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{{short description|American guitarist and singer-songwriter}}{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2017}}

factoids

| birth_place = New York City, U.S.| origin = Libertyville, Illinois, U.S.| alias = The Nightwatchman

• Guitar
• vocals

{edih}

• Alternative metal
• funk metal
• heavy metal
• rap metal
• nu metal
• hardcore punk
• crossover
• folkWEB,weblink Tom Morello biography, AllMusic, September 4, 2015, Prato, Greg,
• EDMWEB,weblink Tom Morello, the Last Rap-Rock God Standing, Rob, Harvilla, May 30, 2019, The Ringer, November 6, 2019,

}}

• Musician
• singer
• songwriter
• political activist

{edih}

• Sony BMG
• Epic
• Interscope

{edih}

• The Nightwatchman
• Street Sweeper Social Club
• Axis of Justice

{edih}

• Rage Against the Machine
• Audioslave
• Lock Up
• Prophets of Rage
• Class of '99
• Bored of EducationWEB,weblink Tom Morello – Musician, The Harvard Crimson, Kevin, Sun, May 25, 2011, October 5, 2022,
• Joey Thunder and the Electrical Storm
• The Deviates
• The Zoo

}}| years_active = 1979–present}}Thomas Baptist Morello (born May 30, 1964) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, and leftist political activist. He is best known for his tenure with the rock bands Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave. Between 2016 and 2019, Morello was a member of the supergroup Prophets of Rage. Morello was also a touring musician with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.WEB,weblink Exclusive: Tom Morello on Touring and Recording with Bruce Springsteen, Ultimate Classic Rock, January 10, 2014, Under the moniker the Nightwatchman, Morello released his solo work. Together with Boots Riley, he formed Street Sweeper Social Club. Morello co-founded Axis of Justice, which airs a monthly program on Pacifica Radio station KPFK (90.7 FM) in Los Angeles.Born in Harlem, New York, and raised in Libertyville, Illinois, Morello became interested in music and politics while in high school. He attended Harvard University and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Committee on Degrees in Social Studies. After his previous band Lock Up disbanded, Morello met Zack de la Rocha. The two founded Rage Against the Machine, going on to become one of the more popular and influential rock acts of the 1990s.He is best known for his unique and creative guitar playing style, which incorporates feedback noise, unconventional picking, and tapping, as well as heavy use of guitar effects. Morello is known for his socialist political views and activism; creating the Nightwatchman offered an outlet for his views while playing apolitical music with Audioslave. He was ranked number 18 in Rolling Stone magazine's list of greatest guitarists of all time.MAGAZINE, 2023-10-13, The 250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time,weblink 2023-10-14, Rolling Stone, en-US, As a member of Rage Against the Machine, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2023.

Early life

Thomas Baptist MorelloWEB,weblink Tom Morello talks solo album, Voice of Baceprot, and Afghanistan, Thomas Baptist Morello, or simply Tom Morello, is possibly one of the most prolific guitarists of the last three decades., Yudhistira, Agato, The Jakarta Post, August 31, 2021, July 11, 2021, was born on May 30, 1964,WEB,weblink Happy Birthday, Tom Morello! Watch Rage Against The Machine's Full Set at Woodstock '99, Lizzie, Manno, Paste (magazine), Paste, May 30, 2019, July 11, 2022, July 11, 2022,weblink dead, WEB,weblink Celebrity birthdays for the week of May 29 – June 4, Guitarist Tom Morello of Audioslave and Rage Against the Machine is 58., ABC News, May 23, 2022, July 11, 2022, in Harlem, New York, to parents Ngethe Njoroge and Mary Morello.WEB,weblink Tom Morello: 'I never struggled with my identity. Other people did', ...and the 57-year-old from Harlem, New York, found himself, for the first time, with no idea what to do next..., Roisin, O'Connor, The Independent, October 12, 2021, July 11, 2022, WEB,weblink Tom Morello: Spinning the 'Atlas', Fire ignited, uniting the nations of music, crossing genres and experimental mixes, starting at the beginning with 'Harlem Hellfighter,' a frenetic instrumental ode to Morello's birthplace of Harlem, New York..., Tina, Benitez-Eves, American Songwriter, November 26, 2021, July 11, 2022, Morello, an only child, is the son of an American mother of Italian and Irish descent and a Kenyan Kikuyu father. His mother was a schoolteacher from Marseilles, Illinois, who earned a Master of Arts at Loyola University, Chicago and traveled to Germany, Spain, Japan, and Kenya as an English language teacher between 1977 and 1983.WEB, The Mary Morello and Cindy Sheehan Show, episode 6, Axis of Justice, August 6, 2007,weblink January 9, 2008,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20071211052444weblink">weblink December 11, 2007, His father participated in the Mau Mau Uprising (1952–1960) and was Kenya's first ambassador to the United Nations.BOOK, Rage Against the Machine, Devenish, Colin, 2001, St. Martin's Press, 0-312-27326-6, 13, Morello's paternal great-uncle, Jomo Kenyatta, was the first elected president of Kenya. His aunt, Jemimah Gecaga, was the first woman to serve in the legislature of Kenya; and his uncle Njoroge Mungai was a Kenyan Cabinet Minister, Member of Parliament, and was considered one of the founding fathers of modern Kenya. His parents met in August 1963 while attending a pro-democracy protest in Nairobi, Kenya.Tom Morello:One Man Revolt by The Huffington Post, July 21, 2009. After discovering her pregnancy, Mary Morello returned to the United States with Njoroge in November and married in New York City.WEB, My Life Story: Tom Morello,weblink Malcolm, Dome, Metal Hammer Magazine, November 2006, en, 2020-05-24, Denying paternity of his son, Njoroge returned to his native Kenya when Morello was 16 months old.WEB, Holthouse, David, Bottled Anger Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello pours forth the vitriol, Phoenix New Times, September 26, 1996,weblink January 9, 2008, {{Dead link|date=February 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Morello was raised by his mother in Libertyville, Illinois, and attended Libertyville High School, where his mother taught American history.{{anchor|highschool}}Morello developed far left-leaning political proclivities early, following in his mother's footsteps. He described himself as having been "the only anarchist in a conservative high school", and has since identified as a nonsectarian socialist. In the 1980 mock elections at Libertyville, he campaigned for a fictitious anarchist "candidate" named Hubie Maxwell, who came in fourth place in the election.{{citation needed|date=March 2021}} He wrote a piece headlined "South Africa: Racist Fascism That We Support" for the school alternative newspaper, The Student Pulse.WEB, Kot, Greg, Left-Wing Radical, Anti-Authoritarian Troublemaker, Free-Speech Guerilla,weblink Chicago Tribune, March 24, 2021, July 2, 2000, {{anchor|harvard}}Morello graduated from high school with honors in June 1982 and enrolled at Harvard University as a political science student that autumn. His band, "Bored of Education", won the Ivy League Battle of the Bands in 1986 with Carolyn Bertozzi, a laureate of the 2022 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, on keyboards.TWEET,weblink Congrats to my former @Harvard bandmate @CarolynBertozzi on her @NobelPrize in chemistry! We won the Ivy League Battle of the Bands in 1986 with our rockin' group 'Bored Of Education', with her on keyboards & me in spandex., tmorello, Tom, Morello, 1577694126610337795, 9 October 2023, WEB, Chaudhry, Yahya, 2022-12-20, For future Nobel laureate it was a bit of chemistry, a bit of rock 'n' roll,weblink 2023-04-13, Harvard Gazette, en-US, Morello graduated in 1986 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in social studies.Archived at Ghostarchive{{cbignore}} and the weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130228060350weblink">Wayback Machine{{cbignore}}: WEB,weblink Tom Morello: From Harvard to Hollywood, YouTube, June 16, 2009, July 18, 2011, {{cbignore}} He moved to Los Angeles, where he supported himself, first by working as an exotic dancer:WEB, Harper, Kate,weblink Tom Morello Used To Be A Stripper, Chartattack.com, November 3, 2009, November 15, 2010, usurped,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20100826122644weblink">weblink August 26, 2010, When I graduated from Harvard and moved to Hollywood, I was unemployable. I was literally starving, so I had to work menial labor and, at one point, I even worked as an exotic dancer. 'Brick House' (by the Commodores) was my jam! I did bachelorette parties and I'd go down to my boxer shorts. Would I go further? All I can say is thank God it was in the time before YouTube! You could make decent money doing that job – people do what they have to do. Adam Jones, a high school classmate, moved to Los Angeles as well; Morello introduced Jones and Maynard James Keenan to Danny Carey, who would come to form the band Tool.WEB, TOM MORELLO ON PARENTING: INTERVIEW WITH GUITAR HERO,weblink 2019-11-04, elainesir.com/, en-US, 2020-05-24, {{anchor|cranston}}From 1987 to 1988, Morello worked in the office of United States Senator Alan Cranston (D-CA); however, this proved to be a negative experience for Morello, who decided never to pursue a career in politics:I never had any real desire to work in politics but if there was any ember burning in me, it was extinguished working in that job because of two things: one of them was the fact that 80 per cent of the time I spent with the Senator, he was on the phone asking rich people for money. It just made me understand that the whole business was dirty. He had to compromise his entire being every day. The other was the time a woman phoned up to the office and wanted to complain that there were Mexicans moving into her neighborhood. I said to her, 'Ma'am, you're a damn racist', and she was indignant. I thought I was representing our cause well, but I got yelled at for a week by everyone for saying that! I thought to myself that if I'm in a job where I can't call a damn racist a damn racist, then it's not for me.

Musical influences

At age 13, Morello joined his first band, a cover band called Nebula, as the lead singer; Nebula covered material by bands including Led Zeppelin, Steve Miller Band, and Bachman–Turner Overdrive.Archived at Ghostarchive{{cbignore}} and the weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20181031044355weblink">Wayback Machine{{cbignore}}: WEB,weblink Tom Morello – Wikipedia: Fact or Fiction?, October 17, 2018, November 27, 2018, YouTube, {{cbignore}} At this same age, Morello purchased his first guitar. Around 1982, Morello started studying the guitar seriously. He had formed a band in the same year called the Electric Sheep, featuring future Tool guitarist Adam Jones on bass. He wrote original material for the band that included politically charged lyrics. He has said that he was profoundly influenced by Run-D.M.C, and Jam Master Jay in particular. {{citation needed|date=April 2023}}At the time, Morello's musical tastes lay in the direction of hard rock and heavy metal, particularly Kiss and Iron Maiden. As he stated in (Iron Maiden: Flight 666|Flight 666), he is a huge fan of Piece of Mind, Alice Cooper, Led Zeppelin, and Black Sabbath. In an interview with MTV he said Black Sabbath "set the standard for all heavy bands to come".WEB,weblink The Greatest Metal Bands of All Time, MTV, July 19, 2021, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130306130342weblink">weblink 6 March 2013, He cited Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi as one of his biggest influences as a riff writer.Jon Wiederhorn, Katherine Turman, Louder Than Hell: The Definitive Oral History of Metal, HarperCollins, 2013 Morello developed his own unique sound through the electric guitar. Later, his musical style and politics were greatly influenced by punk rock bands like the Clash, the Sex Pistols, and Devo, and artists such as Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan. On Queen he said, "It's one of the few bands in the history of rock music that was actually best in a stadium. And I miss Freddie Mercury very much."BOOK, none, Sutcliffe, Phil, 2015, Queen, Revised Updated: the Ultimate Illustrated History of the Crown Kings of Rock, Voyageur Press, 3,

Recording career

{{Moresources|section|date=February 2024}}

Lock Up (1987–1990)

In the mid 1980s, Morello joined the band Lock Up, for which he played guitar.WEB, Popson, Tom, From Libertyville to L.A. – and a big-time album deal,weblink Chicago Tribune, May 4, 1990, 24 April 2021, The band's debut album, Something Bitchin' This Way Comes, was issued by major label Geffen Records in 1989. Lock Up had disbanded prior to Morello forming Rage Against the Machine.{{citation needed|date=April 2023}}

Rage Against the Machine (1991–2000; 2007–2011, 2019–2024)

File:Tom Morello - MuseBristol 050619-15 (48035800936).jpg|thumb|upright=1.5|Morello playing in BristolBristolIn 1991, Morello was looking to form a new band after Lock Up disbanded. Morello was impressed by Zack de la Rocha's freestyle rapping and asked him to join his band. He drafted drummer Brad Wilk, whom he knew from Lock Up, where Wilk unsuccessfully auditioned for a drumming spot. The band's lineup was completed when de la Rocha convinced his childhood friend Tim Commerford to play bass. After frequenting the Los Angeles club circuit, Rage Against the Machine signed a record deal with Epic Records in 1992. That same year, the band released their self-titled debut album. They achieved mainstream success and released three more studio albums: Evil Empire in 1996, The Battle of Los Angeles in 1999, and Renegades in 2000.In August 2000, in Los Angeles during the Democratic National Convention, Rage Against the Machine performed outside the Staples Center to a crowd numbering in the thousands while the convention took place inside.MAGAZINE,weblinkweblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20071002091247weblink">weblink dead, October 2, 2007, Rage Wage Battle of Los Angeles at DNC, December 16, 2008, Asch, Andrew, August 15, 2000, Rolling Stone, After several audience members began to throw rocks, the Los Angeles Police Department turned off the power and ordered the audience to disperse, firing rubber bullets and pepper spray into the crowd.NEWS,weblink Thousands take to the streets outside Democratic convention, December 16, 2008, August 15, 2000, CNN,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20070311040905weblink">weblink March 11, 2007, In late 2000, amid disagreements on the band's direction and Commerford's stunt at the VMAs, the disgruntled de la Rocha quit the band. On September 13, 2000, Rage Against the Machine performed their last concert, at the Grand Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles. Although Rage Against the Machine disbanded in October 2000, their fourth studio album, Renegades, was released two months later. 2003 saw the release of their last album, titled Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium, an edited recording of the band's final two concerts on September 12 and 13, 2000 at the Grand Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles. It was accompanied by an expanded DVD release of the last show and included a previously unreleased music video for "Bombtrack".After disbanding, Morello, Wilk, and Commerford went on to form Audioslave with then-former Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell and released three albums and a DVD from the band's concert in Cuba. De la Rocha started working on a solo album collaboration with DJ Shadow, Company Flow, and the Roots' Questlove, but the project was dropped in favor of working with Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor. Recording was completed, but the album will probably never be released.WEB, February 11, 2009,weblink Reznor Says Collabos With De La Rocha, Keenan May Never Surface, MTV News, So far, only two tracks have been released: "We Want It All" was featured on "Songs and Artists that Inspired Fahrenheit 9/11", and "Digging For Windows" was released as a single.

Reunions

On April 29, 2007, Rage Against the Machine reunited at the Coachella Music Festival. The band played in front of an EZLN backdrop to the largest crowds of the festival. The performance was initially thought to be a one-off, but the band played seven more shows in 2007 and in January 2008 played their first shows outside the US since re-forming, as part of the Big Day Out Festival in Australia and New Zealand. In August 2008 they headlined nights at the Reading and Leeds festivals.NEWS,weblink Silverchair in an even bigger day out, November 12, 2008, Shedden, Iain, January 21, 2008, The Australian, WEB,weblink BDO revellers get ready for heat, November 12, 2008, January 18, 2008, Television New Zealand, The band has since continued to tour around the world, headlining many large festivals in Europe and the United States, including Lollapalooza in Chicago. In 2008 the band also played shows in Denver, Colorado, and Minneapolis, Minnesota, to coincide with the Democratic National Convention and Republican National Convention, respectively. In July 2011, Rage Against the Machine played at L.A. Rising, a concert formed by the band in Los Angeles, in which they headlined and played with other artists, including Muse and Rise Against.On November 1, 2019, it was reported that Rage Against the Machine were reuniting for their first shows in nine years in spring 2020, including two appearances at that year's Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.WEB, Steve, Baltin,weblink Confirmed: Rage Against The Machine To Reunite In 2020, Headline Coachella, Forbes, November 1, 2019, November 1, 2019, WEB, Graham, Hartmann,weblink Rage Against the Machine Announce 2020 Reunion, Loudwire, November 1, 2019, November 1, 2019, MAGAZINE, Dave, Brooks,weblink Rage Against the Machine to Reunite for 2020 Coachella, Billboard, November 1, 2019, November 1, 2019, The planned summer 2020 tour was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The rescheduled tour began in July 2022 but remaining tour dates in North America and Europe but needed to be postponed after De la Rocha tore his left Achilles’ tendon. In 2024, Wilk announced that the band would no longer be touring or performing live."Rage Against the Machine tours canceled", nytimes.com, January 4, 2024.

Audioslave (2001–2007, 2017)

After de la Rocha left Rage Against the Machine, the remaining bandmates began collaborating with former Soundgarden vocalist Chris Cornell at the suggestion of producer Rick Rubin.O'Brien, Clare. "Pushing Forward Back." Zero Magazine. September 7, 2005, Iss. 1. The new group was first rumored to be called the Civilian Project,NEWS, D'Angelo, Joe, May 20, 2002, Rage/Cornell-Credited Tracks Get Leaked Online, MTV,weblink August 25, 2007, but the name Audioslave was confirmed before their first album was released.The band released their eponymous debut album on November 19, 2002. It was a critical and commercial success, attaining triple-platinum status.WEB, Gold & Platinum Searchable Database – Search Results – Audioslave,weblink dead,weblink" title="archive.today/20120526210435weblink">weblink May 26, 2012, August 25, 2007, Recording Industry Association of America, The band released their second album, Out of Exile, on May 24, 2005. It debuted at number 1 on the Billboard chartsNEWS, Harris, Chris, June 8, 2005, Mariah Stops the Rock, Reclaims Billboard No. 1, MTV,weblink August 25, 2007, and attained platinum status.NEWS, August 11, 2005, Audioslave: 'Out of Exile' Certified Platinum, Blabbermouth.net,weblink live, August 25, 2007,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20070930203623weblink">weblink September 30, 2007, In the same year, they released a DVD documenting their trip as the first American rock band to play a free show in Cuba. The band's third album, Revelations, was released in the fall of 2006. As of February 15, 2007, Audioslave had broken up as a result of frontman Cornell's departure due to "irresolvable personality conflicts". The band reunited with Zack de la Rocha and resumed their previous band, Rage Against the Machine.Audioslave reunited for one show in January 2017,WEB, Blistein, Jon, January 17, 2017, Audioslave to Reunite at Prophets of Rage's Anti-Inaugural Ball,weblink January 17, 2017, Rolling Stone, and there were talks about a reunion tour.WEB,weblink Chris Cornell: I'm Always Open to Audioslave Reunion, www.ultimate-guitar.com, However, Cornell's death on May 18, 2017, eliminated such possibility.

The Nightwatchman (2003–present)

Morello writes and performs folk music under the alias the Nightwatchman. He has explained:{{blockquote|"The Nightwatchman is my political folk alter ego. I've been writing these songs and playing them at open mic nights with friends for some time. This is the first time I've toured with it. When I play open mic nights, it's announced as The Nightwatchman. There will be kids there who are fans of my electric guitar playing, and you see them there scratching their heads.But it's something that I enjoy doing. I look at it more as an extension of my politics. Then again, some of the songs are not explicitly political. It really helped me grow as an artist and songwriter. Once you prick the vein you never know what is going to come out. You could aim for all union songs and you find yourself in other territory."}}In November 2003 the Nightwatchman joined artists Billy Bragg, Lester Chambers of the Chambers Brothers, Steve Earle, Jill Sobule, Boots Riley of the Coup and Mike Mills of R.E.M. on the Tell Us the Truth Tour. The thirteen-city tour was supported by unions, environmental and media reform groups including Common Cause, Free Press and A.F.L.-C.I.O. with the ultimate goal of "informing music fans, and exposing and challenging the failures of the major media outlets in the United States."WEB, Portner, Matt, Heller, Sarah,weblink Tell Us the Truth Tour, The Boston Underground,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20071113020551weblink">weblink November 13, 2007, December 14, 2007, Morello explained: Media consolidation needs smashing and globalization needs unmasking. When presidents and politicians lie, it is the job of the press to expose those lies. When the press fails, the gangstas come out from hiding. The lie becomes the law. The point of the Tell Us the Truth Tour is to help others make connections, and to show them that activism can change the policies of this country.WEB, Nichols, John,weblink Tell Us The Truth!, The Nation, 14 December 2007, One of his many songs, "No One Left", which compares the aftermath of September 11, 2001 attacks to that of a U.S. attack on Iraq, appears on the album Songs and Artists that Inspired Fahrenheit 9/11. The Nightwatchman appeared on the album/DVD (Axis Of Justice: Concert Series Volume 1), contributing the songs "Until the End", "The Road I Must Travel", and "Union Song". Morello, as the Nightwatchman, released his debut solo album, One Man Revolution, on April 24, 2007. The Nightwatchman joined the Dave Matthews Band for its European tour in May 2007. As well as opening for the Dave Matthews Band, he was invited to guest on a couple of songs each night. The last night of this Morello/Dave Matthews Band arrangement was May 30, 2007, at Wembley Arena in London, on Morello's birthday. The Nightwatchman supported Ben Harper on tour. During this tour, Morello joined Harper onstage for a cover of Bob Dylan's "Masters of War", on which he plays the electric guitar in the style for which he is best known.Morello has presided over a Hotel Café residency in L.A. since November 2007, which has featured many of his musical cohorts, including Serj Tankian, Perry Farrell, Jon Foreman of Switchfoot, Shooter Jennings, Nuno Bettencourt, Sen Dog of Cypress Hill, Jill Sobule, Boots Riley, Alexi Murdoch, Wayne Kramer of MC5 and others. On October 10, 2008, the Nightwatchman appeared on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson as a musical guest, promoting his new album The Fabled City. On December 17, 2011, Morello performed a live set for "Guitar Center Sessions" on DirecTV. The episode included an interview with program host Nic Harcourt.Guitar Center Sessions with host Nic Harcourt {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131013104422weblink |date=October 13, 2013 }} Retrieved October 18, 2013. Morello, as the Nightwatchman, contributed a version of "Blind Willie McTell" on the Chimes Of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan Honoring 50 Years of Amnesty International tribute album released in 2012.On February 2, 2019, Morello made a guest appearance at the Foo Fighters pre-Super Bowl 53 concert in Atlanta, along with Zac Brown, for a cover of Black Sabbath's "War Pigs".MAGAZINE,weblink See Foo Fighters Perform Black Sabbath Classic With Zac Brown, Tom Morello, Kreps, Daniel, 2019-02-03, Rolling Stone, en-US, 2019-02-04,

Street Sweeper Social Club (2006–present)

Following Audioslave's breakup in 2007, Morello met up with Boots Riley of the Coup, suggesting that they start a band which Morello had named Street Sweeper. After giving Riley a tape of various songs to write to, the two created the duo Street Sweeper Social Club.{{citation needed|date=April 2023}}

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band (2008–2015)

In April 2008, Morello made two guest appearances with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band at the Honda Center in Anaheim. They performed an extended electric version, featuring guitar solos, of "The Ghost of Tom Joad" (which had previously been covered by Rage Against the Machine on Renegades). One of these performances was included on Springsteen's Magic Tour Highlights EP as an audio track or video download. On October 29, 2009, Morello performed at the 25th Anniversary Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Concert at Madison Square Garden. He performed "The Ghost of Tom Joad", "London Calling", "Badlands", and "(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher" with Springsteen and the E Street Band.{{citation needed|date=April 2023}}Morello appears on two songs on Springsteen's 2012 album Wrecking Ball. He joined Springsteen, the E Street Band, and the Roots on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon to preview the album prior to its release. On December 4, 2012, Morello again joined Springsteen and the E Street Band for five songs during a concert in Anaheim.NEWS, Wener, Ben, Bruce Springsteen turns in an epic in Anaheim,weblink December 5, 2012, The OC Register, On January 17, 2013, it was announced that Morello would temporarily join Springsteen and the E Street Band on the March 2013 Australian leg of their Wrecking Ball Tour, filling in for longtime E Street Band guitarist Steve Van Zandt, who had scheduling conflicts filming the TV series Lilyhammer. During the tour, Morello joined the band in the studio to record new music.MAGAZINE,weblink Tom Morello to Join Bruce Springsteen on Tour, Rolling Stone, September 17, 2017, November 7, 2017,weblink dead, The material Morello recorded with Springsteen appeared on Springsteen's 18th studio album, High Hopes, which was released in January 2014. Morello appears on eight of the album's 11 tracks and shares lead vocals with Springsteen on a re-recording of "The Ghost of Tom Joad". It was Morello who originally suggested that Springsteen perform the title track during a concert for the first time in March 2013. Springsteen had previously recorded the song in 1995, and the 2013 performance led to its re-recording, which subsequently developed into the album of the same name. Springsteen heavily credits Morello as being a major inspiration for the album by saying he was "my muse" and "he pushed the rest of this project to another level". Morello subsequently appeared alongside Springsteen and the E Street Band during a January 2014 appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and then on the ensuing High Hopes Tour which came to an end in May 2014.WEB,weblink Bruce on 'High Hopes', Brucespringsteen.net, November 25, 2013, Springsteen's subsequent The River Tour 2016 featured a smaller lineup without Morello.{{citation needed|date=April 2023}}Morello made a surprise appearance during Springsteen and the E Street Band's The River Tour 2016 show on August 25, 2016, at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, where he joined them on "Death to My Hometown", "American Skin (41 Shots)", "The Ghost of Tom Joad" and "Badlands".{{citation needed|date=April 2023}}

Prophets of Rage (2016–2019)

Prophets of Rage formed in 2016. The supergroup consists of Morello, Rage Against the Machine's bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, and drummer Brad Wilk, with Public Enemy's Chuck D and DJ Lord and Cypress Hill's B-Real.WEB,weblink Prophets of Rage: Inside New RATM, Public Enemy, Cypress Hill Supergroup, Andy, Greene, May 31, 2016, Rolling Stone, June 8, 2016, WEB,weblink Prophets of Rage Plan to 'Cause a Ruckus' at Republican Convention, Tom Morello Says, Ted, Johnson, June 3, 2016, Variety (magazine), Variety, June 8, 2016, Morello declared to Rolling Stone: "We're an elite task force of revolutionary musicians determined to confront this mountain of election year bullshit, and confront it head-on with Marshall stacks blazing."The band's name derives from the title of the Public Enemy song "Prophets of Rage" from their 1988 album It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back. To coincide with their protest performance at the Republican National Convention, the band released their debut single, entitled "Prophets of Rage". The group released the EP, "The Party's Over" in 2016, and the LP "Prophets of Rage" in 2017. The band began their "Make America Rage Again" tour of North America during the summer of 2016 and continued to tour through 2018. With the announcement of the 2020 reunion of Rage Against the Machine, Prophets of Rage disbanded.WEB, Rage Against the Machine Reunion Means Prophets of Rage Are Done,weblink MetalSucks, 22 March 2021, 2 November 2019,

The Atlas Underground (2018)

(File:Tom Morello - MuseBristol 050619-17 (48035846733) (cropped).jpg|thumb|Morello performing in 2019)On July 26, Morello announced a new solo album titled The Atlas Underground featuring collaborations with Marcus Mumford, Portugal. The Man, Bassnectar, the Wu-Tang Clan's RZA and GZA, Vic Mensa, K.Flay, Big Boi, Gary Clark Jr., Pretty Lights, Killer Mike, Tim McIlrath, Steve Aoki and Whethan. The first songs released from the album are "We Don't Need You" featuring Vic Mensa and "Battle Sirens" featuring Knife Party. The Atlas Underground was released on October 12, 2018.WEB, Schatz, Lake, Tom Morello announces new solo album, The Atlas Underground, featuring Killer Mike, Portugal, The Man, and more,weblink Consequence of Sound, July 26, 2018, July 30, 2018,

The Atlas Underground Fire (2021)

On September 21, 2021, Morello released a new song called "Let's Get The Party Started" featuring members of Bring Me the Horizon.WEB, Brown, Paul 'Browny', 2021-09-22, Tom Morello Dropped A Collaboration with Bring Me The Horizon,weblink 2021-09-22, Wall Of Sound, en-US, He followed this with the October 15, 2021, release of his second solo album, The Atlas Underground Fire.WEB, 2021-10-13, Tom Morello – 'The Atlas Underground Fire' review: guitar hero pushes the boundaries of rock,weblink 2021-11-04, NME, en-GB,

Other side projects (1992–present)

In 1992, Morello collaborated with hip-hop group Run-DMC on the song "Big Willie", which later appeared on their 1993 album, Down with the King. Morello and Rage Against the Machine bandmate Brad Wilk joined with Maynard James Keenan of Tool and Billy Gould of Faith No More to record the song "Calling Dr. Love" for the 1994 Kiss tribute album (Kiss My Ass: Classic Kiss Regrooved). The lineup was billed as Shandi's Addiction. Morello played lead guitar and produced on three tracks of Primus' 1999 studio album Antipop. Morello played the guitar on The Faculty soundtrack, featured with Class of '99 for their cover of Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall (pt. 2)". Morello recorded guitars along with Johnny Cash during his late career with American Recordings, which was released on Unearthed.WEB,weblink Johnny Cash Unearthed CD, Cduniverse.com, November 25, 2003, November 15, 2010, Morello was the executive producer of Anti-Flag's 2003 studio album The Terror State.WEB,weblink Anti-Flag The Terror State, Discogs.com, 2003, , Morello played a short solo on the Benny Mason band song "Exodus IV".WEB,weblink Benny Mason Band op Myspace Music – Gratis gestreamde MP3's, foto's en Videoclips, Myspace.com, November 15, 2010, As the Nightwatchman, Morello has often performed alongside Boots Riley, frontman of the Coup; he produced and performed on a track for the Coup's 2006 release Pick a Bigger Weapon. In July 2006, it was reported that Morello and Riley were to collaborate on a project called Street Sweepers.WEB,weblink TheNewsTribune.com, Blogs.thenewstribune.com, November 15, 2010, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090316042753weblink">weblink March 16, 2009, mdy-all, Morello appears in (Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock) as a "guitar boss" (the first of three in the career mode of the game) in a night club. Beating him in a one-on-one battle (playing an original composition he recorded for the game) will unlock him as a playable character and will result in the player and Morello playing the master track of "Bulls on Parade" as an encore immediately following the battle.NEWS,weblink Grammy Award-Winning Guitarist Tom Morello to Appear in Guitar Hero(TM) III: Legends of Rock, September 6, 2007, October 24, 2008, Activision, Morello's original composition features many of his trademark guitar effects like those heard in songs such as Audioslave's "Cochise" and "Doesn't Remind Me" and Rage Against the Machine's "Bulls on Parade" and "Sleep Now in the Fire".In April 2006, Morello produced two tracks for the group Outernational;Tom Morello Thinks Outernational Could Be The Next Rage Against The Machine, Gil Kaufman, MTV News Online, May 26, 2006. on the band's website, it states that Morello will be producing their debut album.WEB,weblink Outernational's website, Outernational.net, In 2007, Morello was a featured guitarist in the (Mortal Kombat: Armageddon) soundtrack, playing guitar for the Armory stage's battle music.Archived at Ghostarchive{{cbignore}} and the weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20151017090335weblink">Wayback Machine{{cbignore}}: WEB,weblink Mortal Kombat Armageddon – The Armory, November 25, 2010, YouTube, {{cbignore}} On February 23, 2010, Cypress Hill released the second single, "Rise Up", from their album Rise Up featuring Morello on guitar. He is featured on the track "Shut 'Em Down" from the same album. Unlike "Rise Up", which is very similar in style to Morello's rap metal band Rage Against the Machine, it contains strong Latin and rapcore influences. On November 2, 2010, Travis Barker and Morello released a song alongside RZA and Raekwon of Wu-Tang Clan called "Carry It". It would later appear on Travis's debut solo album Give the Drummer Some.He is collaborating with David Rovics' latest album.WEB,weblink Update 12: The last tracking session and other news... · Unindicted Co-Conspirator – a recording project, Kickstarter.com, Morello was featured in the song "Opinion" in the eponymous debut album by Device, which was released in April 2013. Morello is featured on Linkin Park's album The Hunting Party on the song "Drawbar", released on June 17, 2014. Morello plays the guitar solo of the song "Without End" on Anti-Flag's studio album American Spring released on May 26, 2015. In March 2016, Morello appeared with Knife Party and Pendulum as a guest at Ultra Music Festival Miami. Songs played featuring Morello's guitar work included "Battle Sirens" from his upcoming album The Atlas Underground and a mashup of the two co-headliners entitled "Pendulum VS Knife Party – Tarantula VS Bonfire."Archived at Ghostarchive{{cbignore}} and the weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20160326164036weblink">Wayback Machine{{cbignore}}: WEB,weblink Pendulum / Knife Party Headline Set Ultra, 2016, March 23, 2016, YouTube, {{cbignore}} Morello, along with Michael Moore and others involved in the film industry, is a board member of the Traverse City Film Festival, an annual event that takes place at the end of July, in Traverse City, Michigan.{{citation needed|date=April 2023}}On February 24, 2019, Morello appeared as a presenter at the 91st Academy Awards.{{citation needed|date=April 2023}} On January 4, 2021, Morello teamed with DJ Free Leonard to urge President Trump to Free Leonard Peltier, by releasing the single "Traditional Way of Life" which contains poetry by Mr. Peltier recorded while incarcerated{{citation needed|date=May 2023}}. In February 2021, Morello was featured on The Pretty Reckless song "And So It Went" on their album Death by Rock and Roll. In April 2021, Morello released a new song and music video with Pussy Riot, "Weather Strike".WEB,weblink Tom Morello and Pussy Riot Share Video for New Song "Weather Strike": Watch, April 30, 2021, Pitchfork, 2021-04-30, He has hosted his own weekly show, One Man Revolution, on the Lithium channel at SiriusXM. He joined an additional weekly show March 2, 2021, and an original podcast March 3, 2021.PRESS RELEASE,weblink Hear Tom Morello Across SiriusXM, with New Streaming Channels, Weekly Show and Podcast, www.prnewswire.com, He was a participant for the "Live for Gaza" online-event which was in April 2021. It featured Gaza's first Rock Band, Osprey VMiddle East Eye, 29 November 2022 – In pictures: Rage against the siege – Gaza rock band gives voice to Palestinian plight – Rakan Abed El Rahman and other Gaza artists, Wafaa Alnjeili, and Badeel Band.Rolling Stone, APRIL 9, 2021 – MUSIC, Roger Waters, Tom Morello, Brian Eno Plan ‘Live for Gaza’ EventFormer Pink Floyd singer-songwriter will perform a new rendition of his solo song, "The Bravery of Being Out of Range" BY KORY GROWOn January 13, 2023, Morello was featured on Måneskin's single and music video for "Gossip".WEB, 2023-01-13, Mӑneskin Shares 'Gossip' Music Video Featuring Tom Morello,weblink 2023-01-14, blabbermouth.net, en, On August 18, 2023, Morello was featured on Babymetal's single and music video for "Metali".WEB, 2023-08-18, Babymetal Team Up with Tom Morello for New Song "Metali!!",weblink 2023-08-19, consequence.net, en,

Appearances in films

Morello has appeared as himself in an array of documentary films; such as Sounds Like a Revolution, (Iron Maiden: Flight 666), about heavy metal band Iron Maiden's Somewhere Back in Time World Tour and in Chevolution, an exposé about the Guerrillero Heroico photo of Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara. In addition, Morello was cast as a terrorist in Iron Man, an uncredited Son'a officer in (Star Trek: Insurrection) and later did a cameo in the (Star Trek: Voyager) episode "(Good Shepherd (Star Trek: Voyager)|Good Shepherd)",WEB, That Time Tom Morello Appeared in 'Star Trek',weblink UltimateGuitar.com, 15 January 2018, 25 May 2016, and appeared in the film Made.WEB,weblink Made, imdb.com, February 6, 2024,

Writing

In 2011, it was announced that Morello, a lifelong comic book fan,MAGAZINE, Perpetua, Matthew, 2011-07-26, Tom Morello Brings Class Consciousness to Comics with 'Orchid',weblink 2022-02-25, Rolling Stone, en-US, would write a new 12-issue comic book series for Dark Horse Comics, entitled Orchid. The series is a post-apocalyptic story in which the title character is "a teenage prostitute who learns that she is more than the role society has imposed upon her." The first issue was published in October 2011, and Morello released an exclusive new song to accompany each issue. Orchid is illustrated by Canadian artist Scott Hepburn.Orchid solicitation page at Dark Horse website. The series was collected into three trade paperback volumes released in 2012 and 2013.WEB,weblink Orchid Volume 1 TPB :: Profile :: Dark Horse Comics, Darkhorse.com, December 24, 2016, WEB,weblink Orchid Volume 2 TPB :: Profile :: Dark Horse Comics, Darkhorse.com, December 24, 2016, WEB,weblink Orchid Volume 3 TPB :: Profile :: Dark Horse Comics, Darkhorse.com, December 24, 2016, The release party sponsored by Dark Horse was held at Jetpack Comics in Rochester, New Hampshire, on October 12, 2011.WEB,weblink Updated – Winner Announced: Win A Release Party For Tom Morello's Orchid! :: Blog :: Dark Horse Comics, Darkhorse.com, October 12, 2011, March 24, 2012, Morello contributed a written introduction to the 2016 edition of The Big Red Songbook, a compendium of wobbly protest music.BOOK, Green, Archie, Roediger, David, Rosemount, Franklin, Salerno, Salvatore, The Big Red Songbook, 2016, PM Press, Oakland, CA, 978-1-62963-129-5,weblink In 2021, Morello started publishing a regular newsletter in The New York Times.NEWS, Coaston, Jane, Kingsbury, Kathleen, 2021-10-19, Opinion {{!, Introducing Tom Morello's Newsletter|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/19/opinion/tom-morello-newsletter-rage-against-the-machine.html|access-date=2021-11-04|issn=0362-4331}}

Guitar playing technique

Morello is famed for his guitar style, which consists of heavy metal/punk hybrid riffs and hip hop-inspired sounds. A 1993 Melody Maker live review of a Rage Against the Machine gig said, "Guitarist Tom Morello wears his guitar high up to wring every sound out of it. Falling bombs, police sirens, scratching – he can do them all."Melody Maker – May 29, 1993 issueIn the studio, Morello uses the same setup for the bulk of the guitar tracks. For The Battle of Los Angeles, he used a few other amplifiers, such as a Line 6 as heard on the clean, spacey intro of "Mic Check", plus a Pignose mini-amplifier and a MusicMan "Twin" style amplifier.Tom Morello Radical Shriek. musicfanclubs.org. During the recording of Audioslave's last album, Revelations, Morello experimented with different amplifier setups. For the title track's solo he split his signal to his standard Marshall 2205 head and Peavey cabinet and a 100 watt Fender Bassman head and an Orange cabinet. With delay sent to one while the other is unaffected the sound is being "ping-ponged" between the two amplifiers. He also borrowed a Vox AC30 amplifier from producer Brendan O'Brien for some tracks.MAGAZINE,weblink Tom Morello: Science Friction, Guitar World, November 15, 2010, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20090415025323weblink">weblink April 15, 2009, mdy-all, Morello's was voted the fifth greatest guitarist of the past 30 years in a 2010 BBC poll.NEWS,weblink BBC News, Chilis star is modern guitar hero, April 9, 2010, May 25, 2010,

Politics

Political views

(File:Rage Against The Machine at Vegoose 2007 08.jpg|thumb|Tom Morello in 2007.)Morello, as well as fellow members of Rage Against the Machine, holds left wing political views. Morello in particular identifies as a socialist, and has called socialism a necessity for the world, saying "I think [socialism is] a necessity, to save the planet [...] Look at how capitalism has responded to the global pandemic – it's a disaster. Look at how capitalism has responded to the impending environmental crisis – it's a disaster. Look at how capitalism has responded to racism and anti-immigrant sentiment in the 21st century – it's a disaster."NEWS, Tom Morello believes socialism is a "necessity" to save the planet,weblink Guitar.com, 16 December 2020, Morello frequently uses communist imagery, such as hammer and sickle stickers on his guitars, and Red star hats.NEWS, Guitar Legends: Tom Morello – why Rage's main man is the master of riffs,weblink Guitar.com, 26 January 2021, Following the death of Cuban leader Fidel Castro, he expressed support saying "While I don't agree with all that Fidel Castro did there is ample reason why he is vilified in the US and yet remains a huge hero throughout the Third World [...] By defying Yankee imperialism for 50 years, instituting the best healthcare, child immunization and literacy systems in the Western Hemisphere (surpassing the US and Canada), exporting doctors to countries in need all over the globe [...], and being an unrepentant advocate of the poor and exploited it is no surprise that millions will mourn his passing."NEWS, Kreps, Daniel, Tom Morello Defends Fidel Castro: 'Huge Hero Throughout the Third World',weblink Rolling Stone, 27 November 2016, In his childhood, he cites the Black Panther party, Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara and radical left militant organization Weather Underground as "Very important to [him]. These were people who unapologetically stood up to injustice with the most forceful means necessary."{{citation needed|date=April 2023}}His band has expressed support for guerrilla movements such as the Zapatista Army of National Liberation,NEWS, Rage Before Beauty,weblink www.washingtonpost.com, Shining Path as well as social and political movements such as the Brazilian Landless Workers' Movement.NEWS, Diego, Assis, Rage Against the Machine injeta fúria no Festival SWU,weblink SWU, 10 October 2010, pt-br, In May 2021, more than 600 musicians, including members of Rage Against the Machine, added their signature to an open letter calling for a boycott of performances in Israel until Israel ends its occupation of the Palestinian territories.NEWS, Rage Against the Machine, Roger Waters, Serj Tankian, among many to boycott Israel,weblink The Business Standard, June 2, 2021, Morello called for a ceasefire in the 2023 Israel–Hamas war.NEWS, Rage Against The Machine's Tom Morello condemns harm to all children after Jamie Lee Curtis Gaza pic,weblink Euronews, October 12, 2023, NEWS, Musicians for Palestine: Thousands of musicians sign letter for Gaza ceasefire,weblink Euronews, November 23, 2023, He attended the 50th anniversary commemoration of the 1973 Chilean coup d'état, saying that the United States "shares responsibility" for the coup.WEB, September 11, 2023, A 50 años del golpe de Estado en Chile, mandatarios y personalidades de todo el mundo se reúnen en La Moneda para los actos de homenaje,weblink September 12, 2023, Clarín,

Activism

Morello, with fellow members of Rage Against the Machine, protested the "Parental Advisory" sticker on explicit albums and singles on the part of the Parents Music Resource Center, spearheaded by Tipper Gore. The protest consisted of the band refusing to perform at Lollapalooza 1993. They took the stage naked, mouths covered in duct tape, and bodies painted with the organization's abbreviation, PMRC.MAGAZINE, Fletcher, Dan, Top 10 Music-Festival Moments,weblink Time Magazine, December 17, 2013, March 18, 2010, Instead of performing, the band allowed their instruments to feedback for 14 minutes.{{citation needed|date=April 2023}}Morello is a member of the Industrial Workers of the World.WEB,weblink Tom Morello: "We need songs for right now" – Workers & Labor, Axisoflogic.com, File:Day 28 Occupy Wall Street Tom Morello 2011 Shankbone 6.JPG|thumb|Morello playing Occupy Wall StreetOccupy Wall StreetOn August 27, 2008, he performed in Denver, Colorado at the Open the Debates rally in opposition to the Commission on Presidential Debates exclusion of third party candidates from the nationally televised debates. He performed "This Land is Your Land" as the Nightwatchman and endorsed independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader. Sean Penn, Jello Biafra, Brooke Smith and Cindy Sheehan were also part of the rally.WEB,weblink Sean Penn, Val Kilmer, Tom Morello, Cindy Sheehan at Nader/Gonzalez Super Rally in Denver – Ralph Nader for President in 2008, Votenader.org, November 27, 2018, In October 2009, Morello, among a number of musicians, sued the U.S. government for the declassification of all documents relating to the use of music in interrogations at the Guantanamo Bay detention camp. He stated, "Guantanamo is known around the world as one of the places where human beings have been tortured – from waterboarding to stripping, hooding and forcing detainees into humiliating sexual acts – playing music for 72 hours in a row at volumes just below that to shatter the eardrums. Guantanamo may be Dick Cheney's idea of America, but it's not mine. The fact that music I helped create was used in crimes against humanity sickens me."WEB, US bands blast use of music in Guantanamo interrogations, October 22, 2009,weblinkweblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20091025152431weblink">weblink October 25, 2009, NEWS, December 18, 2009, Alan Connor, What is anti-X Factor song Killing In The Name all about?,weblink BBC, January 7, 2010, On February 21, 2011, Morello organized and performed an acoustic concert in support of the protests over collective bargaining rights in Madison, Wisconsin. The concert featured the MC5's Wayne Kramer and Boston punk band Street Dogs. He wrote an article in Rolling Stone about his experience.MAGAZINE, Tom Morello,weblink Frostbite and Freedom: Tom Morello on the Battle of Madison | Rolling Stone Politics, Rolling Stone, February 25, 2011, July 18, 2011, Morello has played at many Occupy movements, including Occupy Wall Street as well as Occupy Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Seattle, Vancouver, British Columbia, Nottingham and Newcastle, England protests.NEWS,weblink How Music Is Playing an Integral Role in the Occupy Wall Street Protests, The Hollywood Reporter, November 13, 2011, March 24, 2012, When Republican nominee for vice president in the 2012 election Paul Ryan said that he liked the music ofNEWS, Rucker, Philip, Balz, Dan, August 10, 2012,weblink Romney picks Paul Ryan as running mate, The Washington Post, August 11, 2012, Beethoven, Rage Against the Machine, and Led Zeppelin,Gill, Martha. Paul Ryan hunts catfish with his bare hands (August 12, 2012). New Statesman. Retrieved August 12, 2012. Morello responded with an op-ed in Rolling Stone, stating, "Paul Ryan's love for Rage Against The Machine is amusing, because he is the embodiment of the machine that our music has been raging against for two decades."NEWS, Tom, Morello, Paul Ryan Is the Embodiment of the Machine Our Music Rages Against, August 16, 2012,weblink Rolling Stone Magazine, August 18, 2012, August Brown, Tom Morello rips Rage Against the Machine fan Paul Ryan Los Angeles Times (August 17, 2012).Natalie Jennings, Tom Morello rages against Paul Ryan (August 17, 2012). Washington Post.In June 2013, Morello and numerous other celebrities appeared in a video showing support for Chelsea Manning.WEB,weblink Celeb video: 'I am Bradley Manning', Politico.com, June 19, 2013, Archived at Ghostarchive{{cbignore}} and the weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20130619051931weblink">Wayback Machine{{cbignore}}: WEB,weblink I am Bradley Manning (full HD), June 18, 2013, YouTube, {{cbignore}}On September 26, 2014, Morello played a benefit concert in Seattle for 15 Now, the group launched by Socialist Alternative and Kshama Sawant to raise the minimum wage to $15/hour.Archived at Ghostarchive{{cbignore}} and the weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140609191501weblink">Wayback Machine{{cbignore}}: WEB,weblink Kshama Sawant's Speech at $15 Minimum Wage Vote, June 3, 2014, YouTube, {{cbignore}} The concert was aimed at expanding the organization nationally.WEB,weblink Buy tickets for Tom Morello from Rage Against The Machine at El Corazon from Etix, 2014-08-22, dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20140825080832weblink">weblink August 25, 2014, mdy-all, After playing the show, Morello encouraged a boycott of The 5 Point Cafe, a local diner in Seattle, which he claimed on Twitter was "anti-Kenyan" and "anti-worker", encouraging his fans to "spread the word". The restaurant's owner, David Meinert, responded to Morello, stating that "Rock stars don't get special treatment at The 5 Point", and claiming that "Tom and his crew didn't get let in as the place was at capacity and there was a line. No one was being let in." Morello responded to Meinert, stating that he would show "leniency" and "forgive" Meinert if he embraced a $15 minimum-wage.WEB, TOM MORELLO Denies Requesting Special Treatment At Restaurant, Blames 'Rude' Doorman For Confrontation,weblink Blabbermouth, September 30, 2014, 9 January 2023, WEB, Bowe, Miles, Tom Morello Feuds With Seattle Restaurant That Didn't Give Him Special Treatment,weblink Stereogum, September 30, 2014, 9 January 2023,

Axis of Justice

Morello and Serj Tankian of System of a Down are the co-founders of Axis of Justice, a political group whose declared purpose is "to bring together musicians, fans of music, and grassroots political organizations to fight for social justice together." They "aim to build a bridge between fans of music around the world and local political organizations to effectively organize around issues of peace, human rights, and economic justice."Mission. Axis of Justice. The group has worked for such causes as immigrant rights and death penalty abolition. Its recommended book list includes such authors as Karl Marx, Che Guevara, George Orwell, Noam Chomsky, Mumia Abu-Jamal and Grant Morrison.Books. Axis of Justice.Morello and Tankian, together with a handful of other artists, including Maynard James Keenan, Wayne Kramer of the MC5, the hip hop group Jurassic 5, and Michael "Flea" Balzary of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, released a live recording of covers and original songs, titled (Axis of Justice: Concert Series Volume 1).On April 6, 2006, Morello was honored with the Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Award for his support of worker's rights and for his AOJ work.WEB,weblink 2006 Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Awards Celebration,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20070928145358weblink">weblink September 28, 2007, americanrightsatwork.org, Morello has worked on numerous labor campaigns: the Guess sweatshop boycott, the LA janitors strike, the Taco Bell boycott, the southern California grocery workers strike & lockout, and the Democratic Socialists of America's Starbucks unionization campaign,WEB, Solidarity is Brewing! Launch Call,weblink 2022-03-29, actionnetwork.org, en-US, among others.Morello was a strong supporter of the 2006 United States immigration reform protests around the US. Morello played as the Nightwatchman at MacArthur Park in Los Angeles and has featured many articles on AOJ. On September 28, 2006, Morello was one of 400 protesters arrested protesting in support of immigrant hotel workers' rights, in what organizers called "the largest act of civil disobedience in the history of Los Angeles".Moss, Corey with Chris Harris Tom Morello Arrested At Protest, Spends Night In Lockup. MTV.com, September 2006WEB, Moss, Corey, Harris, Chris, 2006-09-26, Tom Morello Arrested At Protest, Spends Night In Lockup,weblink dead,weblink" title="web.archive.org/web/20110605113104weblink">weblink 2011-06-05, MTV News,

Shining Path

{{update section|date=August 2023}} Morello has on occasion expressed endorsement of the militant Peruvian communist organization Shining Path and carries a sticker of the organization on one of his guitars. Regarding the alleged atrocities committed by the group, he has stated:WEB, Kot, Greg, November 23, 1999, Rage Against The Machine Fights the Power – and Storms the Pop Charts,weblink dead,weblink 2018-09-30, Chicago Tribune, en-US, {{blockquote|"If there were instances in which the Shining Path committed atrocities, we're absolutely opposed to that. That is something to be condemned. But would (critics of Rage's stance) be as vehement about the U.S. bombing Belgrade, the Sudan and Afghanistan? It's shocking that people can rationalize one sort of violence but not another."}}

Personal life

Morello and his wife DeniseNEWS,weblink Tom Morello Rages On, Eells, Josh, October 13, 2011, Rolling Stone, September 30, 2018, have two sons.NEWS,weblink Tom Morello: I Named My First-Born Son Rhoads Morello in Honor of Randy Rhoads, Jovanovic, Marko, August 24, 2017, September 30, 2018, Morello was raised CatholicNEWS, New Rage: Tom Morello, en-US, Washington Post,weblink 2021-10-19, 0190-8286, and is a vegetarian.WEB, Dolm, JJ, Did You Know These Heavy Metal Rockers Were Powered by Plants?,weblink One Green Planet, December 22, 2014, 3 October 2020, He lives in the Laurel Canyon neighborhood of Los Angeles.NEWS, Josh, Eells, Tom Morello Rages On – Who is the Nightwatchman? Protest singer? Guitar god? Harvard geek? Working-class hero? Or could he be all of the above?, Rolling Stone, October 13, 2011,weblink NEWS, Brett, Callwood, Tom Morello: Raging With Machines, L.A. Weekly, October 10, 2018,weblink Morello is a longtime fan of both the Chicago Cubs of the MLB and the Los Angeles Rams of the NFL; Morello named his second son Roman, after former Rams quarterback Roman Gabriel.WEB, Baltin, Steve, 2022-02-13, Sunday Conversation: Tom Morello, YG, Perry Farrell, Kaskade And More on The Special Bond Between Athletes And Musicians,weblink Forbes,

Equipment

Morello uses heavily modified guitars from various manufacturers, with each guitar having different slogans written on them that was inspired by Woody Guthrie's "This Machine Kills Fascists" guitar.WEB, Musician's Friend, A Tour of Tom Morello's Guitars & Home Studio,weblink YouTube, February 23, 2023, WEB, Dwyer, Mike, Tom Morello: Making America rage again,weblink The Sydney Morning Herald, September 13, 2017, February 23, 2023, WEB, Tom Morello regretted Rage Against The Machine's naked Lollapalooza protest 'when the police arrived',weblink Music-News, February 23, 2023,

Selected discography

Lock Up

• Something Bitchin' This Way Comes (1989)

Rage Against the Machine

• Rage Against the Machine (1992)
• Evil Empire (1996)
• Live & Rare (1998)
• The Battle of Los Angeles (1999)
• Renegades (2000)
• Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium (2003)

Audioslave

• Audioslave (2002)
• Out of Exile (2005)
• Revelations (2006)

The Nightwatchman

• One Man Revolution (2007)
• The Fabled City (2008)
• Union Town (2011)
• World Wide Rebel Songs (2011)

Street Sweeper Social Club

• Street Sweeper Social Club (2009)
• The Ghetto Blaster EP (2010)

Bruce Springsteen

• Wrecking Ball (2012)
• High Hopes (2014)

Prophets of Rage

• The Party's Over EP (2016)
• Prophets of Rage (2017)

Solo

• The Atlas Underground (2018)
• Comandante (2020)
• The Atlas Underground Fire (2021)
• The Atlas Underground Flood (2021)

Filmography

• Saturday Night Live (Episode 21.17, 1996) .... Musical Guest (Rage Against the Machine)
• (Star Trek: Insurrection) (1998) .... Son'a officer (uncredited)
• (Star Trek: Voyager) (Season 6, Episode 20, 2000, "(Good Shepherd (Star Trek: Voyager)|Good Shepherd)") .... Crewman Mitchell
• Made (2001) .... Best Man
• Berkeley (2005) .... Blue
• (Metal: A Headbanger's Journey) (2005) .... Himself
• Iron Man (2008) .... Insurgent 5
• Chevolution (2008) .... Himself
• (Iron Maiden: Flight 666) (2009) .... Himself
• Bruce Springsteen's High Hopes (2014) .... Himself
• High Hopes In South Africa (2014) .... Himself
• Metal Lords (2022) .... Himself
• (Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves|Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves) (2023) .... Kimathi Stormhollow

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

{{Commons category|Tom Morello}}

• {{AllMusic}}
• {{Discogs artist}}
• {{Facebook}}
• {{IMDb name|0603780|Tom Morello}}
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{{Tom Morello}}{{Rage Against the Machine}}{{Audioslave}}{{Bruce Springsteen}}{{2023 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame|state=collapsed}}{{Authority control}}