Aside from his upbringing in the hardcore punk rock scene, some of Bruno's influence and inspiration comes from artists such as Madonna, Michael Jackson and Prince.
Speaking on albums that he enjoys, Bruno mentions that Radiohead's OK Computer especially influenced him.
saying "Although i would skip a few songs now, when that [OK Computer] came out it was a great example of a record that took me on this beautiful journey that meant a lot to me."
Bruno also cites albums like The Flaming Lips' Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, alt-J's An Awesome Wave, and Mini Mansions' self-titled debut as albums he can listen to back to front, saying "I like music that appeals to everyone at this point in my life.
Stuff that our parents could listen to as well as people that are hip artistically and everything in between".

Bruno has said that rap music was the hardcore music of his generation because it had not hit the mainstream yet.
He mentions that it was "anti-music".
He cites Public Enemy and N.W.A as two rap groups that really struck a chord with him.

Another major influence for Bruno was seeing Nirvana on MTV Unplugged in 1994.
Bruno cites Nirvana's cover of "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" as his favorite Nirvana moment.
His favorite Nirvana song is "Milk It" off of 1993's In Utero.
Bruno recalls trying to listen to Nirvana's debut album Bleach after listening to Nevermind and finding it hard because his favorite drummer Dave Grohl wasn't a part of it, also citing Kurt Cobain's vocals as being a bit more "rugged".

In light of Awolnation canceling a summer tour to instead go on the road with Prophets of Rage, Bruno explained in an August 2016 interview that Rage Against the Machine was a major influence on him as a child in the early 1990s.
He says that Metallica was big at that point in time, but he had already been listening to heavier underground music.
He also mentions that he was getting into more hip hop, and loved that singer Zack de la Rocha was into hardcore music as well, saying "The first time I heard what I think was "Killing in the Name" I thought it was a Beastie Boys' song.
It just blew my mind".
Bruno believes Rage was the only band that was able to blend screamed vocals with hip hop beats.
He mentions that everything that came after that was "not as authentic", referencing the nu metal genre that would blossom in the coming years.
Bruno continues to say that he believes the riff to "Bulls on Parade" is the greatest riff of all time.
While on this tour, Bruno covered Bruce Springsteen's "The Ghost of Tom Joad" (famously covered by Rage Against the Machine) and Rage's own "Bullet in the Head" and "Freedom" with Prophets of Rage.
Aside from his upbringing in the hardcore punk rock scene, some of Bruno's influence and inspiration comes from artists such as Madonna, Michael Jackson and Prince. Speaking on albums that he enjoys, Bruno mentions that Radiohead's OK Computer especially influenced him. saying "Although i would skip a few songs now, when that [OK Computer] came out it was a great example of a record that took me on this beautiful journey that meant a lot to me." Bruno also cites albums like The Flaming Lips' Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, alt-J's An Awesome Wave, and Mini Mansions' self-titled debut as albums he can listen to back to front, saying "I like music that appeals to everyone at this point in my life. Stuff that our parents could listen to as well as people that are hip artistically and everything in between".
Bruno has said that rap music was the hardcore music of his generation because it had not hit the mainstream yet. He mentions that it was "anti-music". He cites Public Enemy and N.W.A as two rap groups that really struck a chord with him.
Another major influence for Bruno was seeing Nirvana on MTV Unplugged in 1994. Bruno cites Nirvana's cover of "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" as his favorite Nirvana moment. His favorite Nirvana song is "Milk It" off of 1993's In Utero. Bruno recalls trying to listen to Nirvana's debut album Bleach after listening to Nevermind and finding it hard because his favorite drummer Dave Grohl wasn't a part of it, also citing Kurt Cobain's vocals as being a bit more "rugged".
In light of Awolnation canceling a summer tour to instead go on the road with Prophets of Rage, Bruno explained in an August 2016 interview that Rage Against the Machine was a major influence on him as a child in the early 1990s. He says that Metallica was big at that point in time, but he had already been listening to heavier underground music. He also mentions that he was getting into more hip hop, and loved that singer Zack de la Rocha was into hardcore music as well, saying "The first time I heard what I think was "Killing in the Name" I thought it was a Beastie Boys' song. It just blew my mind". Bruno believes Rage was the only band that was able to blend screamed vocals with hip hop beats. He mentions that everything that came after that was "not as authentic", referencing the nu metal genre that would blossom in the coming years. Bruno continues to say that he believes the riff to "Bulls on Parade" is the greatest riff of all time. While on this tour, Bruno covered Bruce Springsteen's "The Ghost of Tom Joad" (famously covered by Rage Against the Machine) and Rage's own "Bullet in the Head" and "Freedom" with Prophets of Rage.
Aaron Bruno