If you ever wondered how Rage Against The Machine would sound with Godfather of Soul James Brown on vocals and Eddie Van Halen on guitar, we finally have the answer

(Image credit: Bill McClintock YouTube)

Last weekend, Rage Against The Machine were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, and guitarist Tom Morello urged "the fifth member of the band... Rage Against The Machine's incredible fans" to "change the world... or, as a bare minimum, to stir up a shitload of trouble."

A commendable call-to-arms, certainly, but what if, in addiction to having that powerful "fifth member", the Los Angeles band also had a bonus sixth and seventh member, specifically Godfather of Soul James Brown on vocals, and the legendary Eddie Van Halen on additional guitar?

That's a question that literally no-one has been asking, but that hasn't stopped The Internet - or more specifically, the Don of Mash-Ups, Mr Bill McClintock - from supplying a pretty definitive, and undeniably funky, answer.

The recipe here is one part Rage Against the Machine (Take the Power Back) to one part James Brown (Soul Power), with two dashes of early Van Halen (Atomic Punk and I'm The One) thrown in for added flavour, or perhaps flava.

The result? The funkiest, grooviest, most soulful piece of righteous rap-metal you'll hear today, or any other day, to be honest.

But don't just take our word for it.

For more Bill McClintock mash-up magic, visit his YouTube channel. Curious to hear how Black Sabbath might sound collaborating with Wham!? So was Geezer Butler. Fancy hearing Judas Priest fronted by James Brown or the aural offspring of Prince and Slayer? Course you do. Dive in, friends.

Artists

A music writer since 1993, formerly Editor of Kerrang! and Planet Rock magazine (RIP), Paul Brannigan is a Contributing Editor to Louder. Having previously written books on Lemmy, Dave Grohl (the Sunday Times best-seller This Is A Call) and Metallica (Birth School Metallica Death, co-authored with Ian Winwood), his Eddie Van Halen biography (Eruption in the UK, Unchained in the US) emerged in 2021. He has written for Rolling Stone, Mojo and Q, hung out with Fugazi at Dischord House, flown on Ozzy Osbourne's private jet, played Angus Young's Gibson SG, and interviewed everyone from Aerosmith and Beastie Boys to Young Gods and ZZ Top. Born in the North of Ireland, Brannigan lives in North London and supports The Arsenal.