Somewhere towards the middle of this record, on “Soldier in the Army of Love”, which he plays with his son Roman, Tom Morello asks: “Who needs a weapon when you were born one?”
If that doesn’t sum up his career from the start, then I’m not sure what does. Incendiary music. Incendiary lyrics. Incendiary attitude. But always delivered with the skill of a wonderful musician, and that matters just as much here.
“Beth From Electronics” provides the preamble before the title track settles into a riff that could only really belong to Morello. The chorus is catchy as hell, contrasting brilliantly with the spoken-word verses, while the lead guitar does the sort of things he’s been making it do since the beginning. You can recognise him in seconds. There aren’t many guitarists you can say that about.
Serj Tankian turns up to do his thing on “Adjourn It”, with Roman involved here too, and the System Of A Down man is perfectly suited to its sneering attack on the familiar business of finding trouble in the heartland and blaming immigrants. “I Am Not Yours To Command” shifts the mood towards freedom and self-worth. The piano can’t disguise the stoicism at its heart, and there’s a wonderful feel to the whole thing.
Then comes “Soldier in the Army of Love”. Co-written with Roman, it’s one of the highlights: uplifting, essentially a rap song, and so quintessentially Tom Morello. That he gets to share it with his son surely makes it all the more special.
Speaking of rap, Kneecap are just about the perfect guests for “Unconquered”. Morello has spent his career giving a voice to the downtrodden, and “I prefer the gutter looking up at the stars” fits that outlook beautifully. There’s defiance here, certainly, but there’s hope too. “Date Night” follows, another reminder that wherever he takes his music, he remains interesting and never less than compelling.
“The Last Rung on the Ladder” is acoustic in the way Chuck Ragan might be acoustic. There’s weight and grit in it. Pity, truth and patience are consigned to unmarked graves, and the woman in the song can’t take any more. The change in instrumentation does nothing to lessen the force of what’s being said.
Beartooth bring another dimension to “Everything Burns”, which is almost perfect modern metal. Then the incredible guitar work at the beginning of “Pretend You Remember Me” ushers in one of the slower pieces, with even a touch of folk creeping into its sound. It’s another side of his playing, and every bit as absorbing.
“Untethered” has one last groove to offer, with the sense that something is lurking, ready to attack, before “They Can’t Kill Us All” ends things on an acoustic note. “I’m not asking permission,” he sings, gathering the like-minded around him, while the harmonica is pure Dylan. It’s a fitting way to finish a record so concerned with standing together.
Billed as his first solo rock record, “Everyone Gets Everything They Want” makes good on the ambition Morello sets out in the accompanying notes: “I wanted to make a record that reflected all sides of my career.”
There’s another quote that matters here, too. “I’m a big fan of Kneecap and they have fearlessly stood up for their beliefs in this time where it can cost you a lot,” he says. That willingness to stand up and be counted is something Morello has shown throughout his own career. Whatever musical direction he’s taken, you’ve never had to wonder where he stands.
And he spells it out again: “I make anti-fascist songs for anti-fascists, anti-Nazi songs for anti-Nazis and anti-racist songs for anti-racists. If any of that offends you, do the math.”
Of course he’s preaching to the converted. He’s also pissing off all the right people. But more than that, “Everyone Gets Everything They Want” is a superb rock record.
Rating: 9/10
