Review: Guests take Tom Morello’s album on a wild ride

"The Atlas Underground Fire," Tom Morello, (Mom + Pop Music).

Review: Guests take Tom Morello’s album on a wild ride

"The Atlas Underground Fire," Tom Morello, (Mom + Pop Music).

After the paint-peeling guitar riffs and spleen-shaking drummers have subsided, Tom Morello's "The Atlas Underground Fire” really sets hearts racing.

"On the Shore of Eternity," the final track, is a dance instrumental of 8 minutes that sounds almost like an aerobics class.

Morello hopes America will get in shape.

This 12-tune patchwork pandemic product is the message of the social justice warrior and rock star Morello. Morello's guitars are hard hitting, even though they were recorded on his phone's voice-memory app. The passion of Morello's politics is evident. However, long-distance file sharing by many collaborators leads to a whiplash-inducing grabbag.

Except for the AC/DC song "Highway to Hell," Morello wrote every tune. This is the set's highlight. This video features Bruce Springsteen and Eddie Vedder at their best, as if they have ever performed an arena anthem.

The heavier "Let’s Get the Party Started" features Bring Me the Horizon's Oli Sikes singing about avoiding demons. Infendiary riffing is back on "The Achilles List," Greta Thunberg shouting, "How dare your continue looking away!" "Hold The Line," which calls for activism and is destined to be adopted by sports venues.

Back-to-back songs are less likely to last. "The Atlas Underground Fire" can be exhilarating, but it can also be exhausting.

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