Claim: Tom Morello was a guitarist.

Rage Against the Machine -LRB- also known as RATM or simply Rage -RRB- is an American rock band from Los Angeles , California . Formed in 1991 , the group consists of rapper and vocalist Zack de la Rocha , bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford , guitarist Tom Morello , and drummer Brad Wilk . They draw inspiration from early heavy metal instrumentation , as well as hip hop acts such as Afrika Bambaataa , Public Enemy , the Beastie Boys , and Dutch crossover band Urban Dance Squad . Rage Against the Machine is well known for the members ' leftist and revolutionary political views , which are expressed in many of the band 's songs . As of 2010 , they had sold over 16 million records worldwide .   In 1992 , the band released its self-titled debut album , which became a commercial and critical success , leading to a slot in the 1993 Lollapalooza festival . In 2003 , the album was ranked number 368 on Rolling Stones list of the 500 greatest albums of all time . The band did not release a follow-up record until 1996 , with Evil Empire . The band 's third album , The Battle of Los Angeles , followed in 1999 , and in 2003 , the album was ranked number 426 on the same list . During their initial nine-year run , they became one of the most popular and influential bands in music history , according to music journalist Colin Devenish . They were also ranked No. 33 on VH1 's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock . The band had a large influence on the nu metal genre which came to prominence during the second half of the 1990s .   In 2000 , the band released the cover album Renegades . The same year , growing tensions over the direction of the band prompted de la Rocha to quit , leading to the band 's breakup . De la Rocha started a low-key solo career , while the rest of the band formed the rock supergroup Audioslave with Chris Cornell , then-former frontman of Soundgarden ; Audioslave recorded three albums before disbanding in 2007 . The same year , Rage Against the Machine announced a reunion and performed together for the first time in seven years at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April 2007 . Up until 2011 , the band continued to perform at more live venues and festivals around the world . In 2016 , Morello , Commerford and Wilk formed a new band , Prophets of Rage , with Chuck D and B-Real .