Tom Morello to appear as Guitar Hero III boss

by Justin McElroy { Sep 11th 2007 at 7:25PM }

Whether or not you're in to the music that Rage Against the Machine makes, we imagine you're cool enough to admit that Tom Morello is an astounding, exciting guitarist. Now, you'll be able face off against him as one of the bosses of Guitar Hero III. Like patients at STD clinics across the country, he'll be in the company of Poison's Bret Michaels and Guns 'n' Roses' Slash.

While Morello's busy rocking your face off, you'll be able to play Rage classic "Bulls On Parade." You'll be able to recognize it in family-friendly GH III from its frequent sections of lyrical silence. Rather than expose you to profanity, we've posted a video here of Morello's folksy alter-ego The Nightwatchman. Enjoy.

[Thanks JL & Matthew]

Tags: activision, guitarheroiii

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

qbix @ Sep 11th 2007 7:32PM

Love that song, and I saw him playing on Coachella as well as Rage Against The Machine. Sadly, I'm going the Rock Band route.

t_m @ Sep 12th 2007 2:11AM

wow. who knew he sounded like bob dylan. :-O

Benjamin Breeg @ Sep 14th 2007 4:35PM

Tom Morello kinda sucks ass.

Zaphod Beeblebrox @ Sep 11th 2007 9:52PM

If there were more people like him, and less people like you, this world would be a much nicer more peaceful place.
Those quotes in that video are priceless. If you are not moved by them then you are part of the problem.
Freedom is a state of mind, a mind is a state of being, stay the fuck out of my mind, and my being.

Crono (NDF - Fire Ring) @ Sep 12th 2007 9:48AM

This from the guy who says Jesus is evil.

I will never understand how or why people will elevate an "entertainer" to such a high level as I've seen in this thread. This guy doesn't care about you, and he doesn't care about his "message". He found an audience willing to pay big bucks to hear him scream about how evil capitalist society is. Like the alternative is much better.

AstroZombie @ Sep 12th 2007 10:36AM

Jesus can't be evil. He's a fictional character.

Anyway, you can't blame a guy for making money by doing something he loves, and trying to spread a message that is important to him. And Morello is NOT a shitty guitar player. People hate on him just because he doesn't sound like everybody else. He taught himself how to play, and developed a pretty unique style in the process.

sheppy2.0 @ Sep 11th 2007 8:23PM

I'm going both routes... but seriously the boss battles idea just keeps getting lamer and lamer the more I hear of it.

Smoke_Dawg_187 @ Sep 11th 2007 8:37PM

Rage is kewl, but like Chris Cornell said on the Howard Stern show, their songs just sound too much a like.

AstroZombie @ Sep 12th 2007 10:50AM

Chris Cornell sucks. His new album is dog shit.

Paul @ Sep 11th 2007 8:52PM

Um... so Bret Michaels is the LEAD SINGER of Poison, but then again it would be an easy "boss fight" in GH3.

Leonidas @ Sep 11th 2007 8:49PM

As much as I love Audioslave and RATM's music, I have no respect for any of em.

soupbase @ Sep 11th 2007 8:58PM

If you love RATM's music, I assume you connect on some kind of level with the message they support, whether it applies to you directly or not.

In which case.. It just doesn't make sense to me how you can't respect a band that actually speaks out on the injustices in the world..

Zaphod Beeblebrox @ Sep 11th 2007 9:46PM

because he is ignorant to the real world.
only someone who is ignorant to the style of music RATM plays would think that the songs sound to similar.
It is not just the sound that make ROTM great, it is the meaning behind them.
"Huh, the land of the free, whoever told you that was your enemy."

sheppy2.0 @ Sep 11th 2007 9:59PM

Yeah, sure. RATM was such a great and completely moral band. I keep forgetting the part where I, as a white man, wasn't the descendant of slave owners and the major factor keeping everyone from education. Oh wait, that part of their music didn't exist. Injustices of this world my ass, more pretentious "white devil, down with government" anarchist bullshit being spewn onto a crowd of young, dumb, and shallow individuals too fucking stoned out of their goddam mind to realize a vast majority of their songs attack their fanbase.

Don't get me wrong, I'll listen to RATM all the time. But to say their liyrics brought to light some grand injustices is just posturing bullshit. The generic machine they aimed at had already constantly been attacked and weakened to the point of comatose by Public Enemy and Spike Lee. Just goes to show you on thing about America. Hate White People, go platinum.

Leonidas @ Sep 12th 2007 1:08AM

*points to sheppy*

What he said.

AstroZombie @ Sep 12th 2007 10:26AM

Sheppy and Leonidas: You're blind. Rage wasn't trying to put down white people so much as expose the lies, injustices and outright oppression perpetrated by the U.S. government over the years. Their message is as important as ever now. You want bullshit, watch the news. TAKE THE POWER BACK! Chris Cornell sucks!

Taylor @ Sep 11th 2007 9:03PM

Vin Disel in GHIII? Awesome.

Hashbrown_Hunter @ Sep 11th 2007 9:49PM

Tom Morello's Nightwatchman CD was fantastic and I can't understand how you can like a band but not respect them.

Zaphod Beeblebrox @ Sep 11th 2007 9:57PM

Just saw ROTM at Alpine in the land of the cheez. Needless to say, it was awesome. 20K+ awesome. And mud, lot's and lot's of mud.
"some of those that are forces are the same that burn crosses"
"some of those that are forces are the same that hold office"

John @ Sep 12th 2007 2:20AM

Hell yeah! The Alpine Valley show was awesome! But back to the topic at hand...

Tom Morello rocks and lyrical edits suck.

Zaphod Beeblebrox @ Sep 12th 2007 11:28AM

that was Zac's variation at the Alpine show, he repeated it over and over.

Lewis @ Sep 11th 2007 9:58PM

OMGMUST BUY

I KNEW THE GOD HIMSELF WOULD BE THERE.

:/ ok he's not the best (since he's all technical) but one of my favs

Lewis @ Sep 11th 2007 10:00PM

btw: I LOVE THE FUCKIN NIGHTWATCHMAN

Travioli @ Sep 11th 2007 10:32PM

You're an idiot. First, RATM isn't 'anarchist bullshit', its music full of class conciousness and has bold socialist lyrics. Second, RATM doesnt attack white people, they attack the 'machine' or capitalism. The vast majority of the capitalist class just happens to be white males, so its gonna seem that way. If youre a worker, theyre singing for you. Third, they DO have songs for all races and sexes (Maria, Freedom, and others come to mind).

Oh and by the way, just because you have next to no class conciousness doesn't mean all those 'stoned, young, and dumb individuals' (as you so fondly put it, because youve met the entire fan base evidently) don't have class conciousness either.

GaryM @ Sep 11th 2007 10:47PM

RATM is for rebellious 15-year-olds.

t_m @ Sep 12th 2007 2:16AM

why only 15 year olds?

because after 15 people get more advanced in their rebelliousness?

or because after 15 they give up?

Love or hate RATM's music, that is anyone's right. THe one thing i don't get about many of their detractors though, is that they hate them BECAUSE THEY COMPLAIN.

Its as if the biggest sin in america is to complain or question... at least to some people.

blooh @ Sep 11th 2007 11:09PM

boss fights?

Raikage @ Sep 12th 2007 3:16AM

This guy can play guitar. He is also very creative, like in the song People Of The
Sun the entire song is him rubbing an allen wrench on the guitar strings... crazy...

He is the kinda guy who makes me want to play guitar...

orAngeMicro @ Sep 12th 2007 5:01AM

was i tripping or was that tom morello on voyager a couple of days ago?? its the episode where janeway takes the misfits on their first away mission. i remember she went to the lower deck to find some dude and morello told where he was.

PhydeWice @ Sep 12th 2007 5:29AM

That's him, alright. Found a YouTube clip of that scene.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2WQtc8f6_Y

Ben @ Sep 12th 2007 6:17AM

Way to fight the machine, Morello. I'm sure signing a thousand-dollar contract for a mass-market game to earn a corporation more money really supports your anti-capitalist message.

Benjamin Breeg @ Sep 12th 2007 9:21AM

Woah, easy there Zaphod. Why don't you take a minute to think before you act like a dumbass like that.

Did I ever say I didn't agree with the message that Tom Morello is giving in that particular song? No, all I said was that he sucked, and since this is a post about guitar hero, I figured most people with at least a shred of common sense would be able to tell I was talking about his guitar playing.

I don't know why, but for some reason, youre dumb little self took me saying Tom Morello sucks as me saying I disagree with what he's saying in his song. Maybe instead of being such a little dumbass, you could actually read and interpret these comments with a little logic and common sense?

Probably not though, you sound pretty dumb.

Anyways, Tom Morello kinda sucks ass at guitar, they could have gotten a lot of other, more famous, and better guitarists.

Zaphod Beeblebrox @ Sep 12th 2007 11:34AM

i disagree with that. i think he is a great guitar player that has a unique sound that is immediatley identifiable. and i have 20+ years of piano playing/tenor sax/ bass clarinet/violin to validate my opinion. i have also taught piano in my spare time for the past 10 years or so.
Trust me, if you actually listen to his playing, you would realize how good he really is.

krazydogg82 @ Sep 12th 2007 4:27PM

So for those of you who love what RATM stands for, read this:
http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1849658/posts

Che Guevara wasn't as great as you thought!

Crono (NDF - Fire Ring) @ Sep 12th 2007 9:51AM

So, are there going to be boss fights with real musicians, like Steve Vai, or Joe Satriani? Or are they just going to cover the popular people.

Activision and Neversoft are killing this franchise. Boss fights? WTF?

AstroZombie @ Sep 12th 2007 10:47AM

Actually I think this franchise will die soon after Rock Band debuts. That being said, your definition of a "real musician" is very closed-minded.

Crono (NDF - Fire Ring) @ Sep 12th 2007 11:20AM

I'm good friends with a "real musician". A real musician takes the job seriously, like its a job. They work their asses off to get where they are, and they play all kinds of music.

Heads up: Most bands you hear on the radio aren't real musicians. They're flavors of the month.

AstroZombie @ Sep 12th 2007 11:50AM

"A real musician takes the job seriously, like its a job. They work their asses off to get where they are, and they play all kinds of music."

You just described Tom Morello. Congratulations, you're an idiot.

I'm kinda thinking you're probably a 15-year-old scene kid with a lame emo haircut, so you're probably too young to remember that R.A.T.M. is generally considered one of the best live rock bands ever. Do some research before you start lumping them in with the Linkin Parks and Limp Bizkits, ok?

Crono (NDF - Fire Ring) @ Sep 12th 2007 12:09PM

Why the hell would a guy who talks about modern bands being "flavor(s) of the month" be considered emo, perhaps the most un-musical people on the planet?

You can't even get your music cliques right. I've never been a fan of Rage, because I don't like screaming bands that think they're important for social commentary, when really they're just playing to the first crowd of emo, before it was called emo. I think it was called punk, and then maybe grunge. In any case, they were the group that hijacked american musical culture from real musicians and gave it to the whiney bitches who you hear everyday on the radio.

yeah, Rage was in that group once. I guess they weren't whiney enough to last though.

Look up some real rock musicians. Most of them play in a studio now, because they're sick of all the stupid garbage that is the Record Companies ownage of the american music scene.

AstroZombie @ Sep 12th 2007 1:13PM

Again, you're talking about these mysterious "real rock musicians". You're also showing a lack of knowledge of musical history by claiming that RATM was somehow a predecessor to emo (WTF?), when the roots of emo actually go back to bands like The Cure, which was more post-punk new wave. And I didn't say you were emo. I hypothesized that you are probably a 15-year-old scene kid with an emo haircut.

I've got nothing against guys like Satriani and Vai. They are incredibly talented. But you shouldn't confuse RATM with all these lame "flavor of the month" bands. After all, how often do you see a Nickelback or Staind show get tear-gassed because the local cops are afraid there's gonna be a riot? THAT is real rock.

vinny @ Sep 12th 2007 10:24AM

tom morello is seriously one of the most overrated guitar players on the planet

Sean @ Sep 12th 2007 10:55AM

The Rage cover on GH2 was so god-awful. Eventually it annoyed me so much I couldn't play it anymore.

JimmyTheMonkey @ Sep 12th 2007 11:31AM

Although I wouldn't expect a Rage artist to be in a video game, Tom Morello is certainly talented and innovative enough to be a boss on a franchise titled “Guitar Hero.” I have seen him half a dozen times over the years (most recently at Coachella and Rock the Bells) and even though he is in his mid-40s he can still rock with the best of them.

Vik @ Sep 12th 2007 5:09PM

stick to the face-melters Tom.

jete315 @ Sep 14th 2007 8:33PM

Slash I understand.
Maybe even Tom M.
But really, sicnce when is the singer from Poison a rock legend guitarist?
Wow, other than Slash the other bosses are lame!
I figured maybe rock'n with Slash, rock/bluesn' with Stevie Ray Vaughn and finger picken with Eddie Van Halen.(with the Kramer PS2)
What a let down!