – Waited A Long Time


Carolyn Miller – Thank You EP


Tom Morello – The Atlas Underground Flood


X: THC – Fall Down Seven Times, Rise Up Eight


Echo Bloom – Wake


Ben Rice – Future Pretend


Cassadra Jenkins – An Overview On Phenomenal Nature EP


Haley Mae Campbell – Growing Up EP


Patty Smyth – It’s About Time



Ace Frehley – Origins Vol. 2


Dion – Blues With Friends


Lady Gaga – Chromatica



Joe Satriani – Shapeshifting


Lana Del Rey – Norman Fucking Rockwell
Flyctory.com on Hard Rock and Metal
Here are all postings about Hard Rock and Metal:


Pridian – Cybergnosis EP


Paradogmata – Endetid


A Walk Around the Grounds of Wacken


Maelfoy – Failures, Fears and Forgiveness


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 17th November 2023)


Palehorse – Hunting Grounds


Cabrakaän – Aztlan


Dogma – Dogma


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 10th November 2023)


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 3rd November 2023)


Wayfarer – American Gothic


Doro – Conqueress – Forever Strong and Proud


Angelus Apatrida – Aftermath


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 13th October 2023)


Beartooth – The Surface


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 6th October 2023)


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 29 September 2023)


Atena – Subway Anthem


Rising Wings – Reach


Manntra – War of the Heathens


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 15 September 2023)


Danko Jones – Electric Sounds


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 01 September 2023)


Marduk – Memento Mori


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 25 August 2023)


Alice Cooper – Road


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 18 August 2023)


Sleazy – Back on Track


Songs Of My Life: Doro – The Fortuneteller


Atreyu – The Moment You Find Your Flame EP


Uncaved – Dogmatorraistes


Mammoth WVH – Mammoth II


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 28 July 2023)


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 21 July 2023)



Somnuri – Desiderium


Later Sons – Rise Up


1476 – In Exile


Seepark Biker Days Pfullendorf 2023 – Day 2 Concerts (1st July)


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 23 June 2023)


Mental Cruelty – Zwielicht


Green Labyrinth – Sequences


Ayron Jones – Chronicles Of The Kid


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 16 June 2023)


Saturnus – The Storm Within


Extreme – Six


Ray Alder – II


Omnium Gatherum – Slasher EP


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 26 May 2023)


Oryad – Sacred & Profane


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 19 May 2023)


Marathonmann – Maniac


Moor – Heavy Heart


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 12 May 2023)


Enforced – War Remains


Storm Seeker – Nautic Force


As Everything Unfolds – Ultraviolet


Texas Hippie Coalition – The Name Lives On


Grand Design – Rawk


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 14 April 2023)


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 07 April 2023)


Vass / Katsionis – Cynical Silence


Tribulation – Hamartia EP


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 31 March 2023)


Lordi – Screem Writers Guild


Black Hawk – Soulkeeper


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 17 March 2023)


Night Demon – Outsider


Bad Bones – Hasta El Final!


John Diva & The Rockets of Love – The Big Easy


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 10 March 2023)


Suicide Silence – Remember… You Must Die


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 03 March 2023)


Endlevel – Weekend War


Steel Panther – On The Prowl


Tanzwut – Silberne Hochzeit


Those Damn Crows – Inhale/Exhale


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 10 February 2023)


Dark Sarah – Attack of Orym


Pristine – The Lines We Cross


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 20 January 2023)


Black Star Riders – Wrong Side of Paradise


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 06 January 2023)


Flyctory.com – My Favorite Albums / EPs 2022


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 09 December 2022)


Shaam Larein – Stick En Kniv I Världen


Sündflut – Basta! EP


Amberian Dawn – Take a Chance (A Metal Tribute To ABBA)


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 25 November 2022)


Induction – Born from Fire


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 28 October 2022)


Hostage – Memento Mori


Avantasia – A Paranormal Evening With The Moonflower Society


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 14 October 2022)


Alter Bridge – Pawns And Kings


Orianthi – Rock Candy


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 7 October 2022)


Sleeping Romance – We All Are Shadows


Magical Heart – Heartsonic


Monster Truck – Warriors


Slipknot – The End, So Far


Silent Knight – Full Force


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 16 September 2022)


I Am – Eternal Steel


Blind Guardian – The God Machine


Fire Horse – Out of the Ashes


Megadeth – The Sick, The Dying… and The Dead!


Lugnet – Tales From The Great Beyond


Bad Baron – Ace of Hearts


Thundermother – Black And Gold


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 12 August 2022)


Versus Goliath – Liebe & Chaos


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 05 August 2022)


Manntra – Kreatura


Amon Amarth – The Great Heathen Army


H.E.A.T. – Force Majeure


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 22 July 2022)


Heischneida – Heischneida II


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 15 July 2022)


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 08 July 2022)


Traitor – Exiled To The Surface


Breathe Your Last – Apocalypse


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 24 June 2022)


RXPTRS – Living Without Death’s Permission


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 17 June 2022)


April Art – P.O.K.E.R.F.A.C.E.


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 10 June 2022)


Motionless In White – Scoring The End Of The World


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 3 June 2022)


Def Leppard – Diamond Star Halos


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 20 May 2022)


Wucan – Heretic Tongues


Shameless – So Good, You Should….


Famyne – II: The Ground Below


J.B.O. – Planet Pink


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 29 April 2022)


Silver Dust – Lullabies


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 22 April 2022)


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 15 April 2022)


Axel Rudi Pell – Lost XXIII


DeVicious – Black Heart


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 08 April 2022)


Askara – Lights Of Night


Papa Roach – Ego Trip



Joe Satriani – The Elephants of Mars


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 01 April 2022)


Disconnected – We Are Disconnected


Circle of Friends – The Garden


Spotlight – Flyctory.com meets CJ of Paleface (29th March 2022)


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 25 March 2022)


Paleface – Fear & Dagger


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 11 March 2022)


Der To – Hand aufs Herz


Sunrunner – Sacred Arts of Navigation


Messa – Close


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 04 March 2022)


Crowbar – Zero and Below


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 25 Feb 2022)


Gutrectomy – Manifestation Of Human Suffering


Thunderor – Fire It Up


Corey Taylor – CMFB… Sides EP


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 18 Feb 2022)


Matt Pike – Pike vs the Automaton


Ard – Take Up My Bones


Goodbye June – See Where The Night Goes


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 11 Feb 2022)


Once Human – Scar Weaver



Slash feat. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators – 4


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 04 Feb 2022)


Rolo Tomassi – Where Myth Becomes Memory


Saxon – Carpe Diem


Validor – Full Triumphed


The Sleeper – Radiant


Herman Rarebell & The Hurricane Orchestra – Scorpion’s Songs Symphonic


Claus Trophobia – Space Rock Voodoo


Great American Ghost – Torture World EP


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 14 Jan 2022)


Magnum – The Monster Roars


Skillet – Dominion


Tristan Harders’ Twilight Theatre – Drifting Into Insanity


Flyctory.com – My Favorite Albums / EPs 2021


Flyctory.com – My Favorite Songs 2021


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 24 Dec 2021)


Flyctory.com Songs Of The Week (week of 17 Dec 2021)


Fuer den Faehrmann – Blutmond EP


Volbeat – Servant Of The Mind


Hämatom – Die Liebe ist Tot


Lordi – Lordiversity (Full Box Review)


Lordi – Spooky Sextravaganza Spectacular (from: Lordiversity)


Lordi – Abracadaver (from: Lordiversity)


Lordi – Humanimals (from: Lordiversity)


Lordi – Abusement Park (from: Lordiversity)


Lordi – The Masterbeast From The Moon (from: Lordiversity)


Lordi – SuperFlyTrap (from: Lordiversity)


Lordi – Skelectric Dinosaur (from: Lordiversity)


Navian – Cosmos


Running Wild – Blood on Blood


Hulkoff – Ragnarök


Bodyguerra – Fire & Soul


Alcatrazz – V


Creeping Death – The Edge of Existence EP


Naraka – In Tenebris


Rage – Resurrection Day


Iron Maiden – Senjutsu


Danko Jones – Power Trio


Freakstorm – Storm Inside My Heart


All Good Things – A Hope In Hell


Mentalist – A Journey Into The Unknown


CueStack – Diagnosis:Human


Existent – Kartenhaus EP


Buckcherry – Hellbound


Helloween – Helloween


Cleopatrick – Bummer


Anchors & Hearts – Guns Against Liberty


SILVER LAKE by Esa Holopainen – SILVER LAKE by Esa Holopainen


Mental Cruelty – A Hill To Die Upon


Pop Evil – Versatile


Manntra – Monster Mind Consuming


Evanescence – The Bitter Truth


As Everything Unfolds – Within Each Lies The Other


Burn Down Eden – Burn Down Eden


The L.A. Maybe – Dirty Damn Tricks


Silent Winter – Empire of Sins


Thunder – All The Right Noises


Heart Healer – The Metal Opera by Magnus Karlsson


Orden Ogan – Final Days


A Day To Remember – You’re Welcome


Definition of Insanity – Into The Abyss


Dreamshade – A Pale Blue Dot


Erik Cohen – Northern Soul


Flaming Wrekage – Cathedral of Bones


Damon Johnson & The Get Ready – Battle Lessons


Mentally Blind – Stage: Zero


Korpiklaani – Jylhä


(Over) 400 Media Reviews on Flyctory.com – your most popular ones


Accept – Too Mean To Die


Michael Schenker Group – Immortal


Tragedian – Seven Dimensions


Wig Wam – Never Say Die


Bashdown – Pushing the Envelope


John Diva & The Rockets Of Love – American Amadeus


Flyctory.com – My Favorite Albums / EPs 2020


Flyctory.com – My Favorite Songs 2020


Majestica – A Christmas Carol


Sodom – Genesis XIX


AC/DC – Power Up


Songs Of My Life: Lordi – Hard Rock Hallelujah


Orianthi – O


Averlanche – Life’s Phenomenon


Solstafir – Endless Twilight of Codependent Love


Paradise in Flames – Devil’s Collection


The Struts – Strange Days


Benediction – Scriptures


Artificial Eden – Artificial Eden



Ace Frehley – Origins Vol. 2


Thundermother – Heat Wave


U.D.O. & The German Armed Forces Concert Band – We Are One


Beyond the Black – Horizons


Asking Alexandria – Like a House on Fire


Paradise Lost – Obsidian


Axel Rudi Pell – Sign of The Times


Nightwish – Human :||: Nature



Joe Satriani – Shapeshifting


Gotthard – #13 (Album Review)


Böhse Onkelz – Böhse Onkelz (2020 Album)


Ozzy Osbourne – Ordinary Man


Seven Spires – Emerald Seas


Sepultura – Quadra


Richie Kotzen – 50 for 50


Lordi – Killection


Kirk Windstein – Dream In Motion


Marko Hietala – Pyre Of The Black Heart


Skull Koraptor – Chaos Station


Shadowmass – Shadowmass (Album Review)


Frog Leap – An Amazing Project Back On Tour 2020


Project Renegade – Order of The Minus


Lacuna Coil – Black Anima


Steel Panther – Heavy Metal Rules


Black Star Riders – Another State of Grace


Tarja – In the Raw


Hammerfall – Dominion


Avantasia – Moonglow (Album Review)


My Favorite Songs 2018


Doro – Forever Warriors // Forever United (Album Review)