In a brand new interview with RollingStone.com, DEPECHE MODE frontman Dave Gahan has revealed that he is a fan of groups like TOOL and RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE. "I've always liked TOOL," he said. "Even when I was living in Los Angeles, when they were just coming up. In fact, the guitar player [Adam Jones] used to come over to my house a lot. His girlfriend was a roommate of this girl that was living with us, so he used to hang out with us when they were just coming up. I got to see them in a lot of little clubs, but you knew immediately they had something really special."

Gahan called RAGE a great band and said he was always impressed with RAGE guitarist Tom Morello. "It's just great innovative guitar playing, using the guitar in an unconventional way," he said. "It's in the same way that years and years ago, people like Jimmy Page were playing the blues, but much louder. I have a great respect for heavy rock stuff."

Gahan also acknowledged that there is a musical correlation between some metal bands and DEPECHE MODE. "METALLICA are a heavy-sounding band, but they write pop songs," he said. "They've got their dark moments, just like DEPECHE MOD have, but deep in there is a tune with a catchy chorus or a pop arrangement. Certainly bands like METALLICA, MARILYN MANSON, SMASHING PUMPKINS, though I wouldn't necessarily call those metal bands, but METALLICA really do their own thing and always have."

Rolling Stone published an article earlier this year exploring DEPECHE MODE's influence on heavy metal.