About
Also known as: Thomas Baptiste Morello, トム・モレロ, Thomas Baptiste Morello, トム・モレロ
Tom Morello built his reputation as one of rock's most distinctive guitarists through his work with Rage Against the Machine, whose politically charged metal made them one of the defining acts of the 1990s. His playing is immediately recognizable: he uses feedback, unconventional tapping and picking, and heavy guitar effects in ways that genuinely sound like nothing else. Rolling Stone ranked him number 18 on their list of greatest guitarists of all time, and in 2023 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as part of Rage Against the Machine. After Rage Against the Machine split, Morello joined Chris Cornell, Tim Commerford, and Brad Wilk to form Audioslave, a deliberately less political project. For his more outspoken material he turned to his solo alter ego The Nightwatchman, releasing acoustic folk influenced work that channeled his socialist views. He also formed Street Sweeper Social Club with Boots Riley, played with the supergroup Prophets of Rage between 2016 and 2019, and has toured periodically with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.
