Though his plans to reunite with Rage Against The Machine this year were dashed, that hasn’t stopped Tom Morello from having an eventful 2020. From his activist work ahead of the 2020 elections to inspiring young musicians on the internet, the guitar hero has still packed plenty into a less-than-ideal year.
His latest achievement came over the weekend with the release of a new EP, entitled Comandante. On the five-song offering, which takes its name from the Spanish word for commander, Morello pays tribute to late guitarists Eddie Van Halen and Jimi Hendrix. Also featured on the digital release is a heated guitar battle behind Morello and the venerable Guns N’ Roses guitarist, Slash.
On the 68-second Comandante song “Secretariat”, Tom Morello channels EVH by way of his instrumental track “Cathedral” from 1982’s Diver Down. The track finds the RATM guitarist employing some of the same stylistic techniques Van Halen pioneered, methods that can also be heard throughout Morello’s greater catalog.
Comandante also features Morello’s take on the seminal Hendrix track, “Voodoo Child”. Morello makes the instrumental rendition of the Electric Ladyland favorite his own with the implementation of pounding drums and heavy rhythms. Though these may seem somewhat out of place for a cover of the song by a Flower Power leader, it’s worth noting that during his time, Hendrix’s innovative and overdrive-infused guitar stylings were at the forefront of what would become heavy music and set the course for metal.
The final highlight on Morello’s EP is his guitar duel with Slash on “Interstate 80”. The musical tag-team operation also comes with a music video which features plenty of clips from the 2007 video game Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock which hosted both musicians as playable characters. Just like in the game, the two real-life guitar heroes go at it in a no-holds-barred grudge match of musical prowess.
Stream the new Tom Morello EP, Comandante, below and watch the music video for “Interstate 80” featuring Slash.
Tom Morello – Comandante
Tom Morello, Slash – “Interstate 80” (Official Video)
[Video: Tom Morello]
[H/T Brooklyn Vegan]