Rage Against The Machine

Corporate slop

I discovered Rage Against the Machine through the end credits of The Matrix when I was in my early teens, and they immediately became one of my favourite bands, especially because of this record. I clearly remember a high school trip when I was sitting on the bus listening to it on my iPod. One of my classmates came up to me and asked what I was listening to. It was "Freedom", so I handed her one of my earbuds. She asked me, rather dismissively, why I was listening to that, and I just said, "I don't know, I just love it." It wasn't about the lyrics or the political message (I didn' understand them at that time). It was, and still is, about the music and its raw, powerful sound.

Fuck this album

Woke skateboarder vibes. The sentiment is fine but the music and bravado just don't float it for me. The lead singer just sounds like a petulant school boy. Reminds me of Eminem. You just wanna tell them to stop whining.

9/10

Powerful

Fav song: Killing in the Name

The most innovative guitar work since Hendrix, an absolute monster of a rhythm section and intensely rapped, sometimes shouted lyrics that still have relevance today. All of that in songs that are funky, tight and memorable and have made their impact over time influencing many other artists and appearing on compilations, movie soundtracks and so on. But in the end nothing beats this album itself, which undoubtedly is one of the best of the nineties.

Great album. Excellent musicianship.

You have to be in the right mood for it. But when you are, it’s hard to beat

Always personally gravitated more towards sad angry than proper angry angry but can’t deny 7 of 10 the tracks here are bangers.

It is actually insane how many genres they blend to make something so unique. Every single musician in this band is pulling from a deeeeep catalog and bringing something different to the table. It's hard to even explain. And the LYRICS bruh these mfs were in their mf bag with this shit. Highlights: Killing In The Name, Bullet In The Head

-back to back to back like classic songs -led me to research the monk on the cover, incredibly moving -i wonder what it would sound like with a more classic 60s punk structure, tighter and shorter songs -led me to research groupiedirt.com. apparently trent reznor (NIN) has a 7.5 inch penis, and billy corgan has a 3-incher -fantastic guitar all the way through

Rage Against the Machine’s self titled album is one of the best debut albums of all time. The bass is super funky, the guitars have such a unique and amazing tone, and Zach De La Rocha’s lyrical style fits the music so well. His lyrics draw attention to many important social issues and call the listeners to action and to rebel against the oppressive system of the American government. I think this is particularly poignant when quoting actual lines from FBI director J. Edgar Hoover and the vile things he said and did. Overall a great album and political statement.

A new classic. What a great first album of a band.

Rage fire energy loved every second of it

6/10, can see appeal but not really for me

Jeg elsker dem, da jeg var barn. Men nu, hvor jeg gammel, har overlevet et socialistisk diktatur og flygte, er det meget svært at høre på rige, forkælede og privilegerede 20-årige, der synger om "revolution", "power to the people" eller "opressed people", som de ikke ved noget om. Morellos guitarwork er cool, og mix af ​​hård rock, rap og DJ-sounds vil altid være cool.

Jamen, det er jo fedt altså. 4 stjerner igen

Jeg er ægte tæt på at give det 5 for shits n giggles Det er så vanvittig sick 4.5

Niets op aan te merken

pretty decent

I don't know, people think that heavy metal is noise. This is noise.

I still can’t believe this came out in 1992. While grunge was ascending to the pop culture throne, we get this absolute ripper of a rap-rock rap-metal record too? Incredible. I think this record could hold it's own even if it were released later in the 90s, so it should get even more credit for coming out when it did.

Første og beste album. Solide saker

I like this album because Rage Against The Machine has a sound unlike anything else. Although the political lyrics are a big part of their identity, I think their creativity is what makes this album timeless.

How do you not love this album? Rap, rock - all with Capslock ON

Great Album … if this doesn’t get your blood pumping you might be dead

Made me fucking angry 🖕🏼😡🖕🏼

Increíble inicio, los subestimé pensando que serían de esas bandas que solo escucha gente performativa para sentir que escucha algo pesado pero cuando las escuchas un poco más a fondo todo suena igual de plano (NO FUE ASÍ), a quien le importa, tonto yo, como primera cucharada suena genial. Antes de escucharlo completo, pensé que no me llevaría ningun gusto además de Killing In the Name, solo los conocía de hace años por salir en Matrix y no sé como es que los ignoré por taaaaanto tiempo, cuanto me arrepiento, Bullet In the Head también me encantó, tiene un desenlace hermoso y fue mi canción favorita. Al igual que todo lo que escucho, me tomará algo de tiempo antes de que me termine de gustar el resto de canciones por ser algo nuevo para mi, pero honestamente, todo fue muy satisfactorio, la voz y los solos son algo que de verdad amé. Cada quien tendrá su opinión política y lo que se les hinche la gana, instrumentalmente creo que suena MUY bien. Bullet In the Head, Seetle for Nothing, Killing In the Name, Know Your Enemy y Wake Up fueron mis favoritas en ese orden. Los volvería a escuchar sin duda alguna, no tengo quejas a pesar de ser la 'primera probada', fue muy agradable.

This album was solid. I didn’t really have a chance to listen closer and explore the deeper themes but I didn’t mind what I heard

Ein paar Klassiker dabei, generell sehr cool aber super eintönig. Nach drei Liedern war ich glücklich dass mal ein etwas anderer vibe kam (settle for nothing war deshalb mein geheimfavorit), zum Ende konnte ich schon nicht mehr alle Lieder hören (die auch überraschend lang sind alle…hätte man auch teilweise kürzer gestalten können) und habe dann eher durchhalten müssen als das ich es genießen konnte. Alles in allem aber nicht schlecht!

What angry young men!

Funky, feisty protest music in all caps, still carrying every ounce of urgency nearly 35 years later

Its one note a bit, but man is it an important one. I'm angry, and Im also sadden by its relevancy today

1. Bombtrack: not for me 2. Killing In the Name: still not for me, rebel lyrics 3. Take the Power Back: I saved this one, powerful lyrics 4. Settle for Nothing: great lyrics, liked the guitar solo, I saved it. 5. Bullet In the Head: rap, again cool lyrics. Saved it 6. Know Your Enemy: didn't like it 7. Wake Up: didn't like it 8. Fistful of Steel: didn't like it 9. Township Rebellion: didn't like it 10. Freedom: didn't like it Overall: too metal for me, but very interesting lyrics.

Rage Against the Machine has a far to strong political message personally for me. The music felt rather repetitive, and was too loud and confrontational in places. It may appeal to fans of hard rock and rap metal, but it is not to my personal taste.

31 rating - - 31/33 - 94% album - 5 stars

Good

Maybe not the best album for me to try and work to. Would be good for running.

Looking at the top reviews here, RATM are both corporate slop and commie libtards. Oh, USA, never change. Sure, this record was entry-level gateway stuff, both in its politics and its riffs, but if a 12-year-old you encountered Killing in the Name as the #1 track on the indie chart, on ITV's 'The Chart Show' on a Saturday morning in 1992, like I did, but didn't enter that gateway - well, then I'm judging you. Hard five.

When I was driving to work back in 1992, “Killing in the Name” came blasting through the radio, and suddenly rock music never sounded the same again. This was the first CD I ever purchased with the “Parental Advisory” sticker on the front—back when retailers weren’t exactly checking IDs. As if the album cover wasn’t shocking enough, the album version of “Killing in the Name” was quite an eye-opening experience. Hearing Zack de la Rocha scream “Fuck you! I won’t do what you tell me!” 16 times made me suddenly understand exactly why the radio version ended where it did. The pure, unfiltered rawness of Tom Morello’s guitar mixed with Zack’s vocals was something I had never heard before. I absolutely love this album. It’s easily one of my top ten albums of all time, and it changed the way I looked at music, life, and my country. There was an anger and urgency here that felt completely different from anything else happening in rock at the time. And somehow, Morello’s guitar sounded like it was being played by a guy who had plugged it directly into a nuclear reactor. The album isn’t vulgar, but it is definitely profane. The “Explicit Content” sticker is justified, as Zack drops the f-bomb throughout nearly the entire album—save for the final track. But honestly, if there was ever an album where the language felt completely appropriate, this is it.

For a debut album, I'm not sure how much better you can make it. This is a flawless masterpiece that fundamentally changed alt rock and heavy metal. Every song is a powerful and aggressive political sonic journey that punches you right in the gut. Zach's militant and rage-filled delivery melds with the funk and metal that the rest of the band is putting down even though it seems like it shouldn't. Tom Morello's inventive guitar techniques and playing just send this to a never before heard (at the time) level. There are a few songs out there that just give me chills when I hear them, and this album has a few of those. Just an excellent album that I will always come back to.

Banda foda pra caralho, e ainda fez mais sentido com eleições aqui no Brasil, parece que tudo fica enervante e melhor.

I’m not even gonna press play yet. This shit is a 5. Remarkable how the world these guys are howling to reinvent has only gotten worse, making these songs MORE essential as time goes on. ML418

First time through for me. I love the crunch of the guitars. I like the political rage baiting. I was near 30 when this came out, so while I get the rage, it doesn't move me. A few years earlier bands like Living Colour, 24-7 Spys, and even Urban Dance Squad were making similar sounds (although Mr. Morello has some new tricks up his sleeve). There is a lot to like, but some of the superlatives I see don't compute with me.I get it though, it wasn't made for me in the first place.

Melodie genre métal et vocal plus rap. Des bons solos à la tom morello. Même vibe/intensité pendant tout l’album.

I like the spoken-word-poetry-esque lyricism. I like how unabashedly political it is. I like how angry they are. I don’t like that we’re still raging against the same machine after all this time.

Tom Morello is very good at guitar. Zack de la Rocha is very good at angry. 3 keepers in 10 (30%).

*A head banger album

I liked them better before they got all political.

En del bra her, men ikke helt min stil dette her. 2 av 5 blir det dessverre

Was better than I expected.

Ok

Fun. Reminds me of meet day when I powerlifted. But tends to drag. There are songs that stand out. They also say fight a lot. Maybe switch it up, brawl. Brawl the system

Honestly surprised by how much I was in to this. It’s been quite some time since I have listened to this whole album. But today, I was struck by how truly tight and varied it really is. It doesn’t have any let downs. It held me, cover to cover. 5 Boolean: True

I don't know what to think again today. While some of the energy here is spectacular, the entire thing didn't blow me away as I expected. I don't really know what to do with this albums that l know are classics, but I don't really have the capacity to deal with them right now. I think it might be a problem with me using the generator for now. But on the other hand, a few days ago I did discover a masterpiece here. So, the right album will find a way. And the ones that don't-will find a way back. This one will get a 3.3 this time

Pre Listen: Heard of these fellas, and I've listened to some of their stuff before. I remember thinking they're alright, if not a bit goofy. Mostly no expectations. Notable Tracks: Killing In The Name - The classic of the album. Always makes me think of when the BBC had them, asked them not to swear during their performance, and well...went about as expected. Great song. Post Listen: Better than I thought honestly. I like the passion they put in to every song. You can really feel the discontent and anger here. Compared to other protest albums of the time, this one really feels quite genuine to me. It has some goofy moments, keyly owing to the vocalists performance at times and his higher-pitched voice compared to other heavier rock albums. That said, he still does a great job, the lyrical work specifically being damn good. I wouldn't go so far to call it 'poetic', but it does it's job well enough, it talks politics. The instrumental work is quite good too, they got the guitar wailing and shredding to perfectly fit the overall tone of the album. What does one do when their Rage against the Machine becomes *part* of the Machine. They got hella popular off this album, and I wonder if them becoming part of the industry pissed them off. 4/5

One of my favorite albums. Every song has amazing guitars, Tom Morello is one of the greatest and unique guitar players. The lyrics are some of the best political and meaningful lyrics of rock. The album always gives me a short of energy when I listen to it. Every song through the album is great.

Very good

one of the purest expressions of rage in music, and in any art form, period.

lucas had heard this album before

Everyone should take a moment, filter and read the 1 star reviews, it's hilarious. You don't HAVE to like this album, but it's and essencial listen for 90s rock, hard rock, rock rap, protest music, even soundtrack music thanks to The Matrix. My only regret is never getting to see them live.

Just raw fury in the best way. Only negative is that 35 years on its still relevant

Es que el rock así me vuelve loco siempre, es mi debilidad

Love this album, pure rage and angst in it, you can tell they really care about what they’re singing and it’s great crash out songs.

we are going through rough times in brazil and being politically aware is as important as ever. this cover is striking as hell and the songs gain a lot more significance and sense in screaming and energy. while this is not my music to go, i think it's an amazing use of guitars, metal vocals (lovely rap/hip hop undertones?) and just music in general as protest and rebellion. the later half of "settle for nothing" is particularly upflting to go out and scream

While it's not a favourite style of mine I found it quite bearable, but not much more than that. A bit shouty.

Great bass line It’s fine; I don’t think anything I’d seek out again but a solid listen for the most part

Great debut album. Spent many of my formative years listening to RATM so its got that nostalgia factor. It's still depressingly relevant and still slaps today. It's lyrically poignant and musically well constructed and interesting to listen to. There's always something new to discover on relistens. Standouts are all the singles obviously, but also "Bullet in the Head," "Know Your Enemy" - get it Maynard - and "Freedom." They really are all bangers though. A definite 5/5.

Saugut!

this album just doesn’t stop, it doesn’t let you breathe, what a great record, the first track is so good

This album has aged like the finest of wines. Solid 5 Stars.

It’s a fucking 10. I’ve always loved Stevie Wonder’s attempts to appeal to the kindness of humanity; a firm belief in an indomitable spirit that simply must be good at heart. If you can reach out to those people & extend a hand that radiates warmth & a vivacity for life itself, we can all come together as one people on one planet, finding peace for all & a reinforced mission to a brighter, idealized future. I think Stevie Wonder does a fantastic job of doing so, and I will continue to love his approach, since I’m just a big softie for it. RATM asks the following: What if you finally fucking woke up, though? What if you finally realized those motherfuckers do not give a single solitary shit about you? They want you dead. They don’t give a fuck. There is no such thing as a universal ‘goodness at heart’. You can’t change everyone. Your hand might be radiating warmth; it’s the warmth of your goddamn blood on your hands after they’ve shot you dead in the street for trying to bring up class consciousness. The media will shut you down, the feds will shut you down, and if all else fails, they’ll find a way to get you. It was true in the ‘60s, at least. We can’t all come together as one people on one planet, at least through forcefully dominating kindness. It has to be through a forcefully dominating fight against the systems that allowed such atrocities to fester for hundreds of years of Eurocentric domination of the planet, including the British Royal Empire & the current American systems of democracy. Rage Against The Machine’s goal is to scream that loudly & forcefully, and while it may not be the message people want to hear, it’s a message people need to hear. Is it a message I necessarily agree with? I mean, mostly, to a point. I think there is still a general goodness in people that won’t fight the fight the way that RATM wants it to be fought. I don’t think I can really change that much about the systems that have been in place for nearly a millennium across continents. American democracy may be crumbling, but there’s still something appealing about it to my naive brain. I can use my voice more, at least. If nothing else, I admire the hell out of these guys for screaming their beliefs loudly & clearly, even if some of the biggest right-wing morons in the room managed to get an entirely incorrect read on their world view. It’s an album that still feels especially relevant 34 years later, and in the midst of what’s been a total fucking nightmare, perhaps the class consciousness of the entire system working against the people may be closer than ever. It only took the exact fucking guy these guys were warning about to get to that point. Nobody took action then. They settled for the human equivalent of ‘nothing’ later. I’ve barely talked about the music; it’s a fucking ball of energy. Yeah, it’s lyrically sparse & a bit demanding in ways that don’t necessarily seek to address problems; they’re just addressing the idea that there IS a problem, fundamentally. They’re right. Their anger comes out entirely in Zack de la Rocha’s absurdly potent vocals, Tom Morello’s guitar, Timmy C’s bass & Brad Wilk’s occasionally manic drums. They are a well-oiled machine that happens to be raging against the machine, and if you somehow leave this album without feeling their intensity at any point, you need to go see a doctor. I understand that it does get tiring by the end. Believe me, I can feel it. I don’t think it affects the quality of the music or the album at all. Hence, a fucking 10. It is just that damn good. Go listen to it. It’s an essential album for this list, and for my group in particular, one hell of a pull for the 1,001st album to have listened to before we’ve died.

the best

Amazing album. SO political yet sonically fascinating, insane for a debut album btw. Genuinely no notes start to finish. 92/100.

Really enjoyed this one, great sound, great message

RATM is perfect for a friday morning at work when I'm part of the machine and I just want it to be the weekend. Never heard this album in full, but now I'm really appreciating Morello's guitar and how hard it goes overall. 5* UNGHHH Highlights: killing in the name of

Not all the songs are great, but the good ones are fantastic. 4/5

bão!

I was into this when it came out. Perfect music to pump up a teenager let me tell you! Often I'm worried that an album from my teens won't hold up listening to it as an almost 50 year old Dad, especially when it comes to angsty heavy music. But damn this holds up. I mean the lyrics have no subtly which would usually bother me in other situations but I don't care, it fits and vocals are so well executed. Listen to the vocals in Killing in the name, the way be builds intensity with the band is crazy and so effective! Also, it really struck me off the top of the album how well it's produced and mixed. Sounds fat as fuck and raw. 5 stars

2.8/5 Liked this more than I thought I would.

raaaaage. han sie nonie viel glost. cover isch chrank. ahfuck es het notize glöscht. killing in the name und bombtrack hani kennt alli andere glaub nöd. killing in the name baut so insaaaane guet uf und de tom cha afoch au itarre tone. insane. bullet in the head isch craazy geil au. ich lieb ihren sound ich lieb wenn de zach UHH macht. krasses debüt jrasses cover mega politisch uhuere geile scheiss füfi.

puh es isch fast peinlich aber ich han glaaub nonie s album am stuck glost ich wär eig prädestiniert, dass ich als 15-jährige e rage against the machine phase gha han aber neiiiii ich han müsse three day grays, breaking bejamin und bring me lose._. (ich lieb breaking benjamin und bring me über alles) ihre groove isch eifach soooo geiiil mmmh killing in the name of isch halt eifach en absolute banger, es isch groovy, du chasch dezue abgeh, umeschreie aber au eifach chli mitwippe take the power back isch gmacht dass d vrowd chan de refrain mitsinge/schreie DE BASS uhhh und s solo isch mier nanie megaa ufgfalle aber isch seehr geil settle for mothing isch zwar chli längsämer, aber im refrain nomal chli hässiger hahaha bullet in the head profitiert mega vom "ruhige" uufbau und de folgende explosion UND DENN DRUMS DOUBLETIME know your enemy het mi teilwiis ah led zeppelin erinneret, das isch mier vorher nanie ufgfalle AU WAKE UP ABER WAS nach echli digge erinneret mich s ahfangriff ah kashmir vo led zeppelin!! COWBELL ACTION wow de switch bi township rebellion isch hotttt wow isch das album guet ich find soo geil, dass d aggression nöd nur vode hässige musig oder vom umeschreie vom de la rocha chunnt, sondern au eifach vode intensität, wie alles gspielt wird vor allem die funky gitarreriffs und basslines würket uf mich (im verhältnis) ziemlich "upbeat", ohni dass die intensität verlore gaht, falls das sinn macht? und ich meine, wenn s militärorchester vo nordkorea killing in the name of coveret, muss es ja es 5i sii oder?

The World needs this band more now than ever.

First album that I don’t even need to listen to. (Mostly bc I’ve spent the last year watching Rage reactions on YouTube lol.) I also listened to the full album in the last year, and played it out in 1993. “Rap rock” really doesn’t do justice to their sound, which is the sound of absolute righteous fury at ongoing injustice and hypocrisy. Rage’s message sadly is evergreen, as is this Molotov cocktail of a record.

I've avoided this band for decades because I actively dislike Killing In The Name Of, but WOW what a record!

5/5. No skips and unfortunately just as relevant in 2026 as it was in 1992. What a debut!

True story: Killing in the name of was the first ever song that i sang and my mom heard me say my first curse words for the first time.

YES.

More relevant today than the day it was released.

Finally a band that keeps music and politics separated. Just play the songs dudes!

I mean come on now. Unfortunately still as relevant as ever. Some incredibly gnarly bass tones on this album. I can feel that shit scraping the frets.

Me ha gustado mucho, muy coherente y con temazos.

Definitely did not have a good moment to listen to RATM today - maybe on angrier days I would've given it 4*

It’s all very one note.

For better or for worse, I don't think this album will ever sound dated. I'm happy that the music is timeless, but a little more disappointed that the message in many of the lyrics still feels relevant.

las 3 primeras canciones geniales, a partir de la cuarta empieza a cansar que sea tooooooodo el rato lo mismo

“It’s just another bombtrack”. But like a whole album of them. It speaks of youth, freedom, rebellion, togetherness, friendship. And that’s just my associations of this album before you even get to how good it is. Awesome.

I listened to this just the other day! Such an influential album for me growing up and it's lost none of it's impact. Angry angry classic and I love it.