Tom Morello says he only gave Kneecap three conditions for the collaboration: the song had to be called "Unconquered," it needed a killer hook, and it had to "blow up festivals like a lunatic." He told NME, "We hit all three."
"Unconquered" appears on Morello's solo album "Everyone Gets Everything They Want," released via Mom + Pop on September 25 — his 22nd album overall and his first solo rock record. On the track, Morello's signature jagged guitar walls collide with driving electronic beats, while Mo Chara and Móglaí Bap trade rapid-fire verses in Irish and English, with a warped, twisted guitar solo dropped in the middle — the same formula that made Morello famous with Rage Against The Machine: hip-hop, hard rock, and electronic textures layered together.
Morello's description of the track carries a clear political charge. He describes "Unconquered" as being about "the unconquered spirit — from college campuses to refugee camps, from concert stages in Dublin to Detroit," adding that "as long as there's breath in our lungs and juice in the Marshall amps, that spirit will not be conquered." He also said the goal of the song was "to make a guitar sound like an entire revolution."
Morello's admiration for Kneecap is nothing new. He previously described the Belfast trio as "the Rage Against The Machine of today," and this time told NME about how the connection began: "Long before any of the political controversy, I saw the Kneecap movie and thought, 'this band is fucking awesome.'" He said, "The fact that a band is unafraid to stand with oppressed people around the world matters to me, and I saw a kinship in Kneecap."
"Everyone Gets Everything They Want" also features collaborations with System Of A Down's Serj Tankian and the band Beartooth, plus guitar riffs contributed by Morello's 15-year-old son Roman on five of the tracks. Morello says the album took shape in response to what he calls the "specter of authoritarianism" spreading around the world: "In this moment, rebellion is self-care, and rock and roll is self-defense. This is a record for everyone who's had enough."
As for Kneecap, they released their sophomore album "Fenian" back in May, earning a four-and-a-half-star review from NME, which called it "a solid, progressive, and fearless record." They've since announced a major "Fenian" world tour, with UK and Ireland dates kicking off in Southampton on November 28 and wrapping up at Dublin's 3Arena on December 16.
