Rage Against The Machine

FRRRREEEEEEDDDOOOOOMMMMM!

The lyrics are so repetitive that listening to a song once is like listening to it 10 times. So at this point I'm pretty sick of most the songs on this album. But also it f'n rocks and when it works it works really well. I'd rather not listen to the whole album at once though.

I never really gave their music a focused listen before and in my memory it sounded much more thrashy than it actually does. Also, I didn’t pick up on the political messages back then, which are astute and still relevant today. I kind of like it. I don’t think it’s something I’ll come back to, but I’m glad I have a new perspective on it. 3.2

Rage goes hard, so ahead of their time. Zach's got seriously incendiary lyrics - "Some of those that work forces are the same that burn crosses." Social consciousness taken to its logical conclusion - violent revolution. Great band, evergreen album. RATM is the soundtrack to the future. 4.4

I appreciate the politics

Great stuff but it feels like getting punched in the face over and over. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good face punch, but wow. Every single song. Bam. Right in the kisser.

never heard anything of this guys, but i know they hate machines

Almost unbelievably on-the-nose prescience. Maybe it took a few of the rest of us 20+ years to truly catch up. And I guess most still haven't. A classic.

The sound of 90's rebellion, though the themes are still depressingly relevant 30 years later. There is so much anger and raw energy in these songs, carefully channeled through some of the best riffs of the decade. I am so incredibly happy I managed to see them on their latest reunion, and they sounded as powerful as ever. I will never not feel like a badass when this album is on, and for that, I thank you RATM.

Pre-listen notes Listened and loved this record a lot back in 2019. Spun it so much during those times! Loved the heaviness and the rawness and the performances and the energy the band brings, especially Zach. The sound of tracks like Bombtrack and Killing in the Name are so unique and easily recognized, showing the power of the group's songwriting. It's not hard to evoke the sounds and the riffs and energy of the mentioned tracks. Though that does lead me to the second point: I cannot recall for the life of me the sounds of the other tracks in this record. Current listen notes: Bombtrack and Killing in the Name are still very good and fun to listen to! Amazing energy and performance — don't think these tracks will ever get old, which is unfortunate and disappointing considering the subject matter. Another new enjoyment: the ending of Wake Up — a barrage of screeches and noise razor sharp as to disorient and slash at the listener. Review: Fun album! Energy is maintained throughout the whole record. The whole crew is dialed in and brings their whole sound together and forward and complete. This thing is brimming with confidence. Bombtrack and Killing in the Name remain great as ever — not that I expected them to fall out of favor, of course. What a great start to this album. Unfortunately the tracks in between somewhat blend in with each other, as they play with the same sounds throughout. Not much deviation to be had here, which likeminded listeners might find a bit of a letdown. Nonetheless, the crew do a very good job of being right up your ear with their message and sound.

I kind of like Take the Power Back, Bullet in the Head

Standouts: "Bombtrack," "Killing in the Name" Lyrics/Vocals- 5/5 Instrumentals- 5/5 Vibes- 3/5 Overall- 4/5 I did enjoy this album pretty well as I am a fan of RATM. However, something that really stood out to me, having never listened to a full album before, is how similar all of their songs sound. Obviously the songs aren't all the same, but they were all so similar they kind of blended together, which did detract from the album a bit. However, the lyrics were powerful, along with their delivery and just sheer anger/angst. The instrumentals were amazing with the bass lines sticking out most to me. RATM has a very unique sound, and I am not shocked they're on this album. This isn't an album you turn on to relax, it's an album you turn on to get mad. All in all a great album.

Heard of them/this. Hard rock from 1992. Appreciate the message but usually not my music, a bit too heavy. Low 3.

A true classic that I basically grew up with. Angsty dissonant goodness that rings true over 30 years later. What an absolutely PERFECT debut album! Effing pioneers in what they did.

Raw passion and aggression, along with complex progressive ideals, disguised by such instrumentation and conviction as to fool an entire generation of right-wings that this music is made for their conservative ideals. When, to the contrary, these boys could be no less differently oriented. That plus the scream and Tom Morello magic makes this a killer album. MUTHA FUCKA! Oooohhhhaaa!

Great stuff.

Sublime. What a thrill. Can’t believe this album is 32.

Not for me

Coldplay. I'm guessing if I were to look at the reviews people are going to hate on them because it is cool to hate on Coldplay. Their earlier stuff like Rush of Blood to the Head are good. I don't care that the popular opinion is to talk shit about them. I enjoy their music. There are several stand out songs on this album: In My Place, God Put a Smile Upon Your Face, The Scientist, Clocks, Green Eyes. So yeah this is good listening and all of the "cool" haters can eat my shit. 4 out of 5.

RaTM. Nothing else to say.

Massive album that only grows in stature and, sadly, relevance.

Only one good song, “Killing in the Name of.” The rest lacks any catchy riffs and the songs are so so angry.

One good song after another

RATM has always been a band I acknowledge as great, but I could never click with their albums. Listening to this on a more focused level got me a lot closer than previous spins.

A favorite when I was a teenager that holds up just as well today

It is pretty much what I thought it would be: hard rock instrumentation with rapped political lyrics. It is good at being what it is. Some harshness for me, but that's to be expected.

Very repetitive and not very musically interesting

Nope

Iconic!

I put this on thinking I might find it juvenile now but it’s really good rock music. Tom Morello is an amazing guitarist and the themes are still pretty spot on

Perfection from the first to the last, one of my favourite albums, and one of my favourite bands. Listening again was well worth it too - just to be reminded of the force of Zack's anger and how heavy the music gets. Also, look out for a lovely bluesy solo thrown in at one point, just because Tom Morello likes to surprise!

I love Killing in the Name (obviously) but was unprepared for the screaming so early in the morning. Will revisit whe. The mood is right

yeah - da ist man gleich nochmals 20!

Starkes Album voller aggressivem Sound. Sehr intensiv und einnehmend aber Hammer!

I got a speeding ticket on the way to work and another one on the way home while listening to this album. I loved this as a teenager and it is still fun to listen to now. High energy, you can feel the rage. The guitars are amazing. I rate this album 5 middle fingers.

Certified classic

If I were ten years younger I might have been into this. Vocally I quite like the hip-hop style and the drums aren’t bad, but the guitars seem really generic. It has it’s moments and I’m glad I listened to it, but I’m unlikely to listen to it again I think.

Fuck you I won't do what you tell me!!!!! Shoulda seen this in las Cruces 😞

Lol

Fun! Intense.

Too much yelling. Just a lot of angry self-righteousness and simplistic political commentary. Like a lazy combination of rap and punk. That one crescendo part at the end of "Bullet in the Head" is cool, at least, but there isn't just enough anywhere else to make this worth it.

4.5

Angry!

I might have my thumb on the scale given how formative this album was to be in the 90s. RATM helped expose hip hop to me, a suburban white kid, who really only related to their anger. Underneath that you've got a heavy groove rock band and this album is on par with some of the best stomp grooves that we heard from Zeppelin. Vocals always left something to be desired but ZdlR was famously described as "rapping like Bob Dylan sang" implying the quality of his lyrics and delivery way outshined his vocal capabilities. This record also showcases RATM at their most primitive, less synthetic noodling and more traditional guitar play from Morello, simpler song structure and delivery. The downside to this album are likely in kicking off a much maligned nu-metal genre and thoroughly confusing Republicans on what machine they were raging against. I would accept this as a 3.5 star up to a 4.5 star album in most conversations so landing it at 4 makes the most sense to me.

Can’t hear anything but their sorry politics

Rock, Rap, hart, 1992 > 1

Kinda angry with a lot of cursing. Guess I've never felt the need to rage against the machine.

Intense rock music with rap-like lyrics. Pretty awesome guitar riffs and vocals.

One of the greats. Multiple 5 star tracks. Killing in the Name, Bullet in the Head, Know your Enemy...

Killing in the name on tosi rock... muut huonoi biisuj.. pliisuja huuto lyriikka juttuja... no emotion behind words meaningless youth ramble...

Sounds funky and angry. Its ok but was not and still isn’t my favorite.

An interesting blend of heavy metal and rap, two genres I don't care for. With all due respect, the album was torture to sit through. That being said, I understand the album's import in the culture of the time, and I respect it as a form of protest art, even if I don't like it.

Incredible album with slick guitar work and powerful accompanying lyrics to take down the machine. Love the chromatisms in the guitars and Tom morellos tones

Honestly an all-time-favorite of mine. Their music isn't necessarily masterful or technically amazing, but Tom Morello's creativity with a guitar is awesome and their passion is honest and invigorating. I feel like I could run through a brick wall after listening to several tracks on this album. I also don't necessarily agree with all their political beliefs -- but as a kid, their anger was powerful and fueled my 'question everything/question authority' mindset I still have today. Before my exposure to this kind of music, I believed that government, police, military, etc. were without a doubt, 'the good guys'. Hah.

Loud screaming noise. Hated it

This review thing is messed up. It is putting my review from the wrong album onto this page. Weak sauce.

The GOAT

An instant perfect album from start to finish. No fat to be found in this thing. It's all vinegar and kicks to the teeth. A true record one must hear before they die. It is a product of it's time and place, and a true piece or art.

8 motherfucking stars!

****

Brutal, good album

This album rips start to finish. Starting with "Bombtrack" a palm-muted guitar kicks off the album opener, a more technical and faster feeling riff than the part to follow, it builds and builds and then "boom," the whole band comes in for the first verse with a nassssty jump riff, a hair slower feeling than the intro guitar riff but it goes a whole lot harder, epic intro to the album. In the first track we can hear some effects used on the vocals that can be heard here and there throughout the album, doubled up vocal tracks, delay, even some calls and responses with singer doing both parts. My favorite vocal performance on the album is actually during the outro of the final track "Freedom", where Zack de la Rocha goes full on metal fry-screaming/yelling. The whole album has dope riffs, dope tone, and the solo sounds, sheeeeeeeesh. Never really clicked before but some of the solo sounds and tones remind me of a theremin. One of my favorite instrumental sections of the album is after the bridge of "Know Your Enemy" where the bass, with some sludgy grit, takes on the the verse riff alone while the guitar emulates police sirens "woops." Least favorite section of instruments on the album is the guitar solo on "Township Rebellion" felt experimental but out of place. The songs that felt like they had the heaviest rap or hip-hop influences on the instruments were "Fistful of Steel" which is majorly lead by bass on the verses, and the verses of "Township Rebellion" also have a hip-hop vibe featuring a cow-bell heavy beat. Funkiest vibed songs were "Know Your Enemy" and "Bullet In the Head". Doomiest track was "Settle for Nothing," loved the vocal performance on this track, also Phishiest guitar solo. Playlist Worthy: "Bombtrack", "Settle for Nothing", & "Freedom" Doomiest Track: "Settle for Nothing" Least Favorite Track: "Township Rebellion" Dopest Moment on the Record: Sludgy bass on the verse riff with guitar "woop, woops" on "Know Your Enemy" or the vocals during the outro of "Freedom" at 4:40.

radicalized me on the way to work. ready to burn things to the ground.

Sadly these lyrics will be relevant until the American Empire sinks into the sea. Until then, RATM rules.

BANGER, exactly my current taste. I‘ve listened to this many times before. Also one of the most recognisable album covers.

I understand the people’s desire for revenge and their anger, and the band is rather good but the singer sucks

Resulta que lo tenía ya en mi librería. Brutal.

There’s nothing better than listening to RATM while working my cushy 9 to 5 job

Wow! A power album railing the political machine and its conductors. I love this album and play it when I need to RAGE!

Violent vocals, but some excellent guitar playing.

I would be deaf not to notice this album's impact. However, it was not my cup of tea, not in the slightest. The lead guy was shouting the entire time, and I understand how poignant this is, so it makes me appreciate it ever so slightly. The rage was definitely there, but my enjoyment was not. Was he trying to be different and quirky? Possibly, but this was not it. It's a big no from me, dawg.

I ended up liking this way more than I expected to. It had some of the problems I expected it to have. The lyrics could get repetitive and annoying, and didn’t really say anything groundbreaking( I would’ve expected better for a Harvard political science grad). But, I found myself entranced by the guitar. It is a complete standout on the album and I wish it wasn’t disturbed by slightly preachy vocal breaks as much. Right on the border of 4.

Kan je natuurlijk niks van zeggen. Metal maar dan bouncy, goede boodschap, technisch nieuw en hoogstaand.

Wat een geluid en wat een teksten. Het engagement. De noodzaak. Dit komt uit hun tenen.

Excellent album. From start to finish

One of my all time favourite albums. Cant imagine what it mustve been like on 1992 when this music dropped!! So explosive. Not a weak track on here 5/5

All killer no filler 5/5

This brings back all the memories and all the feels. The first time I heard this album, I was afraid of it. A few years later i rediscovered it at the right time and it quickly became a used up CD in the car

still haven't listened, but I will

Only like the music, didn't care for the lyrics. A 3/5 is generous.

Rap rock is a bad genre but Rage are one of the few who do it well

I liked this way more than I was expecting to. In fact I listened to the album twice. It was great for a spin workout. 7.5/10

Definitely sensing the rage

I like to think that I'm not being biased here because I grew up with this album but this a pretty much perfect album. Lyrics: 10/10 Appropriate yelling: 11/10 Appropriate swearing: FUCK YOU I WONT DO WHAT YOU TELL ME/10 Groove: 10/10 bass: Fuck Yeah!/10 Guitar: 11/10 Message and Impact: 10/10 Cover art: 10/10 Appropriate use of cow bell (Killing in the Name of): 10/10

very good

Respect. Enjoyed but could not listen every day. Anger well presented.

eh just not my thing. some cool ideas musically but didn’t like the singing. i know this is an important band and album and can respect that, just don’t like this type of music

enjoyed all the intrumentals, not so much on lyrics, but overall very good

Another one that I would say, is not for me. The name of the group, "rage against the machine," I think is an apt description as their style seems to be very angry. Some parts that are just instrumental, I kind of like, but not enough to overcome the vocal style.

This is one of those albums that I can listen to over and over. Zach de la Rocha’s lyrics and distinct voice mixed with the technical mastery of Tom Morello’s guitars, Brad Wilk’s driving drums, and the funkiness of Tim Commerford’s bass lines creates sound that odds uniquely Rage‘s. Every song is good listening if not great

Amazing

Excellent

great, not the best to listen to while starting my workday.

This is the right time in my life to appreciate this band

Killer baselines and sound in general, but sometimes too political for my taste

This type of music gives me anxiety.

I listened to the end. What an experience! One I won't be repeating 🤣 I suffered until the end , appreciate a lot of people like them but I am not one. I would rate it zero star based on my listening experience 🫣 but that's not an option so gave it one.

I mean... It's Rage Against The Machine...

Killing in the Name Take the Power Back Freedom

Some good, iconic songs. Also, some really lame funk metal slap bass that no one but Les Claypool can make interesting. I like their later albums better.

It' amazing how this album has leatrics attacking all of the things that the goverment does and how you feel all of the rage there, i loved it!

riff after riff. Often imitated, never duplicated.

4/5

Wow…

Briljant vond ik dit toen een klasgenoot begin jaren 90 hiermee aan kwam zetten en eigenlijk heb ik 't daarna helemaal kapot gedraaid, vandaar dat ik op 4 sterren blijf steken, maar eigenlijk zouden het er 5 moeten zijn.

Classic! Period!

Op Killing in The Febo na (die is echt compleet doodgedraaid) is het toch wel een heel tof album om weer helemaal te draaien. Wat een bevlieging zit er in die vocalen.

Nope, not for me

I really hate this one. I'm trying to listen to the end but it's painful.

Eins meiner absoluten lieblings Alben.

Hypes up

Better but 1 song only

Rage Against the Machine uses the BRY (beat, riff, yell) musical style. Occasionally you can tell that someone in the band starts getting pissed and insists on playing their instrument like a musician just to prove that they have talent. But for the most part it's petty mechanical and not very good. Scale: 5 - My absolute favorites. 4 - Albums I like. 3 - It was ok to listen to but I wouldn't seek it out. 2 - Didn't like. 1 - Absolute shit.

As Dennis told me, it’s not music, it’s propaganda. Should be required listening for every high schooler in the US. Whoever doesn’t like it must be deported.

Deffo heat

I remembered every song on this album, which is strange given I never owned this album. So much intensity, so much heartbreak. Really powerful stuff

Best part about this album is that rocks. Pretty funky too. Strong 3

Hemsk upptäckt: denna skiva är cringy och inte särskilt bra bortsett killing in the name. Det går att lyssna på men orden är faktiskt inget vidare...

5 What a way to start 2024 - love it!!! An old school love this group - edgey and great lyrics

power house

А-ху-ен-но! Но не "выброс", как мы выяснили. Хотя очень хотелось пятёрку бахнуть, но это прям шушуть не дотягивает.

морело разъеб, энергия разъеб, приколы с эффектами разъеб, но я бы посмотрел на них, где они сдались и начали юзать семплы и синты, это было бы 5 жб. 4, ибо примерно уровень дед кеннедис для меня, где-то пизже, где-то хуже, но я им почему-то 4 поставил, так бы подумал 45

Rage Against The Machine's 1992 self-titled debut album is a revolutionary blend of rap and rock that immediately grabs your attention with its raw energy and politically charged lyrics. Listening to it in full for the first time, I can hear hints of the Beastie Boys, as the album exudes a similar rebellious spirit. Fusing together hip-hop rhythms with heavy guitar riffs, I can't help but notice that half of the songs sound the same, to the point where the undeniable coherence in the band's sonic assault contributes to the overall impact of the album. It has to be said that the obvious standout track is 'Killing In The Name', which remains an iconic anthem with its powerful combination of Zack de la Rocha's fierce vocals and Tom Morello's innovative guitar work. This song in particular, solidifies the album's place in history as a seminal piece of work that captures the essence of the band's uncompromising approach to music and activism.

An absolute classic. Youthful anger and angst dressed up in an early '90s genre-blending package, containing prescience and nostalgia all at once.

Quite an aggressive collection of tunes. Not my jam.

cops hate you

People in the 60's were looking for something hard, out came Led Zepplin, Black Sabath, etc. Now fast forward to the 90's and 00's and we are still looking for something new and still hard... out comes Rage. It's not for everyone but for those looking for something HARD you have found it.

Don't think I quite get this but it sounded very angry: I can commend this for the amount of emotion put through in the LP. Strong lyrics, a bit loud at times but nothing to hate especially when paired with the backing it had. Decent but I will let it cook before I give it a five.

Rage gonna rage

An excellent album!

Strangely, I’ve never listened to this album in its entirety though of course I’ve heard many of the tracks in the early nineties and throughout my angsty teenage years. This morning it helped me tackle a brutal hill session in the freezing cold rain and I couldn’t think of a better soundtrack 🤘🏼

Some amazing bass, hard hitting songs and lyrics

Deux albums que j'aime et j'écoute d'affilée ! On finit bien l'année.

You Settle for Nothing with this album.

I really enjoyed the album. There are some absolute hits on the album. The start of the album is very strong but it does tail off towards the end. I would listen to the beginning of the album again.

Pretty rageful.

Decent first half album, too much screaming and saying fuck. Some songs felt exactly the same and went on for way too long.

Full of great guitar and bass riffs, but somewhat disjointed with the slew of rhythm and melody changes in too many songs as well as Tommy Morello's blips and bleeps (innovative as they were). Zack's angry polemic and shouting gets a bit too much, but that was the point of course! Does what exactly what they set out to do, educate, enrage and liven up we 80s/90s kids. It's really a 3.5, but I'll round up here because it's an important and popular album.

It was eye exploding when you were a teenager. It still has massive power over you today. Just a great big, cathartic middle finger to it all.

😍😍😍

4/5

One of the best

Not at all bad

Ässä

So good. 5/5

I wanted to love this but the ANXIETY it gives me

The lyrics are still important in these songs, despite my taste in music changing since the album’s release.

5 étoiles easy

Banger album, such high energy

Kickass and important, with amazing energy and one of the best album covers of all time

Nice

Champagne communists but they know how to bang a track out

A classic. You can't go wrong with this one. Ten tracks of the utmost perfection here. It's pretty great. Can't wait to see what the next one will be.

The energy of RATM is unmatched. Listening to these songs is the only time I’m ever angry in a fun way.

Speaking of impressive debuts, my god - as incendiary and sadly as politically relevant as ever, this is the prototype and frankly the apex of the whole hip-hop/metal crossover movement

Iconic. A bit repetitive tho.

Very screamo. Thought I knew more songs by them, but judging by this album, I wouldn't choose to listen to it 😅

rage against the machaine

Wild album. Full of energy and purpose. Loved the unusual song structures.

This blew my mind in the 90s. Still does today.

Almost at the end of the tacklist, all those "UH" and "COME ON" start to feel too much. Overall this is a blast, those guitars are just so excessive that become genuinely good, a must-listen for every pseudo-anticapitalistic teenager who hates society to the guts (enjoyable even as an adult) (I don't like numeric ratings, I just give 3 to anyone)

Just a classic record, what can I say. Love to put this on whenever I’m feeling rebellious.

Such hard hitting tunes. I'd heard a few of these as they made there way to radio, but the whole album was full of surprises and a great display of talent and raw energy.

Obviously iconic. I don't think I am angry enough for this album. This was a difficult listen. I'm sure there is a mood for this but it is not the one I am currently in. Listened to it in the car. Would probably not put on again. Can't really dance to this unless you are head banging.

Rock Instruments: 2/5 Modern Translation: 3/5 Dance Potential: 1/5 Listening Location: Home DIY projects Best song: none of them Made me feel: angry. So much yelling, so much angst. Had to channel the energy into hammer drilling.

This album came along at the right time for me in my early 20s. Hard. Powerful. In your face. I disagree with some of their politics, but can look past that to the greatness that is the album as a whole.

Energetic and revolutionary (in ideas)

There is no way to say it anymore clearly, but I am diametrically opposed to most anything politically these guys stand for. That comes with a giant “however“. They blew up the metal/rap genre! There songs, all have a powerful, drive and flow. Extremely talented musicians. I have grown to really enjoy their work. High marks.

Yes

Fuck yeah. One of the most visceral albums of all time, and sadly the themes are even more relevant now than they were upon release. This level of speaking truth to power is what many artists grow up dreaming of doing with their work, but very few of them end up being able to do so. The music itself, even setting aside the messaging that's subtle like a sledgehammer, is outstanding too. Heavy, heavy instrumentals; tight grooves; punk singing tone. It's perfect. Favorite track: Freedom

I imagine RATM superfans liken themselves to counter culture badasses who will riot on site, but were more likely the teens whose rebellious act was whispering the cuss words ln this album.

Here I am. 13 years old. Writing an angst ridden blog and blasting this album. Making a difference in this world.

Felt like one long song. Killing in the name of was the best.

Love this album. Own first pressing CD that I use for refence when listening to a new system. The cover is haunting, and fits the message of the album.

loud, angry and vital.

Genre defining

If I could, I'd upload a picture of me age 14 holding up this album, wearing a pair of jeans I painted on "RATM" and button down work shirt with the name Dennis on one side and a black and white Rage patch on the other. This album is perfect, it defined a generation.

I love pretty much everything about this album.

This album speaks to me. 🤘🤘

One of the greatest rock albums of all time,almost all the songs are absolute bangers.Brilliant vocals, brilliant riffs,brilliant drumming and one of the most evocative album covers of all time that signals the political message of the album as a whole.

Good stuff for angst. Good to workout too, but definitely not casual listening. 3.9

This album got me through some emotionally trying times.

Never before a band name matched the music they play. What you see is what you get

this album reminds me of driving home from golf with my 2 uncles when i was in high school. i couldn't believe they listened to songs with swears in front of other people.

this one takes me back. I was a teen when it came out, so didn't really understand their message on anything but a superficial level, but definitely felt it.

***Listens to the first 2 songs*** Wants to run through a brick wall

Some real bangers in the first half but peters out in the second half in my opinion. first half is crazy strong so probably still a 4. Iconic cover too.

Yeah it rocks but it’s also so funny.

Fantastic rap metal. Pretty much the pinnacle of that genre

12/10 would take the power back.

Dope

Goes so hard. Really incredible density of iconic tracks on this album, just wall to wall bangers. Zack de la Rocha brings so much energy on everything and all the songs are distinct from each other while keeping the same vibe. The only bad thing this album did was inspire a bunch of bands to think that they could make this shit too.

Best and most important album of the 1990s

I don’t know if there’s a single artist whose name more accurately sums them up than Rage Against The Machine. With every song, they reaffirm their moniker. The songs are deeply political and viscerally angry. I appreciate the guitar writing—the album is full of heavy riffs and interesting effects. The solo on “Killing in the Name” is amazing. Having said all that, I found the rap-metal a bit wearisome over the course of the album, just yearning for some sort of melody in the vocals. And it’s a bit more angry than I typically feel inclined to listen to. So while I cannot deny that it’s an excellent album, I also don’t want to listen to it again. As such, it earns a solid 4/5, taking into consideration my own preferences, although it would certainly be worthy of a 5/5 from reviewers more amenable to this style.

Everything about this album just feels massive. Amazing.

All time classic,

Outstanding

The revolution will not be televised. It will be funky as hell. Rage's self-titled debut is a firm reminder that you can absolutely go at the throat of the world's injustices and still sound absolutely amazing while doing it. Every song slaps and every member nails the performance. Killing In the Name will always be my favourite though. I just love how the tempo fluctuates throughout the track, leading up to a crescendo and the ever-memorable chant of "Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me!" Just an absolute high octane rush of a track. Sadly the subject it's protesting against, police brutality, is still a thing. All the political subjects being attacked are still very much a thing over 30 years later. I think it's high time for another band like this. Regardless, Rage Against The Machine is energetic, funky, angry and so important. This absolutely deserves to be high up in the 1001. Favourite: Killing In the Name

The Ragers are very hip hop-ish. The lead vocalist is absolutely rapping on Take the Power Back and Bullet in the Head. Rock and hip hop have come together several times in the past. I’m willing to bet RATM has a song with some hip hop artist. If they don’t, they should. I’ll have to look into it. This is good music. With a message. As usual, songs from 20 or 30 years ago that rail against the political atmosphere of the time are still quite relevant today. I guess there will always be reason to rage against the machine.

Amazing

Great music. Dont like shouty rap. Can appreciate what they’re trying to say but this is just a step up from the beastie boys.

Great album - very loud for my soul, but damn good band

So edgy! I'm mad about stuff! Down with stuff! Posers

Still one of the most rockin' albums ever

Just not my thing. I can appreciate the music, but lyrics are heavy and depressing. I would never choose to listen to RATM again.

Ugh such a great album, makes me feel so ragin and just like I wanna take on everything in the world n be like fuck youuuuu

Unexpectedly overstays its welcome. This album has no business having almost every single song be over 5 minutes long.

Yeaa this is a great album. Still sounds good today and the heavy rock and angsty, politically charged lyrics just work so well.

My first delve into Rage was a pleasant surprise! Listened while at the gym for peak angry white boy immersion. Very consistent, riffs are surprisingly groovy. Good bass tone and great bass parts overall, more funk inspiration than I expected. I was promised weird guitars and I got them, shoutout Tom Morello. Lyrics vary greatly from shockingly intelligent to heavy handed and repetitive, but are never a major detriment of the song. Do not much care for Zach de la Rocha’s vocals but I can’t imagine anything else fitting better with their sound. Killing in the Name is a slightly overrated song. Good payoff but verses have too much repetition. Best song: Take the Power Back or Settle for Nothing Worst song: Fistful of Steel - siren sound in verses is a bit grating and it drags a bit. Very solid 4/5 - Will revisit.

Awesome riffs and lyrics. Gets your rock on! Love this album. Recommend listening to this album. 10/10

Classic Rage. A quick, easy listen. Not much to say on this one.

I'm not fond of heavy rock much. That is the truth. This album is arguably one of the best rock heavy metal albums out there, but I like the softer side of the guitar. The riffs in this sounded all the same to me and bored me after a while. While most songs had some quality to them other than heavy metal, it wasn't enough for me to distinguish them. The way the lyrics were delivered hit sometimes, but other times you just got tired of them. Overall, this album made me learn that no matter how hard I try, I just don't like the genre. There were a few songs in here that stood out to me, and I can certainly respect the production and message that this album contains, but I wouldn't listen to it again.

AgitProp never sounded this funky. There’s a lot to be said about this from a political point of view, but it’s too early in the morning rn, so I’m gonna go all lib on this and just say the music slaps and that’s enough

Hype hype hype - you wanna punch the air and start a fire in your living room

Heard before. A sound that's recognizable. Some really powerful stuff. Ends with a fitting song. + Killing In The Name + Settle For Nothing + Wake Up + Fistful Of Steel + Freedom

Fire, listened twice

These guys sure are mad.

I came into this album hesitantly because I am a huge rap fan and I enjoy my fair share of metal. Because of that I sorta hate rap metal because it is often just a worse version of the two genres. The hope that I did have was the fact that I was always told in real life and on the internet that Rage was always one of the few good "rap metal" bands alongside SOAD and Faith No More and I liked some SOAD singles and the Faith No More album I was recommended from this list. The only Rage song I had only ever heard "Bulls On Parade" (and maybe "Killing In The Name") and I liked that but I never looked into their catalogue. This album definitely surpassed my low bar of expectations because it is one of the best metal albums I have ever heard. I was surprised by how good the instrumentation was throughout this album the guitarwork and drumming surprisingly was great and can definitely stand up to most other great metal albums. I also am a little confused because people call Rage rap metal but I don't really see it. When I listen to Faith No More or Linkin' Park they actually rap and have rap verses which imo is often the worst part of some of their songs. Rage is similar to SOAD in that way. I see some of the rap inspirations but I would not call either band rap metal imo because they don't actually rap; to me it is closer to spoken word than rap. This is not to disparage the bands by any means as I think they are both great; I just find it as a complete mischaracterization of their music and in reality I think it is more fitting to just label them as alternative metal bands that are inspired by rap. I actually think that it makes their music better because as it turns out it is not easy to be a good rapper and 99.9% (if not more) of rap metal bands don't have good rappers and it ruins their otherwise solid songs. Nevertheless this album despite my criticism of the misclassification is really great. I think it is one of the best metal albums I have heard from a writing standpoint but the one standout quality of this album is the guitar more than anything. Both lead and bass were absolutely stealing the show in some of these songs. I had heard from some friends who play guitar that Tom Morello is one of the greats but I did not expect this level of innovation and general creativity. His lead was the part on every song that I kept being sucked into. Definitely one of the best guitar performances album-wise I have ever heard. In all honesty I think the weakest part of the album was probably Zack's vocals (that is relatively because he still is great just the others are better at their part imo). I really respect his writing and lyricism but I don't think he has particularly outstanding vocal performances throughout the album. He does provide great loud, punchy vocals that marry well with the rest of the track but I found his vocals sort of disappeared into the instrumentation at times. The bass and drums are both played to some of the highest levels I have heard in metal. Tim and Brad really are the backbone of a lot of these tracks while Tom and Zack provide the ear candy. I do however have two criticism, for this album, besides me thinking that Zack was good not great. First, some of these tracks do drag on a little bit to long like "Township Rebellion" and "Freedom". Secondly, they do suffer slightly from the fact that some of the weaker tracks on the album do sound a little bit repetitive in their sound. This is not really that big an issue but big enough that it can be pointed out. Also the aforementioned, "Township Rebellion", has by far the most obnoxious chorus on the album. I like it but it is repeated way to many times, especially at the end of the song. Also I am still not a fan of screaming in my music and there was a surprising lack of screaming on this album. I was expecting a lot more because I had heard they screamed a lot in their music but it was either not super apparent and it fit into the track well or there was not a ton of screaming. All this being said this is an absolute killer album and it is definitely a classic. It also has some of the best songs of the 90's with "Killing In The Name", "Bombtrack" and "Know Your Enemy". Not a skip on here and personally I think to really get a full appreciation of this album you probably need to listen to it 2-3 times so that you can focus on the lyrics, drums and guitars separately. Strong 9-9.5/10.

If this weren’t nostalgic for me, not sure I’d have enjoyed it so much, but here we are.

This is the first album I’m familiar with (and like), there is almost always a RATM song on my playlist. Likes: Political message mixed with great delivery, those basslines, high energy Dislikes: Tracks can get a bit samey, don’t usually like “screamy” vocals (although I think they’re appropriate here) Listens: 2 Fave Tracks: Killing In The Name, Know Your Enemy Rating: 4

Not my vibe, but cool to hear guitar licks I know from other places

This album absolutely sick!

Listened to full album while folding clothes and other things. I'm very familiar with the album and it exceeded my memory of how good it is. Super strong start, middle, and finish. Album held up exceptionally well and the topics are still as relevant if not more relevant today.

This album stands the test of time by still being relevant 31 years later. I won’t do what you tell me!

mood today tomorrow forever tbh

Nostalgia bomb of fantastic music

I feel like I always believed Rage Against the Machine to be way too hard metal. But the bass and guitar are super good and interesting to listen to. There is a little more screaming and a little more "noise" here than I generally prefer. I liked it. With a good set of headphones (that I use at my computer) and at an appropriate (not too loud) volume, it's great. I wonder if worse speakers would make me hate it, because I would be unable to make out the bass or other interesting pieces. 4/5 stars

Solid album, listened to this so many times in my life. I thought maybe wouldn’t rate as high, not sure if it aged well… But the music is so good

This is their best album

More angst than rage.

classic

Vocals sind nicht meins, erin ert mich an wütenderes Limp Bizkit, allgemein sehr viel Lärm, flache Systemkritik. Aggressiver Sound, aber musikalisch nicht meins und die Texte haben leider auch nicht überzeugt.

5/5 - FUCK YOU I WONT DO WHAT YOU TELL ME albums like this are why i spend lots of money on nice headphones and will inevitably spend lots of money on hearing aids.

"Rage Against the Machine" is the debut album by American rock band Rage Against the Machine. Lots of interesting genres listed describing their music: rap metal, funk metal, alternative metal and rap rock. All songs feature political content. The famous cover shows the self-immolation of Thích Quảng Đức, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, protesting President Ngô Đình Diệm's administration for oppressing the Buddhist religion. Band members include Zack de la Rocha (vocalist), Tom Morello (guitarist), Tom Commerford (bass) and Brad Wilk (drums). The album received wide-spread critical acclaim and, commercially, hit #45 in the US and #17 in the UK. A bass start, the kicks in and we're off with "Bombtrack." Morello with heavy metal guitar riffs. De la Rocha rapping about social inequality, landlords and power whores. The drums, the bass, a cowbell and that hypnotic guitar riff opens "Killing in the Name." One of many ridiculous Morello solos. It's a protest against police brutality. A memorable song ending with de la Rocha screaming and repeating "fuck you, I won't do what you told me" until he and the band come to a climatic close. They get a little funky in "Bullet in the Head" with the bass and drums. Morello with a scratching wah-wah guitar. This time it's the government controlling the population via the media. Wilk's drumming shines closing the song. The band gets a little help from Maynard James Keenan in "Know Your Enemy." A wobbly, echoing guitar. Anti-war, anti-authoritarian. The music has an urgent nature in "Wake Up." The song keeps speeding up as de la Rocha screams about racism. A loud rock start by the band begins the closer "Freedom." They get a speed-up, slow-down cycle going. The government and corporations are controlling the population. The song appropriately ends with de la Rocha screaming and loud feedback. This is quite a debut album. The music, lyrics and vocals are intense and match each other. The musicianship is top notch with Morello guitar solo's original and top notch. I'd have to say this is their best but their other three albums all have songs worth listening to. Highly recommended.

I couldn’t listen. Not me.

Bra men litt for heavy 3.5

Ocmd

The soundtrack of my middle school experience that somehow still holds up. Such a statement as a debut album and completely shaped the sound, for better and worse, for bands years to come. Often copied, never replicated. 5/5

Zach de la Rocha sure does like screaming the same line over and over and over and over again.

5/5 Still almost perfect. Hasn’t aged a second.

Classic

A little musical swing would go a long way the moments where it crops up are briefly nice but it’s just not enough to engage me. Lyrically it’s so generic that the anthems of defiance are just as empty as the faceless voices of authority they criticize.

Why does the lead singer remind me of the beastie boys? The instrumental work is great but sounds a bit repetitive across the songs. It's just not giving what I look for in music.

An absolute classic of an album. This one is more raw than later releases but showcases so much amazing songcraft, heavy grooves and the finest playing of any band of the time.

Angry. Iconic.

It's a no doubt masterpiece

Very good musically. Repetitive lyrics at the end of many songs that drags, and the brash vocals brings it down from a potential 4/5.

absolute banger debut album

I was surprised at how high the rating was for this, since I thought that Rage Against the Machine was sort of a joke band, but this was so good. Great playing by Tim Commerford

Favourite songs: Bombtrack, Take the Power Back, Killing in the Name, Know Your Enemy, Bullet in the Head, Wake Up, Freedom, Fistful of Steel, Township Rebellion Least favourite songs: Settle for Nothing 5/5

Kind of surprising that a group with such anti-establishment, anti-police brutality, anti-systemic racism messages was signed with Sony. Still powerful and just as impactful, if not more so, than when it was released. A rallying cry to take the power back. Musically and lyrically insightful.

A classic from start to finish.

Listening to it now, I see the rap, rock-verging-on-metal, and punk influences. Fun and still punky in the present day.

Loved this album when it came out and love still.

Enjoyable album, and great message. Sad that the message still rings so true 30 years later. Consistent theme, great lyricism, and infectious musicality

Fuck you I won't do what you tell me.

Gather round the piano for an old fashioned family shout along.

fuck you I won't do what you tell me

Fine

A power house of political rock, with single note progressions and hard hitting rhythms. The OG of GOOD rap metal, with a straight out of protest vibe. Love this record, glad I got a chance to listen to it again

Full of rage. Cool to drive with it.

No need to make an effort to listen. This is one of the best albums ever made and I have been listening to it for more than 30 years

The rage is relentless

Very angry. Hi energy. Like it. 4/5

Fun Rock album with heavy repeat value when in the mood to rage

all timer

Very very upset with the world. fair. I like the vibe

Fantastic.

Ragelicious

I really appreciate this band. The music is complex and interesting, and the band is so tight. I just fundamentally dislike the screaming and the rapping. It reminds me of Eddie Van Halen’s line, “why do we have to have lead singers? Beethoven didn’t need one:” But I even appreciate and respect Tom Morello’s work here. I just don’t really enjoy listening to it.

A great, great listen. Growing up with this kind of soundtrack has really shaped my musical tastes. I don’t often go back to it though so I was glad to have the nudge to. I probably never listened to this from beginning to end as I didn’t own the cd so chances are, this is the first proper listen. It does not disappoint.

As a young metalhead, I was never interested in RATM as I was very much not into rap and also not too much into the thrash metal roots they draw from. But dang, seems like I was missing out! This album delivers pretty much from start to finish, with only Fistful Of Steel being kind of weak. But the heavy instrumentation with tinges of funk and sludge metal, the vocal delivery, and even the righteous anger (it may be a bit much, depending on the mood - but it's part of the package) make for a pretty potent mix. I'll revisit this one.

The album starts off with a BANGERRRRR. the guitar kept me hooked the entire time.

I get the feeling these fellows know how to party. Way better than PJ Harvey.

absolute banger after absolute banger

I'm not angry enough for this music.

My jams!!!

I am mad but in a good way

Incredible

I've listened to this album so many times that I can hear it beginning to end just by looking at the cover. So many important things about culture and society were said to idiots that only heard a swear word and a heavy guitar riff. But there were those of us that listened and heard. 10 stars.

Solid throughout, lots of fun and interesting melodies.

Settle for Nothing is a great Nirvana song Love the snare sound on this album Bullet in your head: so much sabbath! Stylistically homogenous throughout which is the album’s greatest strength and weakness at the same time as it could get the point across with Bombtrack and Take the Power Back, then call it a day. Freedom is also cool. A good heavy rock album with a lot to say that kind of popularized the rap-metal hybrid genre that was outside the mainstream.

Raaaaaagggggeeeeee

I'm a big fan of Wake Up because of The Matrix. At the first sound of it, I can see the Matrix credits rolling in my head and the whole feeling of the movie comes back to me. I love it. But other than that, I have a hard time listening to any RATM. Maybe Killing in the Name Of. But not for long.

Never been much a metal fan - the lyrics bring it down too

I had such an incredible takedown of this album written up, and it's killing me that I can't find it in my notes. Vitriol to vitriol. My writeup today will never measure up to that, a shame. Incredible, incredible music with a band that is so locked and loaded, perfectly rehearsed, just unbelievable energy and sense of groove, whose performance is so insanely good, stylized, high energy, that you can almost unwittingly ingest its politically asinine message, like second-hand smoke billowing from a factory, the unintended side-effects that nobody asked for. We are all passive casualties downwind of Zack de la Rocha's sloganeering, delivered with the conviction and righteousness that only anger can give you. This music is the companion to much anger– real anger of real, dispossessed people, whose mistreatment must be dutifully politicized– and just the garden variety that all teenagers possess. Anger attracts both camps, and the point of the anger usually gets smuggled in. And here it is, unsubtly spewing forth with so much accompanying baggage, and the trappings of the self-styled revolutionary, that it has to have crossed your mind if this is just a parody of a person– if real people are uncritically buying what they’re selling. That's the double-edge sword of music: you *do* take it more seriously because it's music. Because, with music, you’re hit with the emotion first. The point– the intention– just comes along for the ride. And everyone has been angry before. Scrape even an inch or two off the surface and you'll realize that, if this was just some guy at a rally yelling these things into a megaphone, even some the most hardened activists would be shuffling away to keep their distance. It’s stunningly cringey. I truly see no difference between the tactics in this music and those of those dubious, neo-Nazi skinhead bands. The starting point is anger, and you just get a buffet of political options from which the sellers are peddling to the buyer. I find this all deeply unserious. Maybe it is supposed to be unserious– at least, that’s the common motte-and-bailey retreat that people commonly use– “it’s just music! It’s just entertainment!” Okay, then. Find-and-replace these messages with those of the white power movement. Imagine a music whose lyrics, beneath layers of high energy guitar solos and unbelievable vocal performances, bears some uncanny resemblance to the politics of the January 6th rioters. Any takers? On that note… I would be surprised if the be-camoed, military LARP-ing rioters of January 6th *weren’t* playing “Take the Power Back” from their backpack bluetooth speakers. “They just didn’t understand the message!” Nope. The message isn’t that profound. The anger comes first, and the aesthetic of revolution, rebellion, anarchism is just the cynical way by which that anger is deployed by the politically smart. 4/5

Solid, blir gira. Bra til gaming, eller når sur?

Bombtrack, Killing In The Name, and Wakeup are good. I'd heard them all before, though. The rest are just ok. It's hard to separate the album from the hype and impact the band had when they came onto the scene. Probably the first band to really successfully merge rock and hip-hop. They avoided the cheesiness inherent in previous attempts to combine the styles. Good band. Good energy. But they never really blew my socks off. This is a fine album, but beyond the few good songs, it's not particularly great.

Love this album. Classic.

I liked it

Classic album to enjoy, need to listen to it more. Liked a few songs, listened while doing a deadlift workout.

Pivotal, iconic, and hard hitting bangers from start to finish.

pretty good sound. Wish it wasn't so crass on the lyrics.

slayyyyy!!!!!

It was pretty good, one of the few albums id love an instrumental for

A pretty consistent album from front to back. A good mix of groove, aggression, and build-ups. The slow moments work well with the faster ones. The bass and drums being higher in the mix create a powerful atmosphere, with the vocals and guitar adding into it. Though a couple songs do sound same-y. Final Thoughts: Great album, though wouldn't go out of my way for a re-listen. Genre: Nu-Metal/Rap Metal, 1992. Rating: 4.3/5

Me and my whole friend group bumped Rage when we were 13-17, and we had some pretty questionable taste, including nu-metal - so this album must be crap. Hey, what d'ya know - it actually holds up pretty well. The guitar work is pretty dynamic, with distortion, texture, solos, and riffage. A lot of the guitar is rhythmic, which combined with rock drumming, super muscular bass, and spoken/rapped vocals means like 90% of their sound is rhythm. I respect how they combine rock, hip-hop, punk, and funk-metal. Zack is a very compelling vocalist. Cynically, you could say that the vague and angsty political messages are carefully formulated to make teenagers feel like revolutionaries when they break school uniform code or smoke a cigarette. However, some of the songwriting is also pretty memorable and good. My main issue is that lots of the songs use a technique of having a kind of breakdown in the middle, followed by a gradual build-up, then a crescendo where Zack shouts a slogan. I'm sure it works great for a mosh pit, but it gets pretty formulaic, and it also means most of the tracks end up 5-6 minutes. Overall though, I'm glad this is still a surprisingly solid record even when I'm no longer a bong-ripping teenage rebel. 4*

Lekkere muziek, wel druk.

Amazing album. Visceral, political, energetic. Takes me back to my youth learning about the world

Solid, just as good as when I first heard it in 1992. Its got a few tracs that don't measure up but overall pretty good.