One Day As A Lion

After numerous high profile collaborations with the likes of Timbaland and Trent Reznor were hinted at but never materialized, once again Rage Against the Machine verbal jockey Zach de la Rocha decided to go lo-fi DIY and hammer out One Day As A Lion. This gritty, two-member collaboration between de la Rocha and former Mars Volta drum virtuoso Jon Theodore is almost surprising in how much it sounds like a collection of under-developed RATM demos, with better drumming. Composed entirely of synth lines and vocals courtesy of Zach, aside from Theodore’s thick and tastefully intricate beats, it’s interesting to hear how much of an influence Tom Morello must have had on de la Rocha’s musical sensibilities. There are some pretty menacing, squelchy grooves and Zach’s vocal delivery still bristles when locked into a flow, but his attempts at melodic hooks come across a little lacking, almost a little embarrassing in their obviousness. Maybe with more creative forces working on the arrangements these songs could have been more memorable. Then again, maybe Theodore should get in on recording a new Rage album.