Tom Morello has released Soldier in The Army Of Love, the debut single from his first full-length solo rock album. The new single features his son, Roman Morello, and opened Tom’s set at this year’s Hellfest Festival.
“The music industry is very, very different now,” Tom Morello told a packed Hellfest Festival 2024 press conference on 28 June. “But one thing that doesn’t change is people’s love for rock ‘n’ roll, as festivals like Hellfest clearly describe.
“We’ve been playing these hard rock and Metal festivals across the continent, and it’s just been awesome. People are responding. They’re going crazy for songs from the ’90s, crazy for the new song, Soldier In The Army Of Love.
“Metal and hard rock is in a very, very healthy place because there’s a new Morello coming. His name is Roman Morello. He’s 13 years old. He and I wrote this new song, Soldier In The Army Of Love. He’s the one that plays the solo on it. I’ve now been relegated to being the rhythm guitar player in my own family. We’re gonna open the show with it tonight, and the song came out today.”
“I’m definitely not in his top two,” Tom replied when asked at Hellfest what Roman thought of his father as a guitar player. “His top two are Jimmy Page and Randy Rhoads. So, I’m just angling for the bronze medal.”
Tom says that his son fills him with hope for the future. “There is certainly hope for the shredding,” Tom said at Hellfest, “because let me tell you that kid burns. But when it comes to the world-changing stuff, it motivates me to see him and my other kids, to do what I can every day in my songs from the stage to move the meter.
“If there’s one [message] across 21 records, a thread through all of my music, that is that the world is not going to change itself. That is up to you. And by you, I literally mean you. That’s how the world changes.
“Sometimes it seems like the monolithic problem that we will never be able to get past and the world cannot be changed. Or that the worst people are the ones in charge. But you are not witnesses to history. You are agents of history.
“History is not something that happened. It’s something you make. Whenever there has been a progressive, radical, or even revolutionary, positive change for the better, it’s come from people who are no different than anyone in this room or any of the audiences you’re writing for or that your videos are for.
“Once you have that realization that you do have your hands on the wheel of history and of this planet and if you want to make it a more peaceful, more equitable, more anti-racist, a more environmentally sound place, there is no one to blame if it doesn’t happen but you for not standing up.”
Soldier in The Army Of Love is available from here.
HELLFEST 2024
Prepare to be consumed by the relentless energy of the most influential bands in Heavy Metal as they ignite the Hellfest stages with blistering performances. The immersive atmosphere of Clisson will immerse you in a dark, captivating experience like no other.
With its unparalleled lineup and unwavering commitment to the spirit of metal, Hellfest 2024 promises an unforgettable journey into the depths of sonic mayhem. Read all the Heavy Metal News at MetalTalk.
MetalTalk Hellfest 2024 coverage can be found at https://www.metaltalk.net/tag/hellfest-2024.
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