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Drummer
Brad Wilk, drummer
Photo: José Goulão from Lisbon, Portugal, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Brad Wilk: Rage Against the Machine + Audioslave drummer, decoded

Brad Wilk has anchored Rage Against the Machine since 1991 and Audioslave (2001-2007). Ludwig kit today (Gretsch historically), Paiste cymbals, Vater 1A drumsticks. The rap-rock + alt-metal canon's defining pocket.

Rage Against the Machine / Audioslave · reviewed by the Change Your Strings editorial team ·

Brad Wilk (born September 5, 1968, Portland, Oregon) co-founded Rage Against the Machine in 1991 and has been the band's only drummer across all four studio records (Rage Against the Machine, 1992; Evil Empire, 1996; The Battle of Los Angeles, 1999; Renegades, 2000). Co-founded Audioslave (2001-2007) with Chris Cornell + Tom Morello + Tim Commerford. Played drums on Black Sabbath's 13 (2013), the band's first record with Ozzy Osbourne since 1978. Ludwig kit today (Gretsch historically), Paiste cymbals, Vater 1A sticks. The rap-rock + alt-metal canon's defining pocket.

Sourcing6 citations · reviewed 2026-07-10· by Change Your Strings editorial team

Who Brad Wilk is

Bradley J. Wilk, born September 5, 1968, in Portland, Oregon, co-founded Rage Against the Machine with Tom Morello, Tim Commerford, and Zack de la Rocha in 1991. Across all four RATM studio records (Rage Against the Machine, 1992, through Renegades, 2000), his pocket has anchored the band's catalog. He co-founded Audioslave (2001-2007) with Chris Cornell and played drums on Black Sabbath's 13 (2013).

Style signatures

Three things across his RATM + Audioslave catalogs you can identify as Wilk's:

  1. Hip-hop swing applied to rock. The 'Killing in the Name' pocket is canonical; the behind-the-beat feel inherits from hip-hop production rather than from rock-drumming tradition.

  2. Tom-led arrangement-pivot fills. RATM songs move through riff-based structures; Wilk's fills navigate the transitions cleanly without showing off.

  3. Deliberate space inside the kit work. Hi-hat eighth-note pulse leaves room for Morello's guitar + de la Rocha's vocals; the discipline is closer to Charlie Watts than to most alt-metal drummers.

Documented gear

  • Paiste Signature Power Crash (18-inch and 19-inch). Paiste artist since February 2003; the Power Crash anchors his documented Rage Against the Machine / Prophets of Rage setup alongside a Signature Reflector Heavy Full Hi-Hat and a now-discontinued Signature Dry Heavy Ride. Full review at /gear/paiste-signature-power-crash-18.
  • Ludwig drum kit. Joined Ludwig's artist roster in July 2022 after building a personal vintage-Ludwig collection; played Gretsch throughout his earlier RATM, Audioslave, and Prophets of Rage career. No dedicated CYS gear page yet for a specific Ludwig shell pack.
  • Vater 1A drumsticks. Joined Vater's artist roster in 2024; plays the stock 1A (hickory, 16 3/4-inch, acorn tip) with Vater Grip Tape, plus the Power 5B Acorn for lighter contexts. No dedicated CYS gear page yet for the 1A model.

Related

The catalog. Rage Against the Machine, Rage Against the Machine (1992) through Renegades (2000). Audioslave, Audioslave (2002) through Revelations (2006). Black Sabbath, 13 (2013).

Documented gear. Paiste Signature Power Crash 18-inch.

Drummer hub. Drummers index. Alt-metal canon parallel: Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters / Nirvana), Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers). Same Paiste Signature-series lineage: Larry Mullen Jr. (U2).

Full band gear breakdown. Rage Against the Machine gear encyclopedia, covering Tom Morello's guitar strings and Tim Commerford's bass strings alongside his own kit.