Rage Against the Machine are that rare thing: a protest band that aren’t faintly embarrassing. Although mainstream acceptance and chart success have taken the intimidating edge off their political rants – which target a vague combination of corporations and governments – there’s no denying the immense power of their music, and their often jaw-dropping musicianship.
The opening riff to Rage’s best-known song, Killing In The Name, is a sinister D plus octave of D#, with bassist Tim Commerford exploiting the wide frequency range of his Music Man StingRay, before his subsequent associations with Fender and then Lakland. It’s a prime example of how the bass guitar in a heavy-sounding, aggressive band can be supportive yet interesting, holding down the groove with robotic accuracy.
