Listen to the isolated bass on Rage Against the Machine song ‘Testify’
Tim Commerford was the anchor that kept Rage Against the Machine moving and grooving throughout their years as rap rock pioneers. While Brad Wilk bashed away at the drums, Tom Morello squealed and scratched his guitar like a DJ, and Zack de la Rocha dropped endless streams of highly charged lyrics, somebody had to keep everything in place. Commerford was that guy.
Originally a disciple of hard rock acts like Kiss, Commerford diversified his listening habits as a kid to include punk, metal, and progressive rock. Idolizing the frenetic bass work of Geddy Lee in Rush, Commerford soon gravitated towards the four-string instrument and began carving out his own unique identity. Although he studied under the dexterous fingers of Lee, Commerford found his sound by keeping things simple, often chugging along with a central riff and staying rooted on the low end of the neck.
The rumbling of Commerford’s bass became a familiar sound for Rage fans. His work was best highlighted when his bandmates were exploring the outer reaches of rock music, leaving Commerford to keep the songs grounded to the earth. When Morello employed wild swaths of noise on tracks like ‘Bullet to the Head’ and ‘Bulls on Parade’, Commerford’s bass suddenly became the only melodic instrument. With an ear for funk and groove, Commerford stepped up to lead during these sections.
There is no better example of Commerford’s ability to stay in the pocket than on ‘Testify’. While it’s one of Rage’s more frantic and aggressive songs, Commerford never loses his cool or gets ahead of himself. Instead, each note and rumble comes with a purpose. ‘Testify’ is a song that requires a fair amount of space, and Commerford does what any good musician needs to do at times: keep his ego down and serve the song.
When it’s time for him to shine, Commerford fits in a few fleet-fingered fills to keep the arrangement interesting. His bass tone is grungy and growly but still fat and round, with enough midrange punch to cut through the mix and give him a place to stand among the sonic chaos going on around him. It’s not the most technically complex bass line Commerford ever composed, but it is one of his most essential.
Check out Tim Commerford’s isolated bass for ‘Testify’ down below.
