Brass Against the Machine hits us with a raging brass entrance in their newest cover of “Killing In The Name.” Originally performed by rock group Rage Against the Machine, “Killing In The Name” was covered in a similar rock manner, only using all brass instruments.
The track features recent The Voice (2016) contestant Sophia Urista on vocals. Urista emotionally belts out the lyrics, impressively mimicking the hard rock, scratchy vocals from the original track, yet adding her own unique flair. Her strong vocals perfectly complement the fullness and depth of the brass instrumentation. The nine brass band members are some of NYC’s top musicians, all coming together to make music and protest.
The Machine Is Here To Kick Brass
Andrew Gutauskas (Bari Sax/Arranger), Brad Hammonds (Guitar/Arranger), Darius Christian (Vocals/Trombone), Sophia Urista (Vocals), Mariel Bildsten (Trombone), Wayne Tucker (Trumpet), Oskar Stenmark (Trumpet), Steven Duffy (Sousaphone) and Nathan Bell (Drums) form Brass Against the Machine. The group was founded by Hammonds and they have their debut live performance at the Brooklyn Bowl Dec. 18. They’ve formed their band after Rage Against the Machine because they believe their insightful, protest-filled tracks are relevant now more than ever. Brass Against the Machine decided to cover many of RATM’s empowering tracks to show that in this era, it’s time to “stand up to the machine.”
Most recently, BATM created a mashup of Beyonce’s “Freedom” and RATM’s “Freedom.” RATM isn’t the only group BATM covers, though. They cover Living Colour, Gil Scott Heron, Janes Addiction, A Tribe Called Quest, and Led Zeppelin, and more. One thing all of the tracks they cover have in common is an inspirational energy. BATM renovates these tracks in hopes to “resonate with people’s emotions and encourage action.”
Overall, Brass Against the Machine is quite the inspiration, as they’ve taken what they do so well and turned it into a revolutionary movement. They said, “We are angry, we are inspired, we are ready for change — and we hope our music amplifies this energy in everyone who listens.”
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