Morello again stars solo

No screaming rap-metal here. The former Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave guitarist Tom Morello returns with another solo disc The Fabled City.

This is Morello’s second album under the Nightwatchman moniker, following up One Man Revolution from 2007. This may be what one would expect from a Morello solo album, minus the heavy guitars that permeated material from his previous two bands.

One of the standout tracks on The Fabled City is “The King of Hell.” This mostly acoustic-driven piece, when mixed with Morello’s smoky deep voice, rings redolent of a Johnny Cash meets Tom Waits mixture.

Morello’s voice instantly stands out in the majority of the works on the album, giving them an old-school feel. In the background, a steel guitar rings out to construct an eerie vibe.

The lyrical content is critical of a number of things, including Guantanamo Bay, politics and the state of the world in general.

“Amidst the blood and rubble / I look for souvenirs to sell / And oh how I was surprised to learn the devil is not the king of hell.” Although the lyrics seem cryptic at times, the dark picture he paints is clearly appropriate to the Guantanamo setting.

“Night Falls” is a calming, poignant ballad led by piano and the popular metal star’s dark voice. Morello created the Nightwatchmen to be the artist of the people.

This would seem to be the song of the people, as he laments about poor working conditions and the formation of unions. In this piece, his voice sounds more like Jim Kerr of Simple Minds or Type O Negative vocalist Peter Steele.

The Fabled City shows Morello continuing his reign of fiery, politically charged anthems. Musically, the material ranges from poignant ballads to angry acoustic folk rock power. While this disc will be largely ignored by the masses, fans who seek it out will not be disappointed.