Reviews (page 13 of 15)
I wasn't old enough (or even American) to understand American politics at the time, but a lot of these lyrics sounded relevant to today's political landscape (if a hellfire can be considered a landscape). I've always liked RATM. I don't put them on regular rotation but I appreciate them when I do listen to them.
Fantastic. Was as good as I remember it.
CLASSIC
Oh delicious irony that is Rage Against the Machine. But just because you're a bunch of rich kids, doesn't mean you can't scream at the broken machine of your society. The ultimate complaint rock album.
A lot of their songs sound VERY similar, but it's nonetheless a great album. Also feels so easy for them. Thought-provoking and rebellious. 5*
Sehr gut
No better way to rage than against the machine. Such a great album.
Amazing message and moment in music history, just not for my listening pleasure
5/10 Fav song: killing in the name I understand the significance of the album in terms of its political messaging and culture impact but its just not my sound, I feel like the sound is similar to the beastie boys which I prefer more
One of the 1st rock albums I really got into. So many solid tracks on this album. Tom Morello's guitar playing on this was iconic for me when I was learning to play.
4.25
A boldly enduring album. Zack de la Rocha's poignant lyrics and powerful vocal delivery makes up a majority of the Rage in Rage Against The Machine. The rest of the band expertly backs him up with punctuating riffs from Morello, hard-hitting drums from Wilk, and Commerford with surprisingly groovy basslines. This culminates in the utterly fantastic 1-2 punch of Bombtrack followed by Killing in the Name. These two tracks still live on as genuinely fantastic shows of power from Rage and are arguably their best songs. As the album rolls on though, it is evident that Rage is something of a one-trick pony. And while I think they do that one trick particularly well, it gets pretty tiring when you heard it done best the first two times. A key exception I'll note is Know Your Enemy, which has some of the most interesting guitar work from Morello combined with a poignant outro from De La Rocha. Obviously this is a classic. There's reasonable room for discussion on the effectiveness of the band's core message and how it was delivered, but the debut Rage album is unforgettable at it's root. A tour de force in all respects.
Solid album from front to back that never requires skipping a song
I usually use my motorcycle rides out to and back from my partner's place on the weekends to catch up on albums, and this morning was no different. However, that fact made this album the first album that has actually posed a threat to my life. Throughout the album I was easily doing 10-15 over the speed limit, and it took deep breathing exercises to keep my decision making reasonable. My safety aside it's incredible how well this album has aged (or how poorly the USA has aged). Landlords and greedy businessmen are still ruining things with literal rent seeking behavior (having capital isn't providing labor), the government is an economic imperial engine, and the American dream is still a MLM pitch to get the internationally destitute to do the labor that no one else does. The ending of "Know Your Enemy" still resounds today, and "Township Rebellion"'s lyrics "Why stand on a silent platform? Fight the war, fuck the norm!" echos in the discourse around the 2020 BLM movement. Musically this album is a total banger - goddamn these guys go so hard and its incredible to hear. I makes me sad that we don't have punk like this today. Of course with all things punk comes with the conspiratorial undertones, but I'll take a bit of coordinated gov't conspiracy as long as it's shouted at me with a killer soundtrack. Also I see where the 90s rap rock originates.
Never been a big fan of RATM but this album soundtracked my teenaged years as I'm sure it did many people. Mainly a 5/5 for nostalgia but it does get abit tired after a few listens
fantastic! i never listened to this whole thing. i loved it
not for me I'm afraid. Repetitive, dirgy, dull
Why is there so much rage? What did the poor machine do?
Vocals are too agressive for my taste, but the guitars? Amazing!
Wow. That can be the best rapcore / rap metal album ever. Wonderful, dynamic music with pesymistic, fatalistic lyrics and tragedy on the cover - how can I be indifferent to it? First half of this album is great -5/5. The end is not as good but still enjoyable. 4,4
Classic
It's pretty solid. I'm very tired of hearing Killing In The Name of at this point in my life but it's still a good song. It's enjoyable, but I'm not crazy about it. I think the follow up, Evil Empire, is the superior RATM album. I'm giving it a 4. It's more like a 3.5 for the enjoyment I get from it. I'm tempted to give it a 1 just for all the crappy rap-rock bands that followed.
When I first listened to Rage, I played San Andreas, and boy did "Killing in the Name of" fit into the game. As for the rest of the album, I had not heard it until today. The lyrics clearly aimed to inspire the listener to stand up and rebel against the "system," which is a bit corny and over the top. As for the music, it added and complemented the lyrics with its high-energy, fast, and rough riffs to great success. Although it was, and maybe still is, a controversial record, I would say that looking at it from a musical standpoint, the average Hard Rock/Heavy Metal fan will find the fast and electric nature of the album itself a great listen. 4/5
Very good
Of course I know Rage Against the Machine, but I've never really listened to any of their deep cuts, save for one or two, so listening to a whole albums of theirs is new for me. I do quite enjoy this, super bumping with each song, just probably a bit repetitive, with each song following the same general format. Still good, and goes hard.
Great album loved it
Yeah it still slaps
Every song could have been a minute shorter and it would have been a much tighter album. Zack de la Rocha yelling "yeah" and "unh" on every track only gets you so far. Very solid songs and overall structure of the album beyond that. A tighter editing would have made this a 5.
Full of good riffs and solos. Killing in the Name, Bullet in the Head, Know Your Enemy are standouts.
this rocks
Pure rage, anger, and energy. Fucking outstanding.
Found it all a bit samey
FUCK YOU, I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME! The rhythm section, especially bassist Tim Commerford is rather overlooked, but they made some of the most violent funky stomps alongside the like of Faith no More. Morello is a DJ without scratching disc & guitarist without guitar-hero convention. And de la Rocha is without a doubt, the most "trebling" & "intimate" MC, if we consider him as a rapper than a rock singer, perhaps. Fav Track: Shelter for Nothing
I've heard the singles, never listened to the album, rectified that today, enjoyed the record, will have to listen to it more. Some wild guitar sounds for sure!
This is one of my favourite albums, Bombtrack, Killing In The Name, Bullet In The Head, Know Your Enemy and Wake Up are superb tracks
God damn it's good
fantastic album with strong songs
No lights, no music, JUST ANGER!! This is just political Limp Bizkit, I don't understand the appeal, I've tried and never got it
The production value of this album alone is worth all of the stars you have to give. Seriously, production studios soundcheck their equipment with this album. Look it up. Then the musical trio come in with the performances that are as precise as they are powerful, fronted by Tom Morello's boundary defying guitar tracks. The soundscapes that he creates honestly redefine what most thought was possible with a guitar. I mean honestly, how in the world did they come up with "Settle for Nothing"!? And then Zack comes in with his punch-to-the-gut lyrical tour de force that harkens to Gil Scott-Heron's pleas to wake people up from their entranced complacency. The mainstream honestly had no idea what was coming when these guys showed up on the musical scene in the grunge era. Their fight-the-system sensibility was simultaneously anachronistic and rife for rediscovery. The song that sums it all up perfectly is "Wake Up". It is a plea to awareness. A song as evocative as a hymn, a ballad, screaming to be heard and to be headed.
I WONT DO WHAT YOU TELL ME
p685. 1992. 2.5 stars Loud and angry rock/rap fusion. When they discover how to write a tune they'll be quite good. Well done, but a bit too shouty for my tastes.
This album hasn't aged one bit...it is as fresh as it was the first time I heard it. The power. The lyrics. The creativity. I think it might be hard for folks to realize how radical this was when it first came out in the early-90s. There wasn't any rap/rock mainstream music minus the Run DMC/Aerosmith collab of "Walk This Way". 5/5
Angry, firepowered political statement. Amazing.
oh yeah baby lets gooo
One of the most masterfully crafted rock/rap records ever produced. I hold this album in the highest regard.
Classic album. 8/10
I’d run through a wall listening to this album
The louder, the better!
I really liked this album
Angry. Amazing tone. Lyrics hyper-relevant 30 years later
Never replicated
Zack de la Rocha !!!!! Favorite Tracks: Killing In The Name, Take The Power Back 5/5
I was never a fan of RATM. The album is okay, fair work, but it didn't move me to rush out and get their other albums. There's such a thing as something, while good, doesn't move one person, and someone else is crazy about it.
Incredibly provocative. Probably the only good rap-rock hybrid
I am not a rap fan, but I give credit for the social importance of this band...
5/5
Favourite tracks: wake up; killing in the name; bullet in the head; bombtrack; take the power back; know your enemy
Didn't actually enjoy this as much as I thought I would
Captures angst perfectly and it still makes me pissed today while bobbing my head along. Noticed the drum playing more on this listen through and kudos. Also fuck 12
It’s a rare kind of alchemy found in these tracks. The words, grooves, attitudes fit like tectonic plates – first locking in, then finding friction, then pushing up together into the sky, building mountains. I’m always on the lookout for emotion-, feeling-, impulse-defining combinations of musicianship and lyricism – the sort of moments that take you to wherever the artist wanted you to go no matter your previous headspace. “Fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me”, sat atop that preposterously dialled-in groove is canon. It is slam dancing rebellion that throws everything at you and then its limbs; bratty rage against the machines of loving grace. (“Motherfucker”, it should be noted, is delivered with a similarly emphatic aplomb.) There’s more to this record than just that track – the 2009 U.K. Christmas number one –though. Lots. So much so that a whole generation can claim to have come of age bouncing around (moshing, pogoing, etc.) either under RATM’s direct influence or in the bombtrack’s aftershocks. I was in the latter camp; 12 years of age and tragically romanced by the concept of being “a mosher”. RATM are forever “fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me” – but they’re also battle of the bands nights at the local theatre, school talent shows, all ages gigs at struggling pubs (ones that let you buy beer if you could grow a moustache!), late-late nights drinking vodka red bulls in your mates’ garden. They’re a community, a kind of belonging through music that transcends a lot besides. And when that sort of togetherness is addressed to the forces of alienation and atomisation –that which tells us to jump and expect us to say “how high?” – there can no greater “fuck you” than that.
Rating: 9/10 Best songs: Killing in the name, Take the power back, Settle for nothing, Wake up, Township rebellion, Freedom
overall too shouty and screamy for me. Appreciate the power though
This album took up most of the 64MB my RCA Lyra MP3 player had to offer back in the summer of 2003 when I was working for my local town council mowing municipal properties. It got me through some long days, well until the AA batteries gave out.
Clasicazo sinceramente
Nostalgic memory. Quite repetitive, definitely need to be in a certain mood for this
4.5
No one before or since has made music this heavy and funky with so much conviction behind it. For all the anger and frustration they convey, it is still pure joy to hear something that is so honest. Tom Morello is a wizard of guitar sounds. Zack de la Rocha rapping, singing, shouting, screaming is all so powerful. The thought of rap rock or rap metal barely crosses my mind - Rage stands on their own as a brilliant convergence of sounds and styles that never feels overdone.
BANGER AFTER BANGER AFTER -
I remember buying killing in the name of more than once to get it to Christmas number one
Apart from a couple of songs that were too straight-ahead metal for me, the rocking bass lines had me hooked. I appreciate that they use their music for political activism and not just general rage; this is exactly the kind of music you want to listen to after a bad day at work to get your frustrations out. I forgot this was The Matrix closing music.
This is not really my thing, 3 stars. But the gulf between this and the 2 I gave RHCP is quite large; this is way better. Good songs: Take the Power Back, Know Your Enemy
quite good! this is good rock and good messaging. nothing to complain about really. #rageagainstthemachine
The machine has taken over, immediately after this album in 1992. Hope you're happy not. Do what they tell you!
Poco se puede decir de un disco que tiene una de las mejores canciones de la historia...
RAtM's debut album is still as raw and unflinching as when it first came out, perhaps even more relevant.
It's a little depressing how much the content of the songs holds up still.
an album ive heard many times reminiscent of some of the music we adore; and also, theyre awesome live. not an album to skimp on.
My birthyear was pretty great! I’m bummed out I didn’t get to see these guys in their prime, but I’ve spun their albums countless times. Rage Against The Machine is just so good. The way they blend Rock, Metal and Hip Hop is great. One hell of a record! 9 out of 10
sonzeira absurda, letras massa, curto das antiga mas foi bom relembrar o quanto curtia
revienta esto a cualquiera
Sólido
I'm sure everyones review mentions it, but this has to be one of the best produced rock albums of all time. Even on songs i'm not crazy about like 'Settle for Nothing', the contrast between the quieter and louder parts, how well every instrument fits into the mix. The first minute of 'Take the Power Back' is a masterclass in how to mix an album. Outside of that, the political lyrics and the anger they're delivered with matches perfectly with the instrumentation. Only things stopping me from giving a 5 are a couple of weaker tracks, and a general feeling like the songs could use a bit of trimming. The whole album also just works off the same trick, but it's an innovative trick and it sounds good. The amazing production also masks over a lot of small issues, it's just great fun to listen to.
I first heard of Rage Against The Machine when I was in high school, when I'd see some of my classmates wearing shirts with the Evil Empire album cover on them. I didn't know anything about the band, but the students who wore the Evil Empire shirts were usually not to be fucked with, so I figured it wasn't anything I had any business listening to. However, over the years, I've heard a small handful of their songs, and I've become pretty well acquainted with their political views. This was my first time listening to one of their albums from start to finish, and I thought it was really great. Zack de la Rocha's vocals and Tom Morello's guitar playing are a match made in heaven. I love the heavy guitar distortion, and the fact that each song had a unique musical sound to it. I really enjoyed the politically charged lyrics on this album too. Once again, another album that's over thirty years old is talking about things that are still hot-button issues today. Kind of makes me wonder if this country is just doomed to keep repeating the same mistakes until the effects of climate change finally cook us all alive. All in all, this is a solid album, that sounds way ahead of its time, both musically and lyrically. Favorite Track: Take the Power Back
Such a good album to gym too, with a class cover art. Just a great album in general. One of the first albums I brought on vinyl. Such a great politically charged album.
Es un disco lleno de crítica y con un estilo muy marcado. Las líneas de bajo, los riffs de guitarra son tremendos, los solos te dejan descolocado y el delivery del cantante es sobervio. El problema son las letras y las duraciones de las canciones, no son profundas y son contundentes con el mensaje. Entiendo que sea la idea y que lo estás presentando no solo desde tu nombre sino que también desde la portada del disco, pero la realidad es que con una voz tan carcterística exijo más, pido más. Mi nota final a este disco innovador es un 6/10.
30 years and holds up really well. I normally dislike US funk metal but this is a true original and inovator. It rocks hard...
Woowaah ça te décoiffe le tapis, superbe album de quand t’es fâché
Very good
felt like true rage when it came out. Is it nostalgic rage now? all a bit too much for me at 52 - 30 years later it seems quite silly
It's Rage! Classic, wall-to-wall heavy hitters and they inspired virtually everyone that followed them. Easy 5
What did you think we were raging against? The toaster?
Oh man this is a 5/5 going in. I remember the first time I bought and listened to this album that I was hooked immediately from the bassline on bombtrack. So much energy and such an instantly classic sound these guys churned out. Not a bad song on here, but the standouts to me are: Bombtrack, Killing in the Name, Know Your Enemy, and Township Rebellion
great album
These guys stole our group name >:( Killing in the Name will always go hard till the day I die. Some songs I never heard before. Take the Power Back was a favorite. I think this album falls into the category of the songs being so lyrically driven, but I don't pay attention to the lyrics word for word, so a lot of the purpose of the album gets lost on me. Tim Commerford has now entered my brain as a great bassist, based off this album. Definitely an impactful album socially. Simple repetition of some phrases is effective.
Hell yes instant 5 stars for this baller album. So many hardcore songs with such distinct bass or guitar lines that give me the chills. Settle for nothing is awesome
Easy 5 before I even listened to a song. I just mowed my lawn and did yardwork to this album and was head bobbin and fist pumpin the whole time that I just wanted to burn everything to the fucking ground. Maynard James Keenan is an awesome feature on here too. Saw them last year and was lucky enough to hear 7 of these songs but reallllly wanted Settle for Nothing. Was fucking sick to hear Freedom though. Also shoutout our group here is named after these mothafuckaaaaassssss
One of the rawest, most powerful albums made during the last 40 years. Breaking the system from the inside was their plan -I guess-. Even though the machine is still there, and the band is not active anymore, this album influenced thousands of new bands (Limp Bizkit, among them) and a completely new generation. I, now in my late 30s, do not listen to the band very often. I don't share some of their ideas, but still, I keep my rage within. A rage against regimes like the one from my home country. A rage against double standards and moral relativism. Personally, I cannot condone the hypocrisy of Tom Morello. A Starbuck communist with a US $30+ million net worth who made his fortune marketing the life of those who struggle and claim true justice. Well, on the other hand, the rhythm section is one of the best in rock music, at the same level as John Entwistle and Keith Moon. And about Zach, that guy knows his thing. I disagree with some of his ideas -like romanticizing Zapatistas, for example- but I respect him. Truly. Everybody needs to listen to this album; with headphones, if possible.
It wasn't as good as I expected, knowing only Killing in the Name. Good lyrics overall, topics I sympathize with generally, but often repetitive and musically it didn't touch me. I respect it, though.
Energy is just oozing out of this album. It’s a shame raging against the machine just means “Republicans bad” in 2023, but back in 1992 this album’s message must’ve been infectious. Tom Morello underrate real guitarist.
Is a good album with a few songs I knew, not too much variety but you can rock out either way.
I never really got into RAtM back in the times, largely because the people I knew that liked them weren’t the kind of people I wanted to associate with: mostly racist wannabe tough guys who totally missed the point of what Rage was singing about. All that aside, this a good album. Righteous lyrics over a banging rhythm section and Tom Morello’s impressive guitar work. Solid.
Most people know this as the F*** you I won’t do what you tell me album, but for me it’s about Wake Up, Know Your Enemy, Take the Power Back. Incredible moments in Fistful of Steel and Freedom as well
Очень крутой
A bit rough for me
Better than I expected.
Brilliant, invigorating, extremely political album. Lyrically incisive and cool if, for obvious reasons, simplistic. Era-defining definitely although passed me by a little bit. Album art is extraordinary. Very strong 4
The band right wingers think is on their side, but 100% is not the case. TAKE THE POWAH BACK.
🤘
Classic album, not a bad track on it, on the fence between a 4 and a 5 but might just go with a 4
Fuck you I won’t do what you tell me! One of the greatest debut albums ever! Change that. One of the greatest albums ever!
Bomb Track I know due to my sister learning to play it on bass guitar back in the day (hi Mimi!). Other than that it is only really killing in the name I knew... but the whole thing is done with such feeling that you can't deny. Red Hot Chilli Peppers took a lot from this and made it shit (or did Rage take it from RHCP and make it good)?
A vital political album full of Rage!
Great album, haven’t listened to the entirety before. I enjoy how the energy, music, and lyrics blend and match perfectly.
I think rap rock/rap metal is usually an ill-advised medley, but I’m almost convinced it could work off of this album because it rocks. Anger, power, rhythm, awesome awesome guitar playing. Best song: Killing in the Name
I can see why it's popular, even if I see their music as a bit repetitive. Plus, 30 years later, it's worth noting that they are more "a part of the machine" than they are raging "against the machine". But for its genre, there are some "classics" present here like "Killing in the Name" and the Matrix-used "Wake Up". If they didn't constantly swear (because, you know, "they can" cuz they're *hard* and all) and have so many "I'm gonna say this same phrase over and over again" lyrics, I might actually have given it 4 stars.
Strong
Ugggh
Sorry, but every Rage Against The Machine song sounds the exact same to me. It's all different variations on "Killing In The Name", "Bombtrack" or "Bulls on Parade" with slightly different words being said. I don't care about American politics, so to me the lyrics just sound like edgy teen "fuck the system!!" shit written by somebody who's all words and no actions. A spoiled college student angry that his part-time job at McDonalds doesn't earn him enough money to buy a Nintendo Switch. War is bad. Police brutality is bad. No shit. Want a cookie? Now write an album about dinosaurs and cool laser swords. That's never been done before.
I think it's too noisy......Maybe it's too early for me to listen to songs of such style.
This album is just so passionate and inspired. It's kind of amazing how fantastic this still sounds. I thought maybe this would just be a 'nostalgia' pick for me - there is def some of that - but it's just a really gritty, powerful record and time hasn't changed that a bit.
What a great album, especially for a debut. This came at time of music discovery in my young life and will probably always hold a special place.
Righteously badass! 🤘 I think I like this more now than I did when it came out. Fave track - "Killing in the Name" is the obvious choice - "Wake Up" is great too...
En riktig skithelg. Tre urusla plattor på raken. Detta album gör ingen glad.
Ever since Rage Against the Machine released this self-titled album over 30 years ago, the band have been worshipped for Tom Morello’s guitar histrionics (why shred when you can create entire sonic worlds?) and Zach de La Rocha’s love of sticking it to the man. As a natural metal-sceptic, it’s taken me a long time to get on board with, and it’s going to take longer still to really like. In 2009, “Killing in the Name” found itself as the Christmas number 1 in the UK after a Facebook campaign to sink the festive chart-topping juggernaut that was the X Factor. At the time, I admired the sentiment but hated the song almost as much as that year’s X Factor winner, Joe McElderry did: he described it as “pure rubbish… they wouldn’t get through to boot camp on the X Factor… they’re just shouting.” Fourteen years later, I’m ready to distance myself from these libellous, uninformed statements from Mr. McElderry. “Killing in the Name” is an absolute banger. It epitomises everything that makes “Rage Against the Machine” good: multiple memorable, grinding riffs, lyrics boiling over with righteous anger, a furious vocal building in intensity throughout. It’s simply great. Few of the tracks on here rise to its level, but plenty have a go. “Bombtrack” is a suitably incendiary opening; “Bullet in the Head” boasts a strong closing build-up, with a satisfying gear-change into double-time at the end; “Wake Up” has a killer funky riff for the main chorus and the verses. Tom Morello’s solos are almost always interesting, prompting a “how is he doing THAT?” or “I wonder what pedal he’s using there…” “Rage Against the Machine” is strong, powerful, passionate… but I found it easy to become numb to it over the course of fifty-three minutes. While their lyrics are of course in the right place, there are only so many “fight the war; fuck the norm” / “fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me” / “freedom! Yeah! Right!” catchphrases before the impact feels diluted. This is particularly an issue when many of the songs seem desperate to end with the riffs cranked up to 11, howling feedback and one line being bellowed over and over by de La Rocha. This is definitely the formula (see “Killing in the Name”, “Bullet in the Head”, “Wake Up”, countless others) and again I wished for a little more variation: the sudden hushed quiet at the end of “Take the Power Back” felt all the more powerful for this very reason. All in all though, Rage Against the Machine have got my attention with this album. It’s not entirely for me, but I appreciate the power and the execution. I only hope that one day Joe McElderry will come to feel the same way.
I can still hear this album for the first time. Walking into a record store in Israel as a 13-year-old freshly-minted bar mitzvahed kid, asking what the locals were listening to. Riding on a bus that had to get rerouted due to a potential bomb on the road makes Bombtrack hit different.
Ever amazing Rage Against The Machine, politically on point and full of energy. The self-immolation of the Vietnamese monk as the album cover is just a taste of what you can expect to hear throughout the record. You can't deny this genre bending amalgamation is perfect to pump you up and get you started for whatever you are doing. Best: Killing In The Name Worst: Take The Power Back
Brutal
Rage is excellent!
Love this album! It is amazing to me how much this stuff relates in 2023. Worth of purchase! 5/5
Klasyk
The greatest combination of rock and rap ever made, maybe? This music makes me wanna burn down a police station. Just as potent now as it was 30 years ago. Well, I assume. So far, this is by far the best weightlifting soundtrack of any album I've reviewed here. I think this is the first time I've ever heard rap-rock that wasn't cringe
Absolute slapper of an album, hever beat is this massive drop and pump back up, super energetic and angry, and it's for very good reasoning
love it. always have. always will. fight the man.
Perfect album.
FUCK YOU, I WON´T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME 4.5/5 Actually, because this thing rocks.
They're just so angry /s. Pretty good rap rock with very salient points. Even today.
Come on, although you try to discredit You'll still never edit The needle, I'll thread it Radically poetic Standing with the fury that they had in '66 And like E-Double, I'm mad Still knee-deep in the system's shit Hoover, he was a body remover I'll give you a dose But it will never come close To the rage built up inside of me Fist in the air, in the land of hypocricy Fucking A plus album right here! This is the absolute best way to put into words how the 90s counterculture felt and what we thought we knew and could take action on then. This is one of those high water marks of a generation. 5/5
A certified classic.
The sheer energy and power on this is off the fucking charts. Zack de la Rocha spits out every line with equal parts discontent and rage, and Tom Morello's guitar sounds like nothing the world had ever heard before. Of course the entire thing is sublimely produced as well. Though I will never quite forgive Rage Against the Machine for the horrid wave of nu- and rap metal which followed, their debut truly stands as a landmark in music history. From the cover, to the sound, to the politics. Iconic through and through.
Some 30+ years after its release (wow, that felt weird writing…) their debut album is still as relevant as it was back in 1992. The fact that de la Rocha is able to even deliver lines with this amount of rage and fury is beyond belief. Rarely, if ever, have straight up content and anger been delivered with his power and passion. Wilk’s hard hitting playing, Commerford funky yet aggressive bass lines and the unique and innovative nature of Morello’s guitar style puts Rage Against the Machine in a league of its own. Well done for really hitting a nerve back then. And shame on us that we still allow it to hit those same nerves today.
Fuck yeah! Brilliant energetic music with a Fight The Power attitude. Includes cross-over like music, as e.g. the equally brilliant Mental Floss for The Globe by Urban Dance Squad.
Fucking rad man. wow wow wow. from the first breath on til the end it is just pure fucking rock. loud. insanely loud. impossibly loud! like truly the instruments feel louder than normal instrumetns they are somhow just more powerful instruments. rad rad rad man just fucking rad as hell like history lesson straight from the gods of history and legend themesles and they are just blasting the message straight into your being just louder than is possible and banging and booming and banging lol and just loud and that is the life you live and you find that fun and enoyable kivevevevevevevvedsafljkfdljkdfsajlksafdjlksfldjk (day inn the life end chord)
30 years later and the lyrics as meaningful as ever
Man this is great. Especially considering it's their debut. Incredible.
You’ve gotta respect this album for pushing the boundaries of modern music. However it remains remarkably musical despite its innovativeness.
this is a really nostalgic album for me, and i’m absolutely biased here, but it couldn’t be anything less than a 5. also, fuck paul ryan
Angry rap metal. Brilliant, especially "Killing In The Name Of"
Someone else's review said RATM sound like a cross between the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Beastie Boys and that's the first thing that came to mind when I heard this album. The sound is harsher and more intense and I'm guessing more politically motivated. I also think they are bit overrated from what I read and heard and though the music is original and good, it's nothing that will make me go out and buy the record. The band has a large following, so obviously the band has enjoyed much success, so i might be in the minority. It's good, but not memorable or great.
rage is a hard hitting, still relevant force. speaking meaningfully about their time and place, while still being cutting edge for radio adjacent and radio forward music. tom morello knows guitar tones, la rocha’s growl is fierce and grating. good ass band, yo. those that work forces are the same that burn crosses!
This album remains perhaps the only one of its kind that remains listenable. Preceding what would later become alternative metal, rap-core, and then arguably nu metal, etc., RATM is the gold standard that did not seem to sell out, at least as badly, to the 'machine'. The best part of this album though is the mix, taking De La Rocha's lyrics and hip-hop/rap style engineering we are given a hard rock album with authoritative thump that drives the passionately angry protest vibes with an aurally tangible fervor. Those are what makes the album great, but it sort of also becomes where the album begins to plateau. Zack's rhythm and prose are consistent throughout, the band's style and instrumentation follow suit so very well, but this album is a forced feeding to the listener of their political feelings and offers little in terms of where to go from there and in a frustrating way that while it motivates the fight it offers no visibility into what winning would look like. This is the thinking man's review, but objectively and with regard to the music and with total respect for political beliefs that favor with good intentions values that are at their core agreeable, there may not be a better or more effective display of politics in the world of music.
who up raging against they machine rn
Doesn't really ring as true to me as it did when i was a nipper, but damn does it still slap
yeessss 10/10 5/5 so good
Fuck you I won't review how you tell me
arrancó bárbaro después me fue dando más paja igual 8/10
Very good. The only complaint is the songs all start sounding the same eventually.
FUCKIN' Instant 5. I've loved this fucking album since I was a kid and I love it now. Additionally, fuck Youtube Music. Holy shit, I listen to fucking pornogrind but RATM warrants interrupting my listening with a fucking content warning? And accepting that content warning means wiping out my entire playlist queue? I might have to find a new streaming service, this is wildly fucking annoying.
Are you angry or an angsty teenager? then you will enjoy this. I got bored after a while, to be honest, it's a shame that the message gets lost in all the repetitive screaming.
Pidän tästä mutta albumillinen on henk koht raskasta kuultavaa, koska kaikkien biisien kaava on sama ja ne ovat liian pitkiä. Yksi tähti lehmänkellon reilusta käytöstä
Yksinkertainen idea: täydellisen naiivi sanoma, jonka on tarkoitus nousta itsensä yläpuolelle musiikille valikoidun muodon kautta. Ei toimi - muodon takia. Plussaa meemimateriaalista.
Love me some rage
One of the hardest rock bands. Bummer they canceled their reunion in my city. This album is an easy 5
As raw, hard and relevant as in 92
I’ve loved this album since the moment I heard it. I still remember where I was.
This album is sooo good! Kinda makes you wanna scream at the top of your lungs “FUCK YOU KERRY”. I dont know why but that’s the feeling I get.
Fuck yeah dude. This album is great. You do have to be in the right mood I think.
I like Rage in small doses. This album was hard to power through.
The most appropriately named band in the history of bands? I’ll admit when I first heard KITN on the radio I didn’t quite get it; something about that earnest now-you-do-what-they-told-ya mantra seemed a bit on the nose and kind of amused me. Maybe I just wasn’t used to artists spitting truths with absolute, irony-free conviction. Thankfully I soon realised that I was wrong, and their righteous political anger is indeed a gift. Also, as much as I enjoy Tom Morello’s inventive soloing, what I *really* like is all the riffage. There are more great riffs on Know Your Enemy alone than some bands manage in a career.
But what are they so angry about? JK. I did wonder if they were on the right side of anti-establishment and not like anti-vaxxers or what not. Regardless, I was quite into this to begin with, liked hearing Killing in the Name (which was on the infamous Air Guitar CD referenced in other reviews - so I had early exposure to this song), but I have to say after that it did get a bit samey. Their use of repetition really works in that song and others, but by the end of the album I was tired of certain lyrics just being repeated so much, I felt like it lacked lyrical creativity. Listened to this partly whilst I was having a ladies pamper session and then finished the next day on a run - but felt like funny occasions to listening to it!
It's a masterpiece for me! What an album. Tom Morello is one of the best, if not the best, guitarist in my opinion. I love everything RAtM stand for and they are such a good vehicle for their work.
Great album, but not the kind of thing I love.
Je pense que vous savez tous désormais que je me suis mis à la course à pied il y a quelques jours. Ce que vous ne savez pas en revanche, c'est qu'au vu de mes chronos tutoyant l'exceptionnel, j'ai décidé de lancer mon entreprise de coaching pour entrer en concurrence directe avec mon rival de toujours et piètre athlète, eltrapeze. Ma société s'appelle désormais teambrucelee et propose divers programmes de course. À l'inverse d'eltrapeze qui s'obstine à emmener ses clients en montagne, je profite de mon environnement urbain et du fait de me trouver dans une des villes les plus polluées d'Europe pour entraîner les miens dans des zones bien plus risquées. Le décor que je propose est celui d'usines désaffectées ou encore de centrales nucléaires en activité. De plus, mes tarifs frôlent l'inaccessible. Les prix augmentent à chaque séance et il est quasi impossible pour mes clients de revenir sur leur engagement, la faute à l'emprise psychologique que j'exerce sur eux. En bref, eltrapeze a aujourd'hui un gros caillou dans sa chaussure domyos premier prix.
Une nouvelle super bande de joyeux gueulards, ce genre musical est définitivement dans le coup. Je profite de ce commentaire pour m'inquiéter pour la santé de Robert. Ce dernier a en effet passé tout le week end de Pâques a se défoncer la gueule à coup de rails de coke et autres seringues, nous proposant une série d'albums tout bonnement exceptionnelle. Il a été admis hier en cure de désintoxe, mais a quand même réussi ce matin à sniffer un peu de cocaïne depuis son lit, nous proposant l'album de Jacques Brel. Son état de santé est dans un état critique, et qui sait de quoi demain sera fait.
Never actually listened to this before, it's pretty good!
Quite interesting. It's not something I would listen to for a long continuous period of time but it when the mood for it hits, it's really great 🤟
ну не сильно моя история поэтому прошло как-то около...
Neither a hip-hop nor a metal fan, but I enjoyed this to some extent. So a 3 is a good rating from me ;)
This is one of those albums that formed me, musically and politically. I was already quite used to the style when this came out, due to the music of the Urban Dance Squad, but this album blew me away. And re-listening to it now, not much has changed.
HOW LONG?! NOT LONG!! BECAUSE WHAT YOU REAP IS WHAT YOU SOW!!
Solid Rage Against the Machine stuff. Not really much else to say here, other than I'm surprised this band ended up so mainstream given the subject matter, but the guitar work is obviously incredible. Standouts: Bombtrack, Killing in the Name, Bullet In the Head, Wake Up
Brilliant album that still sounds as good today as it did then. Mainly because the world is still as shit as it was. Nothing changes.
I respect it, but I don’t enjoy certain parts of it.
So not the right music for morning down stay/relaxation time with the dogs. And so not my type of music.
Not my type of vibe.
c'est comme un paquet de bingos j'aime beaucoup mais je sais déjà que y'a des bingos dedans. lourd quand même
It has its (obvious) moments
Solid.
A solid classic that I can’t believe was released in 1992.
It’s what I imagine it would be like if a drug dealer offered you a various sample of all his mixes of uppers. It some pretty hardcore stuff and I’m probably not experienced enough with it to tell the difference. Doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it, but just need something to bring me back down. ‘Wake Up’ is the credit song from ‘The Matrix’ and is a pretty good guitar grinder.
There are some great instrumentals and the lyrics incited me to look up some of the historical contexts behind them, but there is something lacking for me, not sure whether it's the overall sound or if it's the vocals or even some of the guitar parts are just meh (sorry Tom Morello), or maybe just the rap metal aspect of it, which reminds me now way too much of nu metal. So, for me, it's a strong 3.5/5.
Rage Against the Machine's self-titled debut album is an explosive and politically charged piece of work. Released in 1992, this album immediately made a huge impact on the music world and solidified the band's place as one of the most influential groups of their time. From the explosive opener "Bombtrack," the listener is thrust into a world of furious guitars, thundering drums, and Zach de la Rocha's powerful vocals. The band's signature sound is a unique blend of heavy metal, punk rock, and hip-hop, which they use to great effect to deliver their uncompromising political message. Rage Against the Machine tackles issues such as police brutality, government corruption, and corporate greed. Tracks like "Killing in the Name" and "Bullet in the Head" are particularly powerful, with de la Rocha's vocal delivery and lyrics doing a good job by aggresively calling out the injustices of the system and demanding change. It’s not just de la Rocha who makes this album what it is. Tom Morello's guitar work is impressive, as he uses a variety of innovative techniques to create sounds that are unlike anything else in rock music. The rhythm section of Tim Commerford on bass and Brad Wilk on drums is tight and powerful, providing a solid foundation for the band's explosive sound. The album is a powerful statement of political defiance that still resonates today, and a testament to the band's talent and creativity.
Not my piece of cake.
Good ole' angry, gov hate music. I actually thought I would like this better than I did.
Good stuff, feels like it started getting a bit flat in the second half, but still enjoyable Saved tracks: Killing In The Name, Know Your Enemy, Wake Up
A very aggressive album by itself and the political aspect makes it more harsh and brutal to listen to. The ability to tell so much about our society and politics just using music and rhymes is just fascinating. Bangers such as Killing In the Name, Know Your Enemy and Bullet In the Head really stand out. Will I listen to it again? - Already have multiple times and will more 5/5
hate i think?
Look, it's good. It defined a generation of angry people. Its message is still relevant. But it's not aged tremendously well. Personally, given the choice of this or a SOAD album, I'll take Serj and the boys over RATM all day.
You do need to be in the right mood for it but it's an excellent album. Every track hits. Great running album.
Banger after banger
it was good, but just not my cup of tea
A tour de force in making great metal songs that will be misinterpreted by the people it's criticizing in a couple decades.
⭐ Bullet In The Head
This album is mixed so good - each instrument just punches you (ie end of bullet in your head). I absolutely love this album! The riffs, lyricism and energy is just unmatched and gets me going Fav Tracks: Bombtrack, Killing in the Name, Take the Power Back, Settle for Nothing, Bullet In the Head, Know Your Enemy, Wake Up, Fistful of Steel, Township Rebellion, Freedom Worst Track: N/A 10/10
4.5
Classic
Anarkistiskt Spoken Word med Nu Metal Backing Track
Some of those who work forces are the same who burn crosses
Awesome album, start to finish
Love rock and metal, but never understood the appeal of this band. Other people love it, so what does my opinion matter.
One of the most influential albums in the US. Not really my type of music-- although i do like rock music a lot, i think it might be a way better album if i actually take the time to understand the lyrics.
Capitalism bad
I remember one time my dad got mad at me because I had never sat down and listened to any Rage Against the Machine. I didn't expect this sound, though. Honestly, though, I loved the guitar riffs from the very beginning. I also love the album cover, really cool. Fave track(s): Bombtrack, Know Your Enemy, Township Rebellion
Timanttia vielä 30v myöhemminkin. Ehkä yksi aavistuksen ohibiisi ja loput ihan pelkkää seksiä! Kevyesti tähtikategoriaan.
Epäsäännöllisen säännöllisessä kuuntelussa vuodesta toiseen. Go-to-pre-game-album. 6/5.
what an album... no silly hair or cucumbers down leather pants and still sounding angry and timely and totally on fire 30 years later
One of my favorite albums in high school. There was nothing quite like this, although some bands approached this sound. Loved the hard-hitting sound, the defiance in the lyrics, even though I didn't truly understand the message. Today there's not as much enjoyment in the aggressiveness as there once was. Still a great album. 1 - bad 2 - average 3 - good 4 - great 5 - outstanding
FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME!!!!!!!!!!! A masterclass in righteous outrage, with thought-provoking and paradigm shifting lyricism that shocked a young generation awake and into action. We can never stop fighting to take the power back \m/
5 stars. No review required. Burn, burn, yes you're gonna burn!
I absolutely love the counter culture, anti-establishment lyrics. I’m shocked I’ve never bothered to listen to RATM before. I loved this!
Super
I like Rage but can’t ever see myself playing a whole album of their stuff. Rage is thrilling in a song, but exhausting in an album
I was a teenager in the early 90’s and have ears…of course I love this record. There’s a few tracks that I have always skipped (settle for nothing, fistful of steel, township rebellion) and even listening to the record in full today, they still don’t really do it for me and feel like retreads of other songs on the record. But the ones that work…they fucking work. “Freedom” is one of the greatest songs of the 90’s and no one will convince me otherwise. Call Rage what you will: Hypocrites, Led Zeppelin meets Public Enemy, whatever. This record is hot fire and they are probably the only mainstream rock band in the last 30 or 40 years to vehemently advocate for truly radical change in American culture with their music, interviews and public appearances. The subject matter on this record, recorded some 30 years ago, still rings true today and Rage hasn’t changed their tune one bit…which makes the recent phenomenon of conservatives on Twitter and in real life clutching pearls about Rage Against the Machine being “woke” or “socialists” unceasingly amusing to me. Where have they been for the last 30 years? How many times did they have to listen to it for the words to sink in? Sorry to get political, but with this band, that’s baked in. Actually, not sorry…deal with it. Overall, a heavy-hitting record, but one that I almost never listen to in full. A solid 4.
This is not the kind of music I usually enjoy or seek out, but I thought this album was actually very excellent. It’s basically just a socialist zine put to heavy guitar but somehow it really, really works. This album was released quite a while before I was even born, so this review is not influenced by nostalgia at all. Fav tracks: Killing In The Name Of, Take The Power Back Least fav track: Freedom 5 stars!
Would have been a 2 except for a couple songs that are decent to work out to.
Reminds me of being a wee little lass listening to zack’s wee little political ramblings, 3.5
good album. put a couple songs on the liked. some are a little goofy but its okay.
This is not quite the album that I thought it would be. I've only ever heard the singles. I expected it to be perhaps a little more redundant, at the same time I was a little underwhelmed too.
5/5 The best fuckin album we have had so far in my opinion! I have listened to this 100s of times over the years and it still bangs. It is a sometimes album, and you have to be in the mood for it or it can be overwhelming and too angry etc. I love the lyrics, the messages behind them and I love the music! This one made me happy!
FINALLY a five star album. Can't believe this is over 30 years old, it still sounds fresh and packs a punch today. Had me from the first note until the last both musically and lyrically. Yay, a good one!
Revolutionary in many ways, one of the greatest debut albums ever.
Great songs with amazing lyrics. I’ve heard a few songs from this group before, but never a whole album. I was not disappointed.
semmonen albumi... 90 luku amerikka main stream rock, mitä perrKELE!se on hyvä???? whalecum to the machine...black sabbathesque mutta silti omanlainenesque...genuineluisesti yksi parhaista mitä on täälläo llut.. banger after banger...en olisi ikinä kuunnellut ilman tätä sivustoa joten ihan kiva, nyt anna 5 british indie rock albumia putkeen kiitos bullet in the head
I remember being this CD back in the 90s, expecting big things. Big popular songs aside, this is a disappointing album. Full of angst against the world. Chip on your shoulder stuff a lot of the time. I felt nothing. Next.
Musically, this is amazing. But I just get into a vocal style that is just yelling with no choral intonation whatsoever. They lose an extra star for that.
mid...
WE GOTTA TAKE THE POWER BACK!!!!! This album is a real rage against the machine. The energy here is just so infectious. There’s such a passion fire burning across each song. It’s hard not to be motivated, or at least pumped up when listening to this album. For such an angry piece of music it’s surprisingly uplifting, it makes you feel like change is possible. “Anger is a gift.” Faves: Settle for Nothing, Bullet In the Head, Take the Power Back, Killing In the Name, Fistful of Steel, Know Your Enemy, Wake Up
A bit too Nu/Rap Metal for me but KITNO is a banger. Couple of other good tunes too.
Not bad, just a tad aggressive
All I can associate this album with is X Factor 2006 Christmas Number 1.
Mjög solid plata.
A bona-fide classic
Debut van Rage! Meer hoef ik niet te zeggen
Lekker hard! Absolute topper van een plaat
9/10 - Brilliant album, very heavy and really enjoyable
Listened Before: Many Times This album was a staple of my high school years. It still holds up pretty well, and it has a good (but violent) message. I may not groove on it as intensely anymore but I still listen to it occasionally. Added to Library? Y Songs added to playlist: Wake Up
Yeah, you know what, we do gotta take the power back
Sounds great if a bit one note. Nice grooves and heavy lyrics. Enjoyed
Pretty good but all the songs sound exactly the same.
Love some rage to get pumped and pissed off
Nice, little bit strange at the beginning
One of the marks of a great album is that you could out it out a decade after it originally came out and it would still be impactful. You could put this album out today and it would still light the world on fire. The energy of this album, the raw power that must be constantly restrained to prevent it from boiling over, is perfectly matched by the lyrics built from equal parts rage and intellect. I think this album may be more pertinent now than it was when it was released. It's that rare album that was ahead of its time, but also highly respected in its time. 5/5 Easily one of the top 5 albums of the 90s
So good. A 1 2 punch at the beginning and just keeps pounding on you until the rib breaking body blow of “Wake Up”
I shouldn't like this so much but the whole album roars.
Awesome hard rock.
Great album. Really enjoyed listening again and finding all of the intricacies in the lyrics that I couldn’t get in my teens. Add fantastic guitar and bass and you have the makings of a great album.
Does it need any introduction? An all time classic, rap-metal at its finest. Even includes a UK Christmas number 1!
although the riffs are similar, they have enough character and are individually iconic to not feel rote. lyrics are less flowery than my favorite songwriters, but that’s the point- the lyrics are blunt, hard hitting, and shouting uncomfortable truths from the cafeteria table. iconic record
hellyeah_fuckthesystem.mp3
Cool riffs, funky grooves and bass lines, but the songwriting gets so repetitive after 15 minutes. The vocals can get irritating. Personally, I would prefer this in a live setting.
While one has to acknowledge the, for the time, innovative sound and message behind the lyrics, ultimately it's just too barebones and non melodic for me
Absolute banger, fuck the system
Too dissonant for me
After the frou frou rock of Black Sabath and ZZTop it feels awesome to hit some rock with some WEIGHT. Let's GO! It's fascinating to listen to this after Blood Sex Sugar Magic, because the rap against the rock background is similar, Rage just raps infinitely better. Yeah, that's the stuff.
Great in short doses, but a bit intense when listened to in one sitting
funny tom morello guitar
Banger
The system grrrrrrrrr. Some really great songs on this, not all of them being big singles, but unfortunately I get tired of their sound very quickly. Two or three songs at a time is more than enough for me.
They told me to give this album a 4 and I did what they told me.
Good, but it's running out of steam pretty fast.
I'm going to put 5 stars so I can make up for my weird friend's note of 3 stars.
Now you do what they told ya
This album stands tall with its influence. Love their hard spirit.
I wanted to like this album a lot more than I ultimately did. The lyrics are hard hitting, the musicianship is top notch, and there's really nothing quite like it. And yet... I just could NOT fully get into this album. Despite the unique sonic palette, there isn't much variance from song to song. The majority of these songs sound EXACTLY the same as the last one, which becomes a detriment due to many songs on this record overstaying their welcome. There were multiple times when I would mentally be ready for a song to wrap up, only for it to go on for another 2 or 3 minutes, usually by way of some kind of transition- this formula began to fall flat quickly. I fully support this album being on the list, and I could easily see myself jamming to any of these songs on a shuffled playlist, but as an album experience it's quite tedious.
3.5
Popular
Some of the guitar riffs are nice, but too screamy. The lyrics are not very imaginative overall.
Great concept but the music is too RHCP-adjacent to be truly classic. Always good to hear the best Xmas #1, sets the mood for the season
Oh hell yes. Great band, great album.
hell yeah
This is not usually my main go to genre but the album started off on such an impactful note. Love the mix of rock and hip hop! The music hits hard but it’s also so groovy at the same time! This type of music makes me want to fight someone but the songs actually have great messages within them. Love how in your face and overt the album is! It’s one of those that speaks to my ♈️ moon tbh Favorites: Bombtrack(!!!), Killing In The Name, Take The Power Back(!!!), Settle for Nothing, Bullet in the Head(!!!), Know Your Enemy(!!!), Wake Up(!!!), Fistful of Steel, Township Rebellion, Freedom
Decent instrumentals. Very tough for me to relate to the anger and hate. Frustration does not stay fired in me very long. I hope they found peace in the beaucoup dollars they made raging against the machine that allowed them the opportunity to earn it
This is my jam. Rage Against The Machine encapsulates anger perfectly and makes it accessible to the general audience in ways other bands have yet to accomplish. They've got a really unique sound and are nu-metal before it even was a thing and many bands that followed in the genre pale in comparison. RATM haven't made any new material lately but their albums and songs are modern classics. It's hard to find a bad song in their discography and this album is no exception. Whenever Killing in the name comes on it's hard not to start headbanging or at least nodding along to the music. This is an album everyone should give a listen to.
81/100: I was beginning to grow sick of exclusively listening to Black Sabbath while working out, so I was excited to listen to this during my workout today. I then found my thoughts about this album to be incredibly dependent on the circumstances of my environment while listening to it. That is to say, I absolutely loved this album. I thought it was incredible, and kept thinking to myself, "Damn, I need to listen to more hard rock." In hindsight, though, I wonder how much that perspective was influenced by the fact that I had a bunch of pre-workout coursing through my veins and was moving heavy objects. I should probably listen to this one again in a more sober state, but I don't know if I really want to. Right now, this album resides in a niche but otherwise nearly vacant corner of my brain: music that can unfailingly pump me up. I'm worried listening to it in any other setting besides one clouded by pre-workout and dumbbells will unconsciously tie the album to other corners of my brain, thus tainting its niche role. I suppose in terms of reviewing this album, though, I'm at somewhat of an impasse. I don't feel comfortable classifying this album as one of my top albums of the project so far, because I know it doesn't deserve to be; however, based on how I felt listening to it while working out, maybe it should be? I frequently say "I don't grade on a curve," but that's usually with respect to other people's opinions of albums or, more typically, genres. I feel like I'm battling my own split opinion here; therefore, I feel a bit more comfortable "curving" my grade of this album down a bit to reflect some of the retrospective, more sober thoughts I have about this album.
I am aware that this is a beloved and important work. I was not into it even a tiny bit. Guitars drown out the lyrics. Very repetitive, very riffy, very angry. Basically a guy shouting (NOT singing) a phrase over and over again while a band plays an unrelated riff. Without the shouting, this would basically sound like an angry jam band. I've seen some reviews along the lines that this album "merge[s] the seemingly disparate sounds of rap and heavy metal". It does not. It’s not “rap” just because he’s not singing. It's just shouting, barely rhythmically, and most of the time not remotely melodic. And listen: that's obviously on purpose, but it doesn't transform into something different. I don’t even like the atonal guitar solos. I’m sure they’ve very difficult, but I do not find them pleasant to listen to. I respect Rage Against the Machine, but for my money, they can go on raging without my participation.
I have way more to say about this than I thought I would. I had pretty low expectations and was even hesitant to listen to it, because listening to rap metal is kind of an awkward experience. Ultimately, I was very frustrated by this, because I really liked the riffs and would have liked it so much more if there weren’t 3 major weaknesses. Because I am definitely a sound-over-lyrics listener, the biggest problem was the rapping, which just sounds very awkward over this music and too shouty. The second problem was how repetitive the songs were. There are a couple of songs where most of it is just the same lyric over and over again. Within the album, a lot of the songs sound very similar, although this might be because I’m really unfamiliar with the genre. Also, like a lot of reviewers mentioned, the lyrics are a little silly at times, like “Compromise, conformity, assimilation, submission/Ignorance, hypocrisy, brutality, the elite/All of which are American dreams (repeated 8 times)”. So I had mixed feelings about this, overall. Favorite song: “Bullet In The Head”.
Before this, I only knew a few of the famous Rage Against The Machine songs. This album was amazing. The only reason I can't bring myself to give it a 5 is because it doesn't change much tone-wise throughout the album; the songs begin to blend together. Even so, this was great, and I think it's perfect for what it is. The music is awesome, and I love the guitar on this album. The lyrics are very potent and they are still rather relevant today. I also enjoyed the vocal performance on this album. My favourite songs were probably Killing In The Name, Fistful of Steel, and Township Rebellion.
I like my rock music delivered: 1. Musically, and 2. With actual singing, as opposed to constant shouting. Which is why I'm no fan of this album.
5/5 Banger Sehr heavy Sehr geil
Finally got around to listening to this properly. Guitar is very standout throughout, I just prefer music with more varied instrumentation. Important topics covered in quite short and snappy shouted phrases. This is a good album if a little overrated 4/5 Favourite tracks: Bombtrack, Killing in the name, bullet in the head, know your enemy
LP
A landmark but also a genuinely great album. Of course, the focal point is Zack de la Rocha's righteous fury and Tom Morello's magnificent and inventive riffing. On the other hand, the solos are just serviceable with some nice noise-inspired passages. The rhythm section is also low in originality, but very, VERY high on angry grooving, just like the compositions and song structures demand. Overall, a must have and indeed one of 1,001 albums (or less) you should hear before you die.
White rap wiith guitar metal backing - pretty good, but not my thing. Better than most black rap.
Fuck you
One is largely sympathetic to the politics. But much less so to the music. Only intermittent bits of playing appeal — such as the last little groovy-near-jazzylicks on “Killing in the Name” and edgy, organ-y keyboard riff on “Know Your Enemy” (wouldn’t the more biblical “Know Thy Enemy” been nicer?) Otherwise, much sameyness, much that’s derived from Public Enemy and metal, say, which one considers much more worth one’s time.
Ningú els va veure venir. Tot i que a l'época la barreja de géneres ja portava uns anys en boga, amb bandes com Faith No More, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Fishbone o altres europees de menys calat com Urban Dance Squad o Clawfinger, el sorgiment del fenòmen RATM ens va agafar a tots per sorpresa. El treball de guitarres de Morello i la manera d'escupir les lletres de Zack De La Rocha destacaven amb molt sobre tots els seus contemporanis. Les lletres polítiques i subversives acabaven d'arrodinir un missatge sec, dur i directe, com un cop de puny a la cara. Un dels grans discos de la década
an all time classic
lol
I like Rage, but I was leaning on a 4 star because every song ends the same. However, it gets a full 5 partly because this is something I do like and partly because it's crazy how the politically charged lyrics are still completely relevant today. Little has changed.
Killer debut album
ALRIGHT. BK made some good points. Many bangers in here.