“Unapologetic, fearless with their own musical and personal style and really able to challenge the conventions of what hard rock music is”: Tom Morello reveals his two favorite contemporary hard-rock bands

Tom Morello endorsed Nova Twins and Babymetal, calling them “some of the hardest rocking bands” he has recently seen live.

“I will say some of the hardest rocking bands of the festivals that I've been at have been Babymetal and Nova Twins,” he said at the Hellfest24 press conference.

“Unapologetic, fearless with their own musical and personal style, and really able to sort of challenge the conventions of what hard rock music is and was in a way that points towards a better future for the genre.”

Nova Twins - Choose Your Fighter (Glastonbury 2023) - YouTube

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The conversation also pivoted to gender inequality in the music industry, particularly in rock and metal scenes. “I think the place for women in the future of rock music is at the front,” he insists. “That's where I think it is. I mean, 30, 35 years ago, when I was coming to metal, there were very, very few women in hard music at all, and there was a real stigma.

“I think a lot of that stigma has gone away. I would defer to you to tell me whether it's better or worse, but it seems to be trending the right way. But I think that there should not be any barriers with regards to race, gender, genre, age, whatever.”

In a 2021 interview with NME, Morello expressed his love for Nova Twins, stating they “deserve to be huge.” “Everything about it is great. There’s a tremendous musicianship, a raw intensity as well as a fantastic vibe and an underlying sense of purpose. They’re one of my favorite bands.

“Over the course of three decades, I’ve seen a lot of great bands that deserve to get their dues, but they don’t. Nova Twins are already on that road to really being a game-changer.”

BABYMETAL - メタり！！ (feat. Tom Morello) (OFFICIAL) - YouTube

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Last year, the Rage Against The Machine guitarist collaborated with Babymetal on their track METALI!! after wanting to work with them for some time. In a press statement, he said, “I am a big fan of Babymetal, a band that is both power rocking and constantly surprising with dizzying musical twists and turns. When they sent me the demo I knew I could rock that shit like crazy!”