Tom Morello in Concert

Tom Morello is one of rock ‘n’ roll’s greatest guitar players, mainly because he isn’t afraid to invert traditional techniques or sounds. As the founder of the rebellious political band Rage Against the Machine, he pioneered bold effects — exaggerated funk riffs, for example, or scribbles that resembled a hip-hop DJ scratching on vinyl — to form an aggressive, metallic foundation. His work with Audioslave was streamlined and even rock radio–friendly, although his towering squalls were a perfect match for frontman Chris Cornell’s soaring, soulful vocals. And when recording as his more subdued alter ego The Nightwatchman, Morello even indulges his strident, acoustic guitar-playing folk-punk side.

Born in New York City but raised in Illinois, Morello grew up a massive fan of KISS, Iron Maiden and Led Zeppelin, as well as Run-D.M.C. He attended Harvard University before heading out to Los Angeles, where he played in the funky hard rock group Lock Up before forming Rage Against the Machine. Even then Morello was a physical player who twisted his entire body into his guitar parts — something still evident today onstage, as he coaxes and teases out defiant sounds from his instruments. Yet Morello also knows how to blend in when needed: His frequent live guest appearances with Bruce Springsteen were so solid that he filled in for Steven Van Zandt during several 2013 E Street Band gigs.

In more recent times, Morello has indulged his penchant for political music with the left-leaning hip-hop/rock supergroup Prophets of Rage, and continued to push himself. In 2018, he released the collaborations-heavy solo LP The Atlas Underground, a master class in sonic possibilities. Although echoes of his Rage Against the Machine guitar squeals pop up here and there, the album also features electronica-swirled collaborations with Knife Party and Marcus Mumford, and a hip-hop-meets-hard-rock jam with Bassnectar, Killer Mike and Big Boi.