Reviews (page 13 of 15)
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.
Better but 1 song only
Best part about this album is that rocks. Pretty funky too. Strong 3
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.
Rage gonna rage
Some amazing bass, hard hitting songs and lyrics
Deux albums que j'aime et j'écoute d'affilée ! On finit bien l'année.
Decent first half album, too much screaming and saying fuck. Some songs felt exactly the same and went on for way too long.
Not at all bad
Iconic. A bit repetitive tho.
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)
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.
Good stuff for angst. Good to workout too, but definitely not casual listening. 3.9
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.
Yeah it rocks but it’s also so funny.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
These guys sure are mad.
Not my vibe, but cool to hear guitar licks I know from other places
Bra men litt for heavy 3.5
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.
Listening to it now, I see the rap, rock-verging-on-metal, and punk influences. Fun and still punky in the present day.
Fine
The album starts off with a BANGERRRRR. the guitar kept me hooked the entire time.
Never been much a metal fan - the lyrics bring it down too
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.
Vocals are too agressive for my taste, but the guitars? Amazing!
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.
I am not a rap fan, but I give credit for the social importance of this band...
Didn't actually enjoy this as much as I thought I would
overall too shouty and screamy for me. Appreciate the power though
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
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.
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.
Is a good album with a few songs I knew, not too much variety but you can rock out either way.
Better than I expected.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
I like Rage in small doses. This album was hard to power through.
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!
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.
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 🤟
Neither a hip-hop nor a metal fan, but I enjoyed this to some extent. So a 3 is a good rating from me ;)
I respect it, but I don’t enjoy certain parts of it.
It has its (obvious) moments
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.
Not my piece of cake.
Good ole' angry, gov hate music. I actually thought I would like this better than I did.
it was good, but just not my cup of tea
Anarkistiskt Spoken Word med Nu Metal Backing Track
Love rock and metal, but never understood the appeal of this band. Other people love it, so what does my opinion matter.
Capitalism bad
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
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.
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.
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.
Pretty good but all the songs sound exactly the same.
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
Great in short doses, but a bit intense when listened to in one sitting
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.
Good, but it's running out of steam pretty fast.
This album stands tall with its influence. Love their hard spirit.
3.5
Some of the guitar riffs are nice, but too screamy. The lyrics are not very imaginative overall.
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
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”.
White rap wiith guitar metal backing - pretty good, but not my thing. Better than most black rap.
I enjoyed this album, but it didn’t stand out to me. When Spotify accidentally switched to radio based on it, I didn’t notice and started liking it more
'Wie boos is, is meestal boos op zichzelf...' Ook deze heren lijken me toe aan een paar sessies anger management. Muzikaal wel interessant hoor, en je kunt er waarschijnlijk prima op headbangen. Een klassiek album, goed om een keer te luisteren, maar dit ga ik niet opzetten in de auto.
Stil dont like rock
I expected to like it more honestly. Seems kinda bare and not my style.
Good riffs but gets tiring with angry lyrics
Comme ça dès le matin là ?
6/10. Not bad, not my genre
Good sound, but I wouldn't say I like the lyrics. In punk-adjacent songs, it is essential that the listener can experience feelings of sadness or anger together with the singer. In this album, that doesn't really work, so the singer just comes across as annoying.
Respect this but honestly I found the album to be a bit exhausting. It felt long with nothing to relieve the constant intensity. Even Public Enemy had Flavor Flav to provide some levity... I think I prefer Evil Empire for its more varied and slightly hookier approach. Zach de la Rocha sounds like a human tie fighter, especially at 3:12-3:17 on "Township Rebellion."
Nice angry revolution metal vibes
Whilst listening to this, Rage Against The Machine's debut album, I found myself reading a book investigating the literary efforts by 20th century dictators. So, whilst listening to Zach de la Rocha's furious epizeuxis of "All of which are American dreams!", the dreams being conformity, hypocrisy and brutality amongst others, I coincidentally read of Stalin's muted admiration for the efficiency of American industry. Aside from amusing me, the juxtaposition made me realise that I wasn't taking the message at all seriously, that I wasn't raging against the machine, I was chuckling at the self-righteousness. Don't take that dismissal as intransigence. Rage Against The Machine clearly rage about numerous important subjects, like police brutality and racism. But they don't handle every issue they raise with sufficient sobriety. Take inequality. Within political philosophy, a genuinely brief consideration of equality leads to various nuances. Plenty of conservatives would say they're some breed of egalitarian, in that they're anti-elite and wholly in favour of equality of opportunity, that everyone has the right to stay at the Ritz if they can afford it. I remember studying a paper at university by the philosopher Elizabeth S. Anderson entitled What is the Point of Equality?, where she criticises the notion of equality as a compensation for undeserved bad luck, and instead conceives of equality as a prophylatic against oppressive social relations. Would Rage Against The Machine be aware of even such a reductive elaboration of equality as I just gave? I'm guessing no. They're under no obligation to, but likewise I can still admonish them on those grounds. I suppose what I'm concluding is that Rage Against The Machine tend to left-wing platitude, in a similar way to the strains of right-wing country musician growling that if you don't like Confederate statues you can git out or the centrist popstar warbling that they believe children are the future. The indignation of the delivery doesn't compensate for the reality that this is music for 15-year-olds, and 15-year-olds don't have the vote. Indeed, the vehemence and savagery of the music only underscores the juvenility of the message. Just because it's passionate doesn't mean it's insightful. Actually, the admittedly corking Killing in the Name did become the anthem for a successful protest movement. The protest movement was to reclaim the UK Christmas number 1 away from the tyranny of Simon Cowell's talent shows. Victorious acts from The X Factor had attained the UK Christmas number 1 for four years in a row, with the show having the ambition of a fifth. Understand that this was an utterly repugnant state of affairs for everyone involved: the acts would have a solitary hit of a cover version then get tossed back into the local club circuits with all the dignity of a used condom, the music itself would be so trite and unadventurous that many forgot good Christmas singles could exist, and the ones who remembered the existence of good Christmas singles would just feel older, sadder and so much more tired. So, a Facebook group started campaigning to get Killing in the Name to the 2009 UK Christmas number 1. When cultural pollutant Simon Cowell called the campaign stupid and cynical (yes, he had the gall to criticise something as cynical), Killing in the Name flew to the top of the charts and all the children in the land danced a merry dance, chanting that fuck you, they wouldn't do what you told them. Regardless of your political stance, that's clearly cocklewarming.
like Evil Empire more
Rage Against the Machine or RATM is a rock band from L.A., USA. This was their 1st Studio Release. Genre: Rap Metal, Funk Metal Initial Impression: Hard, Loud, Kick Ass Singles: ---------------------------------- Killing in the Name (UK #1, US ALT #25, #8 NZ, #7 AUS) Bullet in the Head (UK #16, #19 NZ) Bombtrack (UK #37, NL #8, NZ #11) Freedom (#17 NZ) Standouts: Killing in the Name (Fuck You I Won't Do What You Tell Me), Bombtrack Others: Take The Power Back, Bullet in the Head I don't usually listen to Rap Metal, but when I do I listen to Rage Against the Machine. I have to be in the right mood, to enjoy this kind of music. It isn't something I'd put on playlist with other songs that I would listen to during a normal day. But, I would definitely put it on a playlist of songs that really fucking rock! For the Genre is is outstanding. For me, overall, I think it is pretty damn good and overall I'd give it a 3.5
Was good, not the biggest fan of just screaming and yelling, but overall pretty good. Obvi killing in the Name if is a boo
Test
Begon lekker, eindigde kut
I like the lyrics and the angsty-ness but it got a bit grating after about 5 songs. I can see why it's on the list as it's genre defining and was of a time
gg
popular? interesting? radical? sure. there aren't many rock groups singing against racism and other abuses of power. but it's so lightweight. does it rally more than it catalyzes? de la rocha's life adjacent to his music gives weight
Znowu cos debiutanckiego, tym razem cos blizszego czarnemu graniu, bo jedna z najbardziej popularnych politycznie aktywnie niepoprawnych band muzyki popularnej, czyli Rage Against The Machine z swoim debiutanckim krazkiem z 92, dodatkowo wydanego dokladnie w dniu wyborow prezydenckich, czego to sie nie robi zeby pokazac o czym ma byc plyta sama data wydania, promocja sie udala, bo jest to ponadczasowy klasyk gatunku rap metalowego, dosc mlodego gatunku w tamtych czasach, zespol czteroosobowy dosc standardowo, gitarka, bas i drumy, no i wokal pana Zacka de la Rocha, ktory jest tym elementem z ktorym kojarzy sie caly zespol lub przynajmniej ten krazek, chociaz tutaj w pamiec zapada rowniez mocna okladka z calopaleniem w sajgonie, wiec jak najbardziej na temat na albumie utrzymany rowniez w tym aspekcie, bo przewrotowe tresci sa tutaj podane z wyjatkowo silnym przekonaniem, ktore jest chyba rzecza najbardziej przyciagajaca ucho sluchacza, czuc ze osoba krzyczaco rymujaca robi to z przekonaniem, instrumentale sa jedynie dla niej tlem na ktorym wyrzuca z siebie jad w strone prawej strony mocy, co do samych instrumentali, to najbardziej rzuca sie w oczy mocne haratanie w gitarke, nie tylko na najbardziej znanym hicie bandy czyli killing in the name of, ale na calej plycie jest ona wyjatkowo slyszalna, stoi za nia Tom Morello, bas operowany przez Timmiego C., drumy natomiast gra pan o polsko brzmiacym nazwisku Brad Wilk, liryka jest creditowana do calej bandy, tak samo jak i produkcja, w czym moze cos byc, bo przeciez jest to rewydanie demka wczesniejszego, na 52 minutach zmiescilo sie 10 utworow, wiec raczej dluzsze granie z licznymi momentami zmian tempa, czy zmian energii, bo w jednym momencie normalny wokal rymowany, dalej chantowanie przechodzace w wyjcowanie, wiec prawdziwa synteza rapu i metalu, material stary, ale jary, wiec dobrze przypomniec sobie takie klasyki, na plejke rokowa dodam settle for nothing now, jeden z raczej sleeperowych utworow krazka wedlug spotifaja, ale ciekawa w swojej prostocie linia melodyczna grana przez gitarke mnie tutaj wciagnela, rapowa plejka juz miala kiedys dodane killing in the name, wiec nic wiecej nie dodaje, z ideologicznymi teksami jest zazwyczaj tak, ze albo sie jest za nimi lub przeciwko, ale jakos nie potrafie sie az tak wciagnac do zadnego z obu szancow tej wojny
Boring
Protest
Wird nach den ersten paar Tracks wirklich schwach, war eigentlich guten Willens.
Surprisingly liked a few songs. It still stands the test of time. Still a little too metal for my taste at times but there are songs I'll revisit.
Nice
It's all in the name isn't it
another boy task, but better than motörhead
I'm surprised that I didn't hate this. It's probably one of the best examples of nu-metal but it's still nu-metal and thus sounds quite dated. What not dated is the social commentary however
This is me and my mates drinking beers underage and acting silly.
What a debut album from Rage! They are sometimes credited with developing the metal-rap genre. If that's not true, they certainly were paramount in perfecting it. The fact that they already have the formula down so well on their debut album is incredibly telling. The group shows a lot of energy on this album in both the metal and rap areas, and they clearly have a handle on what it takes to make these genres successful independently and together. They also find a common ground for metal and rap in the topic of politics; the lyrics and imagery on this album are incredibly motivated by political themes. An enjoyable listen from such a unique band!
This takes me back too.
Nu metal
This album makes me want to RAAAGE... against the machine. I envision some gnarly workouts to this album in my near future.
This is an album I have to be in the right mood to appreciate. It is obviously a classic but not something I want to listen to every day. 3.5/5
Don't mind the rock.
I really enjoyed listening to this album-very familiar yet just before my time.
I really appreciated the themes, the sound isn’t quite for me though.
6/10
But 5 for the album title song!
Nostalgia bias heavy with this album for me, but definitely feel like it front loads it's gems and falls short a little after that.
I think rap metal just isn't my thing, but it's refreshing to see that songs that just repeat the same lyrics over and over aren't a new fad.
Not exactly my favorite. There is a reason this is so well known, but it doesn’t really blow me away.
I think I like the idea of RATM more than I enjoy how that idea is executed. Another one that isn't ancient but sounds more dated than albums twice as old. Still fun, though, and righteous.
Really enjoyed this although I would have liked a second listen. High 3*
Some great tracks, but find it hard to really enjoy it as an album at times.
Another in the long list of well-known bands I managed to miss entirely when they were popular. I heard their name a lot in the 90s, but somehow just never heard their music. Anyway, I've listened to them a little bit in the past year or so because I stumbled upon a recent video of Tom Morello playing guitar and it was really interesting. Listening to this album fully for the first time (I've heard two or three of the tracks before, but not the whole album), I can hear why it appeals to so many, especially when I drop it in the early 90s and play it back in my mind that way. Musically, I think these guys play incredibly well. I know as an amateur musician that why I'm hearing is not easy to do. Much as I appreciate this band in a few ways -- e.g., music (as mentioned), hard-hitting political messages (most of which resonate with my views), no sampling or heavy production, etc. -- I still haven't turned into a major fan. I don't dislike the album or the band, not at all, and there are moments and tracks on this album I like. It's fun and compelling in some spots. I think I might find it a bit "much" at times, mostly due to the music getting pretty frenetic and the lead vocalist screaming (I know that's intentional for effect, but it's usually not something I like to hear) so I don't think I'd listen to them for a great length of time, but there's some real good stuff going on here.
A little repetitive, and probably too angry for normal listening, but still kinda fun. Now let's go destroy something.
Noisy. Good.
October 1, 2021 Angry, but not bad.
do what they told ya
A mensagem e a revolta marcam este álbum, todo ele é movimentado por este sentimento. Mas o gênero não vai muito com o meu gosto. As músicas parecem muitas vezes muito semelhante, sendo que os vocais mais se assemelham entre si. O killing in the name of é uma obra prima. Nota: 5/10
Not my favourite kind of music though a geniality
3.5
Yes Debt to Public Enemy very evident. Bit more metal with funky moments particularly the bass, really tight drumming
Good but lyrics can be overly repetitive at times.
3,2 Zeker albumke dat ik ooit nog is opnieuw zou opzetten. Artist had zelf een bepaalde swag dat me wel verraste. Album cover goes hard thooo! (verhaal erachter is wel sad maar wel respect voor die Buddhist!)
Glad we listened to it, wouldn’t listen to it again. What was here was great, just very repetitive and about twenty minutes too long.
Rage Against the Machine's debut album was controversial, because of the album artwork and the politically themed lyrics in all of its songs. Aside from these things, the metal/rock music was produced well and the album instantly made this band famous.
not my type of music
It's like listening to the same song ten times in a row. The first one or two tracks were good, but very boring toward the end.
Good baselines but too much screaming rather than singing.
finally did it! lyrics are the essential part, i got bored of the guitar stuff which i found a bit samey (all in same key as far as i could hear) but the words were great and important
The energy level is impressive. Their sound is like the heavier songs the Red Hot Chili Peppers' did but with more piss and vinegar. I did find it a little tough to handle the full speed right at you onslaught for the first 15 minutes. My kingdom for a ballad. Settle for Nothing was a change of pace but it wasn't a strong song. Bullet in the Head folded Hip Hop into metal very effectively. That was a good tune but then they returned to the full out pace they started with.
Muy cañero!!! Disco para el dia que te quieres cargar al sistema por completo. Lo mejor sin duda es el nombre del grupo !!!
It was ok, just wasn't for me I think I need to listen to it in another headspace. Very in your face, tear down the establishment type beat. I listen to it a couple of days ago so don't remember notable favorite tracks but I liked the start of it
I feel kinda wrong, because I know how many people loves RATM and I also enjoyed this album, but it doesn’t feels like more then 3 for me :/
If the Red hot chili peppers and the Beastie Boys got amped up with some coke at a backyard bbq... I listen to most of my music while at my desk working and this was a bit too angry for me to focus on spreadsheets
Very good messages. Applicable at any time. Kinda like a 1984 meets Eckhart Tolle. I can appreciate it for it’s lyricism but most of the music and melodies sounded the same. Only a few songs stood out as replayable for a casual listen. Mostly enjoyable just for the experience. A bit anxiety inducing just in my current frame of mind. It felt like platitudes were being angrily yelled at me and I was being punished. 3.5/5
Some bangers and definitely appropriate for the end of 2020 beginning of 2021
13/01/21 I guess you have to be in the right mood for RATM, and today I wasn’t quite in the right mood (driving soundtrack?)
This seems pretty juvenile now but then these dudes were in their early 20s. It also is still very rousing and bad-ass
Creative
My first real listen to Rage. Guitar magic.
I know this is a legendary protest album, but I don't love the sound - a bit yell-y
if angry people were put into a sound this was it but if you know killing in the name its all the same
3.5 for now but once I really have a chance to examine the lyrics that could change
A little samey but some great tracks
Please don’t flay me. The messages are rad, some of the songs are undeniable but rap rock is one of the worst developments in popular music of our time. Major dates miss step that ultimately destroyed this one for me.
I sense some rage, some frustration, some anger, some angst, and some whining. RATM debut is the lead yeller swearing, grunting, growling, shouting, and likely crotch grabbing and pointing for over 45 minutes. I believe this album makes The 1001 Must Hear List because of Killing In The Name. It’s not a great song, but they’re singing about burning crosses (almost as blasphemous as flag burning), rebellion, + FU I won’t do what you tell me. Not sure when this album would be a “good” listen for me. (1.6*s) I can skip these guys. (Maybe better live with booze and drugs…)
I bought this album the day it was released based solely on my love for Zack's previous bands. This was a... huge disappointment then, and I still mostly feel the same. Rap-rock was a pretty embarrassing misstep for music in the '90s. This might be the best of it, but that's not saying much. The lyrical content and delivery are actually great, but I feel like that was completely lost on mainstream arena concert audience that this was so heavily marketed to. Most offensive to me, and something I'll never get over is Tom Morello's "pitch-wheel-on-a-keyboard" guitar solos. Is it a lack of talent or is he just fucking with everyone?
Too hard core for me
not my style
Lots of anger
Not for me but I’m sure there’s some middle school kid who needs to hear this dn
Really not my thing.
The kind of music Little Timmy listens to when his mum doesn't let him have ice cream for breakfast
Not my cup of tea. Bullet in the head was a fav
just not as good as evil empire
I appreciate this album I can definitely see why it would be considered a classic I just thought it was repetitive Not a huge rap rock fan I liked Bullet in the Head though Bombtrack intro was cool
Fine for what it was and the time of its release. Doesn't hold up.
Sorry not my genre….love the album cover though. What an incredible moment in history
Alright… has a handful of good ones.
Not impressed liked most of the guitar entrance and feels like there's more story to the album and more meaning for its time but I don't vibe with it that much generous 3.1/10
Favorite track(s): Killing in the Name Wasn't impressed by this. de la Rocha's whiny vocals go a bit over the top and adds to the reputation that RATM fell out of touch with "the kids". Morello does pretty good, though. Also his uncle invented Kenya or some shit?
Suboptimal
Not my thing.
Album #93: Rage Against the Machine Genre (W): Rap metal, funk metal, alternative metal, rap rock Singles: Killing in the Name, Bullet in the Head, Bombtrack, Freedom I have not listened to this album before. Thoughts?: I love the instrumentals and how heavy they are, and Zach’s passionate vocals. However, I can’t get into the rest of the album, only a few songs. I have nothing but respect for RATM, but I had to force myself to listen to the album. Maybe I’m too sensitive to it, but it’s how I feel. Favorite songs: Killing in the Name*, Settle for Nothing, Wake Up*
Ist zwar Crossover, aber die Nachfolger
too rock for me but interesting
Is he okay? It's not all bad, but a little too agnsty for me. Didn't listen to all of it.
I mean, I know that the way that they mixed rap with metal is *super* influential on all sorts of bands that followed. Unfortunately, nearly all those bands kinda suck. I'm obviously familiar with "Killing in the Name", and it always brings the house down when the guy at my karaoke night does it, but honestly it kinda felt tame here compared to the guy jumping around so much it shakes the stage?
one time a friend of mine played and sang this song in a club, i can only think about the image of him shirtless singing FUCK YOU I WONT DO WHAT YOU TELL ME
Tom Morello brings the musicality up to a good level but I'm not a fan of Zack's vocals. Wake Up is great, but the songs seem to fall into the trap of all sounding the same.
Sweet instrumentation, easy to headbob to, real political messaging, but man i CANNOT STAND these hardcore style vocals, for me its actual nails on a chalkboard and will tank the rating a fair bit just cause its a central part of RATM’s identity. I guess the first two tracks are the standouts but i’m still not totally into them.
I don't like heavy metal.
In terms of political commentary, this would rank very highly. In terms of my desire to actually just listen to the music, well let's just say that I think other groups have achieved the same level of commentary with music I enjoy far more.
Nein.
Hip hop with a message
Too manic
Doing too much
Keep this guy away from Florence!
Just shouty. To me, lacks melody and any real difference between the tracks. I get the idea of a protest album but I’m not a fan of 50 minutes of complaining.
Rage Against the Machine has never topped my list of favorite bands. I owned The Battle of Los Angeles and liked it well enough, but never listened to their other stuff more than once or twice apiece. I'm tempted to give this one a 2, but I can't really decide. It's not actually bad, but it's really repetitive and it all blends together. I hate to say it, but it's basically The Beastie Boys if they only screamed and never had fun. I can't believe I'm doing this, but I think I'm giving it a 2(.5)?
I feel like I am a fairly happy and positive person so its hard to take angry music seriously. 2.5/5
It’s not my style
Limp Bizkit with a social conscience..?
Rock muy pesado para mi. Grandes solos de guitarra tho Next one
I remember this being a lot more fun when I was a teenager...
Not for me. Sound was basic and the vocalist was just screaming the same line on repeat in entire songs. Didn't finish the album. I get the anti establishment and anti war view and why they made the songs that way, but I couldn't make it sound nice to me.
cool beats! i don’t love this kind of heavy heavy rock though, it hurts my ears.
es que mi problema es la voz del loco y se me hace repetitivo :(
Mas o menos, muy heavy o pesado para mi gusto, aunque tampoco está mal
Love the message, hate the music
Pure Rock is not for me. Got until about half way through "Killing in the name" and just gave up because I wasn't enjoy the album. Glad that other ppl rave about this project though. Maybe in another life...
Not my vibe
3-26-26 Listening before school and thinking about how this would be an album my brother would listen to in high school. This has been a long week and I feel like this album kind of reflects how I'm feeling inside. Tomorrow is Friday!
Couldn't care.
Like one song but it reminds me of being a teenager. Bit too hard core
I get it but not a fan
Strong 2 stars. Had a couple of songs which I quite enjoyed but overall this wasn't really my style.
Not my tipe
Tom Morello: plays downtuned pentatonic riff Zach de la Roca: yells "politicians are lying" over and over That's it, that's the album. I'm sympathetic to their politics, but this album doesn't really give you much to think about. At least it's better than most of the music that it influenced.
Мой вкус. Но не все песни зашли.понравилась всего одна песня killing in the name. Остальные показались однотипные.
- very VERY fiery - heavy guitar, grunge fuzz tone - catchy riffs (bombtrack) - bass is literally amazing - political af - kind of jazzy solos when they feel like it?? - hard to listen to ngl - reminds me of nine inch nails
They picked a good band title. A couple decent songs some interesting drum n guitar work. Lead singer has some potential to be a real rock singer.
Rage Against the Machine, 1992. Despite acknowledging its importance, I can’t get past the fact that it’s trying to shove a revolution down my throat. It leaves me thinking: “If this is what the revolution looks like, I don't think I want any part of it.” I was already familiar with Morello’s style (pushing those humbuckers to 110%) but the biggest surprise was Tim Commerford… I’m properly impressed by his groove. Still, for an album that fuses so many genres, why does the end result feel so one-dimensional? Highlights: “Township Rebellion”- Fabulous bassline. “Freedom”- Best track in the album, finally some texture and space exploration.
It just becomes too much noise after a while. Don't need that much rage in my life.
classic album but it didn't get me as much as it should, i dont dislike it, it's just not my type of music
Instrumentally very strong. I love Tom Morello’s guitar work. Drums were great. Base on track 3 was exceptional. I find I’m in a stage of my life where lyrically this album doesn’t resonate at all anymore although I certainly see the appeal to its target demographic.
A bit loud but good
They seem a little angry! I want to give them a hug.
I knew Killing in the Name. Many of the songs sound the same. It wasn’t terrible, but I didn’t like it.
i am not a big fan of hard rock
Reddit’s favorite album
i listened to a little bit of it and it wasn’t quite my style
RAtM is loud, angry, repetitive, and not particularly talented.
RAtM has confused and juvenile politics. I've always kind of hated that about them, but I let it go because I liked the music. The older I get the less I am able to let it slide. The cover with monk Thích Quảng Đức feels wrong and cheap on the band's part to use.
4/10
don’t like it too much, a little boring
you know what hell yea
Fav: know your enemy 1.5/5 ( rounded )
Asså ändå en vibe men inte riktigt min typ av rock
ok starting strong the second song is getting on my nerves like why u repeating the same thing the whole time currently on the last track and i got so sick of it too many screams and repetitive riffs
I like the message, this genre just isn't my cup of tea
It’s so heavy
Not my style😭not super bad though
The sound is punk / anarchy but the lyrics don’t walk the talk for me.
vabbè non nelle mie corde quindi non sono andata oltre l’ascolto del primo pezzo sorry
Non fa per me
no me gustó ;(
3.1/5 Very much garage rock.
prob not the best thing to listen to when i was battling to make my coach against train delays and tourists in london. didn’t make my coach and the music just pmo and hurt my head. might have some good songs but i wouldnt know atp
Not really my style, too hard rock for me
Gives the vibe of an angry teenager mad at the world, fuck the system, etc. Not my speed but see why it’s hits for some people.
This band is not reaaally my thing, being a rap-metal(?) fusion, but they kinda remind me of System of a Down, mainly because of the lyrics, so I actually don't hate them that much. Even though their sound is in reality more like the Beastie Boys. But they don't use any slurs! So this is one of those rare cases where I like the band, it's just not a genre I like (i.e. very loud). I only listen to Slow Melodic Complaints Against the Machine, thanks. Highlights: 'Killing in the Name' (gets stuck in my head a lot), the part MJK sings on 'Know Your Enemy' (Machine Jun Kelly? is that anything? haha no, but seriously, I really hope Tool or APC are on this list) Lowlights: 'Settle for Nothing' (extra screamy), 'Fistful of Steel' (extra noisy) More logic problems: "If ignorance is bliss / Then knock the smile off my face!"
Au biz Gamer Nostalgie wieni de Papi bi Need for Speed hot Pursuit II uf de Playstation 2 schlimm usenandgnoh han und Killing in the Name im Hintergrund gloffe isch. Aber abgseh vo dem nüd meh für mich. 2 Mal Rage Against Rage Against The Maschine
Heilandsack, woni s erst mal driglosst han heds mi fast vum stüehli grüehrt. Au ez na kei nerve gha. 2 rage quits vu mir = 2 sternli
It’s ok
Apart from one well-known song, I am very disappointed with this album.
Yeah i can't get with this album. I don't know i understand the reasoning why this album was even made i do agree with the message i just can;t stand the repeating of words, sounds of repeating, some song are okay but thats it.
Meh
The record that made teenage white boys everywhere angry although I’m not sure they knew what they were angry about. I must admit I was one of them although I cannot listen to this album at all anymore.
Like the rock part, not the hiphop part so Much
While I like the sentiment and what seems to be the attitude there’s only so much “hurr”, “Yeah”, “c’mon” over sludgy funk metal that I can cope with.
cringe against the machine
rage, rage against the machine. Tracks to Track: Know Your Enemy
Well…not my kinda music, but they definitely landed a hit with killing in the name back in the days…
Liked some of the music, interesting and some familiar riffs. Found the overall sound too much by the end of the album.
A little too discordant and shouty for my taste.
Shite
Me recuerda a Matrix (que no es desacertado porque estoy segura de que están en alguna de las BSO). He tenido que parar en la tercera canción, demasiado estimulo auditivo, demasiado rage, demasiado ruido. Es música que me suena para entrar en un estado de disociación, casi exorcitario. Le podnré un 2.5 o 3 porque sin que sea mala música, no es para mí.
Not really my type of music
The instrumentation is fine, but I'm really not into the vocals. It's just not my style at all.
Unconvinced that this really has a place ; might be one of 1001 albums but if so you definitely don't need to listen to 1001 albums before you die. Not very pointed and not very effective. Sounds more like part of the machinery tbh.
I understand that people like this - it’s the same sound over and over, and if that sound doesn’t connect with you, it’s just not something you’ll ever put on. A couple palatable tracks even though this isn’t really for me, but that may just be because I’ve heard it so many times before.
Holy god this gets tiring early on
I'm more of a conform to the machine kind of guy, not that I believe in a machine anyway. Mostly I just feel these people would be insufferable to be around. Sound is a bit like B grade early RHCP, which would have been preferable. Still, some nice bass, drum & guitar riffing.
Мені не подобається подібна музика 2 з 5
A little too hardcore for my taste
I respect this album more than I actually like it. The message and intent behind it are great, but the music itself is not for me. Favorite Songs: Fistfull of Steel, Freedom
I recognize it’s a good album but did not personally enjoy
Raging against everything on sight is only fine for teenagers.
This album is not very good
Lil too dark n ragey for my casual listening. Fuck the system tho
#670. This is the second time I've had to unblock a song on Spotify to listen to an album for this list. The other time was Muse. Not that there aren't artists I hate more than this [there definitely are], it's just that Spotify doesn't recommend those ones to me. Now don't get me wrong, I *love* the political violence message that all of Rage Against the Machine's albums preach, I just think all of their music is annoying as shit. 2/5: dumb
Ah, is this the original rap rock? I liked the funky bass parts and some of it was very boppable. But it did get repetitive and I won't come back to it.
Look, very exciting when it came out but it’s lost a lot of its punch over the years
I'd probably like it more if i was following the lyrics
Cool politics, embarrassing music
Mid Very of its time DNF
The one I knew was alright. The rest caused me rage.
Not for me 🤷🏼♀️
The Machine is actually good so instead of raging against it, they should find something more productive to do.
Few really good songs. Starts running together a little
Can’t deny Zack’s impassioned lyrics, but the queasy rap-rocky-ness is too much to ignore. Killing in the Name remains cool, and one of the most covered songs in crappy high school band history.
All the songs were very similar, found it a bit repetitive after a while. Not my usual taste
I listened to this album a lot when it came out. Listening now I am fine just having a track or two from them show up on a playlist. Not an album worth of enjoyment for me on this record.
We're going purely by personal ratings here right? The whole rap rock thing just never clicked for me. Plus lots of cusses (jk).
Day541 - i’m a big fan of tom morello for his musicianship and his political views but rage is a band that i couldn’t/can’t get into
Politics and music not my shit. Cool cover though
Loud and angry. There are some interesting tracks but it all blended together for me.
Band name aptly matches musical style
Good listen, inspirational but in today's world it kind of loses its impact.
Rap AND hard rock? I’m so sorry
So the crux of RATM's whole... thing is that they are very political. The words "revolutionary" and "radical" are often thrown around when discussing their music. But if one peels back the posturing and leftist braggadocio and stops to listen to or read their lyrics, it's pretty clear that there isn't any coherent ideology deep enough to stand in and get your ankles wet. Their world view can basically be summed up as "fuck you I won't do what you tell me" and "fight the war, fuck the norm", which are actual lyrics taken from this album. The track "Wake Up" is lyrically somewhat more interesting than the rest of the album, and "some of those that work forces are the same that burn crosses" is admittedly a very hard line from the most famous song from this album, "Killing In the Name". But overall, it's easy to understand why the biggest appeal of RATM seems to be to angsty and angry teenagers who are grasping to form their own beliefs. That's basically what this album sounds like. Like Limp Bizkit and the Red Hot Chili Peppers had a kid and that kid is always wearing that one Che Guevara t-shirt.
catártico, claramente. (porém não é pra mim.)
Ok
I wish I discovered this at more angsty teen age when I could have appreciated it. Now it just feels far too angry.
Far too angry. Once upon a time perhaps we could have danced but that ship has sailed