Which Rage Against the Machine guitarist is a boss in Guitar Hero III?

Tom Morello is the Rage Against the Machine guitarist who appears as a boss in Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock.

Morello’s battle occurs during the second tier of the solo Career mode, after the player’s first real gig. It is one of three boss battles in the game, alongside Slash and the fictional final opponent Lou the Devil. Morello also recorded original guitar-battle music for the game, rather than simply appearing as a visual cameo.

The character is based on Morello’s role as guitarist for Rage Against the Machine, whose song “Bulls on Parade” is also included in Guitar Hero III. That connection can cause a common mix-up: Slash is another real guitarist and another boss, but he is not the Rage Against the Machine member.

After defeating Morello, players can unlock him as a playable character. Guitar Hero III’s boss-battle format helped turn famous guitarists into memorable in-game rivals instead of treating the soundtrack’s artists only as background performers.