Reviews (page 7 of 15)
Just relistened this album yesterday, it’s absolutely fantastic. Great lyrics, great instrumentals and I love. The rapping over rock music
This album is not very good
This album feels timeless, one of the greatest debuts of the decade with wall to wall bangers and an innovative and powerful sound that sadly was imitated and appropriated to the garbage genre of nu metal. Yet the OG still slaps so very much
Amazing. I knew many of the songs, but several more bangers stood out when I listened to the whole album. Epic.
Sounds unique even now.
Lil too dark n ragey for my casual listening. Fuck the system tho
Incredible album - one of my favorites. After listening to this I can do anything.
Track 1: Bombtrack - references to political struggle of Peruvian revolutionaries against US backed government in music video. 'I warm my hands upon the flames of the flag'. Track2: Killing in the name - protests police brutality and systemic oppression. Written six months following the Rodney King beating in 1991 which resulted in LA riots. Lyrics reference the system being complicit in the upholding of white supremacy in the US ('some of those that work forces are the same that burn crosses'). Track 3: Take the power back - serves as a message to reclaim power from the government and return it to the people. Power comes from self-education, not what is being taught in education system 'in the right light, study becomes insight, but the system that dissed us, teaches us to read and write'. Track 4: Settle for nothing - written in the point of view of a frustrated youth in poverty 'a jail cell is freedom from the pain in my home'. Track 5: Bullet in the head - refers to band's belief the government uses media to control the population, drawing comparisons between typical residences and Alcatraz. Lyrics draw comparisons that symbols in support of the US military to that of the nazis 'a yellow ribbon instead of a swastika'. comments that news cycles and images people are being shown are used as weapons to control peoples perceptions and maintain control of them. Track 6: Know your enemy - contains anti-war and anti-authoritarian lyrics, contrasting notions of the American dream against the reality. Uses literary references (A room with a view, which discusses repression of women in England). Speaks of police brutality. 'The finger to the land of the chains. What? The 'land of the free'? Whoever told you that is your enemy'. 'I've got no patience now, so sick of complacence'. Lyrics reference that the oppression of thought begins in the classroom, the government aims to indoctrinate people into the 'American dream' by educating them against their own will to believe differently. Track 7: Wake up - critique of racism within the US government, FBI memo is sampled in the song (J. Edgar Hoover suggests a need to suppress black national movement) and references Hoover in the lyrics. Closing lines reference Martin Luther King Jr. speech. Reference to 1966 and the founding of the Black Panthers. 'fist in the air in the land of hypocrisy'. Lyrics liken words being as powerful as fighting and liken to an Ali fight. Track 8: Fistful of steel - about how being silent and complicit is bad ('silence can be violent'), references to Orwell's animal farm, sheeps and conformity. Track 9: Township rebellion - speaks to global white supremacy, references apartheid in South Africa ('Townships' were the designated areas non-white people were forced to live in) and compares it to police brutality against minority populations in South Central. Track 10: Freedom - references native American activist Leonard Peltier who was condemned to two life sentences for the deaths of two FBI agents (questions have been raised since his trial about prosecution's misconduct and fabricated evidence and falsified testimonies). Lyrics reference the genocide of native American people and consequent tactics to assimilate native people into the culture of European settlers. Album was released same day as the 1992 presidential election. Favourite Track: Wake up, Know your enemy Album cover: 1963 photo of a monk burning himself to death protesting the persecution of Buddhists by the South Vietnamese government
One of a kind sound and lyrics. Always good for head bobbing. Niceness out of the way, it's a shame that Morello is a known communist and they, in fact, endorse to "do what they tell ya." The last bastion of anti-authority (main stream) has fallen (hard). 4.25*
Yep, that's how I feel all the time.
Ist mir zu anstrengend und aggressiv zum anhören, auch wenn die Texte sicherlich zeitlos sind.
I remember the first time I listened to this album, many years ago, in my dad's car. First song in and I thought, "woah, this is great", second song canme in: "amazing". Third song "another great song"... We reached the end of the album and I really enjoyed every song of it. It was probably the first time that that had happened to me. After that I "borrowed" the CD from my dad and listened to it many times in my room. Actually, I never returned the album to my dad haha The energy, the RAGE, Morello's riffs, Zack De La Rocha name and singing, the whole "no samples, keyboards or synthesizers used in the making of this record", made this album the coolest album ever to me at the time. And I guess that many years later, I still feel the same way.
I don't LOVE RATM. I like this record and I like what they do. I LOVE Morello's playing, but not the fusion of "things" - the poltics, the rap, the mentality. I like the music. I don't HATE the poltics. I just don't love it.
Good. More progressive times, angry but clear on political stance, if it’s time but also still resonates.
#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
This is an explosive debut album with a (then) novel mix of hard rock/punk and rap. I saw them live at Lollapalooza and was immediately a fan
Great, 4.5
Chaotic - Workout (no más de 5 minutos). Definitivamente, no me ha gustado este tipo de metal con frases repetitivas una y otra vez.
Loved the instrumentals, but the lyrics aren't connecting with me. This came from an era of rebellion through music. Even back then, I didn't notice the lyrics and focused on the instrumentals. If there was an album with just the instrumentals, I'd love that, but unfortunately this album isn't that.
What a potent concoction. Strident and loud throughout. Impressive in its own way.
Deserves 5 for killing in the name and their whole career, even of this isn't their best album.
Definitely an album that is of its time. The style isn't really my thing but the playing and production are top notch. Great guitar/bass interplay and a locked in drum beat are hard to resist. The themes they're singing about are still way too relevant today. The level of cognitive dissonance of right wingers listening to this and interpreting it as a paean to corporate bootlicking is off the charts. This band had something righteous to say and those tools took that message 180° in the opposite direction.
Always a good listen. Pivotal and energetic to STAND UP as the little guy to speak truth to power!
Not exactly my kind of music but every song is perfect. These guys rock and got a good beat as they give the middle finger to the establishment.
Revolution had many voices, but none as powerful as this one. RATM's music hits with the force of a thunder bolt on every level, rom the distorted riffs to the angry, tortured vocals. The production is on point, bringing out the hum of the amps and the rattle of the bass strings giving the listener the feeling of sitting in with the band in their rehearsal space. The constant repetition of the lyrics was risky, but Zach de la Rocha's driving vocal style keeps it emotionally real.
One of the greatest protest albums of all time. Funky as hell too. Makes me remember hanging out with Steve and Justin.
FYIWDWYTM
Listened to this album for the first time a couple months ago in light of US current events. Listening this time around I can't believe I didn't know the context of the album cover and it makes perfect sense. Love de la Rocha's growling scream. absolutely love.
Banger
I liked the instrumentals in this album but I wish it was more singing than rapping.
Classic
I really don’t like metal music so purely because it surprised me and was listenable I’ll give it a 3
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.
Love it. Have always loved it. Gets your pump up like nothing else. Sparked an awareness in me the first time I heard it, of not trusting the government, not trusting what you are taught.
ez 5/5
Amazing album with good lyrics and heavy guitars 8/10
Too much screaming and nasty content
Probably been 25 years since I listened to the whole album start to finish. Unbelievably good. Settle for Nothing is my Gem, but obviously you have Killing In The Name, Bombtrack, Know your enemy, Wake up, Bullet In The Head. Al classics and all hold up today. I had to double check this was actually a 1992 album. Timeless and deserving of being in this collection
One of those albums that set off a trend for guitars — for better or for much worse. Anyway, Tom Morello is a real one.
Don't have to listen to know it's banging. But I won't listen this first thing in the morning. I need some time to wake up first. Later in the evening or when to get hyped up this is the way to go. 5/5
Disingenuous noise
I mean Jesus Christ some of those that work forces are the same that burn crosses, tf else am I supposed to rate it
Classic
Overrated
The riffs, the grooves, the flow. An album that is difficult to sit still to. When I was a young teen I was listening to hip hop quite a bit and then my Dad gave me this album. Changed a lot of things. I had forgotten how many killer riffs are on this album.
I enjoyed this. I liked it when i was young hanging out at the Y
I don't know. All a bit shouty, thrashy and futile for me. Can imagine this has inspired more gobby, spiky haired shits to refuse to clean their bedroom than to engage in making the world a better place. Can't help jumping around to some bits though.
Awesome! Big riffs, great bass!
It's proper rage isn't it & I proper love it. They were a force to be reckoned with back in the 90's and this album continues to deliver pure rage and protest. The whole rap merged with rock really works for me, it's the Red Hot Chilli Peppers on steroids, and the fact that Killing in the Name of managed to become the British Christmas number 1 in a protest against the X-Factor during the following decade always gives me a reassuring "f*ck you" feeling. Favourite track- Township of Rebellion. F*ck the Norm!
I FEEL SO ALIVE RIGHT NOW
Take the power back good good
The guy from Guitar Hero III has a band?
Love the album, some unforgettable tracks. Then there are tracks that kind of blend with others and can't keep them apart, but I'd still return and listen to the entire thing on repeat for the energy alone
Original!!
Classic. One of my favorite albums from my youth and still hits hard after thousands of listens. The politics are still relevant today. Such palpable anger in this album. Guitars and drums just pummel you.
It’s a little too on the nose for me right now
[[music]], [[rock music]], [[rap rock]] #music #rock Rage Against The Machine (1992) album RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE!!!! So there will be bias here because I LOVE Rage Against the Machine and this track is just overall POWERFUL and I love it. The ALBUM COVER is just BEAUTY. Perfect show of the state of rebellion while trying to be peaceful despite being on fire. Great message of rebellion against society while trying to be peaceful even while burning Bombtrack - Listen to this often just to get pumped or if I want to be angry. Knowing it's the first song of the album is GREAT. Very anticapitalism as the whole album pretty much will be Killing In The Name Of - One of my favorite songs of theirs. One of the most popular songs they have. Loved by Guitar Hero. Overall fantastic message of KKK, American society, and being a drone to society. Take the Power Back - Heard this a few times, don't really recall and I think it's cause I don't like how the guitar sounds at the beginning so I usually switch but the bass riff is sick with it. Almost ominous. But then it goes into power on taking power back from the white focused government Settle for Nothing - Slow song, didn't really hook me and message wasn't really listened too. I just don't like slow rock at times? Bullet In The Head - Popular song for sure that I do enjoy a lot. Love it lyrically and the sounds. Such catchy lyrics kind of talking about listening to the system still causing you to die even if you cooperate with police Know Your Enemy - Talking about knowing who the enemy is in the government system. INTENSE song and pumps you up to fight and resist. Wake Up - I've heard this song more often then the other ones that I'm not as familiar with in this track (settle for nothing and take the power back). This song tries to give information on american history, black people being targeted, and to waking up to the hypocrisy of the United States. Fistful of Steel - Song is talking about a gun in hand probably or metaphorically the microphone is a fistful of steel being able to preach truth and justice Township of Rebellion - Love the pump up and energy of this one. A big preach on how to speak out against the wrongs of the world, using their platform to inspire for rebellion, fighting against the government with the townpeople of USA. Freedom - Talking about the use of freedom but doing what they want. Spray painting, speaking out loud, metaphors of games in the world. How freedom is fake and how that we gotta fight for real freedom. Overall, I love this band and album. Easy 5/5 because I already knew more then half of the songs.
Look, very exciting when it came out but it’s lost a lot of its punch over the years
I like the idea of Rage and do find them somewhat respectable in their consistency. But I also have a hard time with them musically. I like a few songs, but when it’s a whole record I kind of remember how it can be grating.
🤘
This is the first physical album I ever bought with that cute little "Parental Advisory" sticker on it, and I could have done a hell of a lot worse. I'm not gonna say that the world needs this album right now, because the implication that world peace could be achieved by sitting everyone down with a Rage album is frankly stupid, but maybe *I* need this right now. In the present day, it is a deeply stupid time to be an American, and hearing just how much Rage Against The Machine seems to "get it" is on some level cathartic, but on another worrying, because if so many of the same issues and ideas confronted here feel prescient and fresh, then just maybe it has *always* been a stupid time to be an American. Now, this is a conclusion I came to a while ago, but this is certainly a cultural artifact which constitutes material evidence supporting that hypothesis. Rage Against The Machine may be the most successful band to ever explicitly combine Metal and Hip-Hop. And I think there is an argument that this may be the greatest album within its niche. Zack De La Rocha's powerful vocals, Tom Morello's distinct and iconic guitar work and Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk's groovy rhythm section makes for a formidable band. This album is an outburst of righteous, intelligent anger that captured the public through its intensity and fantastic songs, not to mention the incredibly powerful album art. This tracklist is just stacked. Bombtrack is very representative of the band's sound and it rockets out of the gate. Killing In The Name is an all-timer, one of the most iconic songs of the '90s, maybe ever. "Fuck You, I Won't Do What You Tell Me" is a mantra for a certain generation of music listeners, it is incredibly powerful. Take The Power Back gets groovy with it, bringing out the bass work. Settle For Nothing is incredibly dynamic, with its incredibly heavy riffs. And Rage Against The Machine just never runs out of steam. Bullet In The Head is the closest we have to a low point, but I honestly think it's a matter of personal preference. But even so, we get into Know Your Enemy, which just moves with so much energy. I'd like to take a moment to mention just how detailed all these compositions are, like there really isn't a lazy song here, there's always a great riff, or bridge, or solo around the corner. I only have so much to say about the last 4 songs here, like they are also sick as hell. Although I would like to make a mention of Township Rebellion, a super underrated song. I mean, if you're interested in metal *or* hip hop *or* you're just angry, throw this on, it's damn near perfect.
A record I did not like when i was 15 and very like now.
All the bad reviews of this record on this site are posted by narc bootlickers
One of my top 20 albums for sure, maybe higher (you know how those things go). I can't count the amount of times I went out skating with this on the discman.
An iconic and important piece of art, but I found myself getting bored towards the back half of the album
I'd probably like it more if i was following the lyrics
its okay
Cool politics, embarrassing music
YIKES
Classic angst
Fucking banger after banger
Mid Very of its time DNF
I had no idea this album was so old?! I always associate Rage Against the Machine with the early 00s. I really needed to hear an album like this in the politically cursed year of 2025. I love all the unashamed activism and calling out of very specific injustices. Great music for workout, protest, crashout, etc. Iconic sound, but the songs get pretty repetitive. Mainly walking away with: "Why stand on a silent platform? Fight the war, fuck the norm." and "Mindset is a threat".
Really good. Not on my high rotation but i enjoyed it. 4/5
A classic album, but always a reminder of how much I dislike Tom Morello’s lead guitar playing.
Another one I loved while on my early teens <3 back when I thought they were anti-establishment :) -- I can't help but love the unadulterated anger of this album! Now is yet another one of those bands where I have to separate the art from the artist. Even though I despise the guy, I can't deny how powerful and wonderfully rhythmic Tom Morello's guitar playing is, specially when combined with Tim and Brad. I'm also glad I got to listen to this album again, cause I didn't know there was a Maynard collab!! never noticed it before.
KILLING IN THE NAME OF!!!!!!! Favourite Songs: Killing In the Name, Take the Power Back, Know Your Enemy, Wake Up. Least Favourite Songs: Fistful of Steel, Township Rebellion.
Powerful but gets awfully monotonous after three songs or so. Glad it was included
WOW i thought these guys were great but I just read the lyrics and realized they’re WOKE how do i change my review to 1 star
Kinda enjoyed it too ?? Tho I wasn’t really in the mood for this type of music but I’ll try listening to it again one day
Riktigt jävla bra. Allt låter likadant men på ett bra sätt.
Some great tracks when in the mood
Fantastic. One of the greatest albums I’ve ever heard.
10/10
This album rocks. It's anger distilled into musical form. But over time the tracks start to blend together. So while it's still a great album, I can't elevate it to a favorite. 4/5
I liked it. It reminded me of some Brazilian rock bands from my adolescence, which were probably inspired by this band. 4
Not my thing
One of the greatest of all time
One of the best debut albums ever. And one of the best hard rock albums ever. No criticism.
I like what they’re going for, but sonically this isn’t my favorite sound
Something something teenage angst. I remember really liking Rage Against the Machine when I was a young boy but I didn’t really enjoy this one too much. 2.8/5
Another one of my favorite albums from my college days. I freaking love RATM.
It’s not an 8AM album, or maybe it is, I don’t know. It’s great but I associate it with people I don’t associate with anymore and so it’s hard to be objective about it.
Absolute banger of an album. Hits hard and fast continuously. While I think that a handful of the songs (Fist of steel, Township rebellion, settle for nothing) are just ok when compared to the whole piece, the album as a whole keeps up its anger a power harder than I thought it could.
The one I knew was alright. The rest caused me rage.
3.5ish? Not my kind of metal but a very good band regardless.
Really one noted, boring AF
I don't like "rap-rock" but this is enjoyable unlike the stuff that was coming out teen years later. Fun listen.
Awesome
Relistening to this album and I'm astounded that people thought they WEREN'T "Woke" They're the first instance of an ACAB mentality that I think I was ever exposed to. And the truths in the lyrics really haven't been overcome yet. More than a little sad America.
A refreshing blast of energy and a good, tight sound.
Good for those moments of angst but not as great as I remember.
Doesn’t age. Fierce, angry, amazing
antidisestablishmentarianism
Very high-energy. Some tracks had a bit too much screaming for me, but I liked the music.
Powerful and still relevant.
One of the goats. The production is seriously so clean and raw and great sounding. The songwriting and band are so immersive and the album is a classic
One of the best debut albums of all time. Often imitated, never duplicated. Truly a game changer that inspired so many (good and bad) bands
5/10
9/10
You can feel the angst from the moment you hit play. Every song feels like an indictment on injustice around the world. Tense from the word go.
Fuck yeah
Album maravilhoso! Letras e músicas matadoras! TRN VX PRO+.
When we talk about bands that created genres, and about albums that serve as soundtracks for the culture, you can’t look past Rage Against the Machine. In fact, when it comes to the sound of the 90s, two specific albums come to my mind: Nirvana’s Nevermind and Rage’s self-titled debut. The decade isn’t the same to me without this music, and neither are its movies: The Matrix immediately sprang to mind as Wake Up began. This albums works so well in balancing anger with clarity about where the rage is directed: against the power structures of law enforcement, education, and authoritarian government. Tom Morello’s guitar hums with energy, and Zach de La Rocha’s vocals are a firehose spray of political poetry. RATM appealed to me when Owen showed me Bulls on Parade when I was 13, and it still appeals to me at 32, even though I’m now very much part of the machine being raged against. Damn - just a completely unified album, with comprehensive thematic vision and stunning execution from beginning to end. This is a live wire of violent electricity, a truly great record.
I had heard Rage Against The Machine before, but I hadn’t heard the term rap metal until this album. This is what punk lyrics should sound like. None of that whiny, lonely boy or purely teen angst that’s been described before. This is politically charged and has a vibe like a good rap album, but all of the musicality of rock. The guitar riffs feel unique and innovative. Dare I say you can feel the “rage against the machine” in this one
A great time all around. Power walking into the office really hit with this as the soundtrack. A few songs weren’t as successful as others but overall really enjoyed it.
Not for me 🤷🏼♀️
The Machine is actually good so instead of raging against it, they should find something more productive to do.
I’ve listened to so many of these songs, but never as a complete package. Wow. It made me laugh that “freedom” rang a little bit like “evenflow,” but that didn’t stop the party.
✊🏼
Besides the powerful inclination to punch a stranger, that went really well. (Was playing Downward Spiral by Nine Inch Nails and paused it halfway through to Rage. Straight back to Downward Spiral now and I am all kinds of fucked up.)
I listened to all 52 minutes. I appreciated the content but found it the repetitive, angry ramblings of disgruntled teenagers.
when I was like 14, I had a sick Rage Against the Machine t-shirt. One day, I wore it to the dentist and he asked me “what machine are they raging against.” I think I responded with something along the lines of “uh you know like the political machine? Like the government and, uh, violence?” Anywho, 5 stars.
Dad- 7 Mom- 4 Mike- 10 Lori- 10 Michael- 10 Miles- 10 Cole- 10 Avg- 8.71
Epic.
A truly standout and legendary album.
Talented, but I thoroughly dispose the hypocrisy.
Some of these tracks are pretty awesome. I need to listen to the full album.
Few really good songs. Starts running together a little
Settle for nothing is suprisingly good.
I love how this band lives up to its name so completely. Musically not five stars for me, but I admire their passion and their message.
Though I’m not the biggest fan of Zac and his lyrics I can’t deny this is a fantastic album. Musically brilliant and a very worthy entry to the 1001
Great rebellion soundtrack. Bass guitar forward
It's Fucking Rage!
Ei kolahda enää kuten nuorena.
Rage Against The Machine: Rage Against The Machine: This is one of those albums. Super influential and well regarded. It is VERY easy to see why. It is flawless. It has some of the most dynamic and crisp production ever. The guitar work is insane, tom morello is a beast and this is full of great examples of it. The percussion is diverse and pounding, and the rapping fits with the music very well. This is just a truly exceptional album. 10/10
quite intense, nothing to listen to every day, but I get it.
Beasty Boys on metal steroids. Reminds me of Linkin Park. Interesting energy infused riffs and flow. At the end of the day, not completely my jam, but definitely up there.
Trop trop bien
Essential listening.
i love the energy, the anger, the social consciousness. impossible to not play loud
This album hits hard. From the opening riff of “Bombtrack,” you know you're in for something wild. Rage brought rap and rock together like no one else — raw, loud, and full of purpose. Zack’s vocals are powerful and real. You feel every word. Tom Morello? Guy’s a guitar wizard. Makes sounds you didn’t even think were possible. The bass and drums groove hard and keep it all locked in tight. The lyrics don’t hold back. They stand for something. It’s angry, smart, and straight-up bold. Rage wasn’t just making music — they were shaking things up. Still gives me chills. I’ll keep spinning this one for years. Total classic.
If you've heard Rage Against The Machine, well... You've heard 'em. To their credit, RATM is explosive as a unit. Zach De La Rocha's dedication to the lyricism is apparent in his intense vocal delivery. Tom Morell, Tim Commorford, Brad Wilk hold things down between heavy riffing and grooves for De La Rocha to scream or rap over. This is easily Rage's most raw album, and you have to appreciate how rough around the edges they are. Although the need for rap/rock isn't as dire now as is may have been in the 90's, RATM built on the blueprint laid by Public Enemy to make arguably one of the more successful attempts at rap-rock. There's a cool Maynard James Keenan feature I had forgotten about!
Definitely the timing was right for this band but really only 1 hit from this album. They want anarchy but do they understand the new system will probably end up then same as it is now over time?
Urghhh ahhh this is just primal Zack de la Rocha. Album of my late teen years. I can’t contest it. Still listen to it now. The sentence structure of Zack is iconic. Who needs standard iambics pentameters when you can create your own intonation. They use a similar riff and style through out the album. I would say there is a heavy emphasis on repetition, but the best way to hammer home your political message is repetition. ( as we aptly learnt from Tony Blair c.1997 - maybe he took inspiration from RATM) Bullet in the head is a favourite on the album. KITN obvs Township Rebellion, just powerful. Love this album. Introduced RATM to the world.
A few bangers, a bit shouty.
“it’s just another bombtrack…” Iconic and hype opening for one of the most important debut albums ever recorded. This served as a huge inspiration and paved the way for many bands. Tom Morello reinvented how the guitar is approached as an instrument. Bullet in the head is genius however I will say the ultimate version of that track is the BBC2 live recording, but the album version still cracks skulls. The bass tone and drums on this are a cohesive face punch 🥊
There is always a place to rage against the machine in my heart
own
Perhaps a little too stale, but the messages make up for it. It's scary how timeless they are... Pure explosive rage is an appropriate reaction, truly.
Interesting album, not really for me. 3.1/10
Listened to this album recently as part of my 2025 resolution to listen to at least one new album per week. Wrote the following note for it on my spreadsheet: "Political messaging at its finest." Previously listened to 7 songs (Bombtrack; Killing in the Name; Take the Power Back; Bullet in the Head; Know Your Enemy; Wake Up; Freedom) Favorite Song: Take the Power Back
Iconic. A beautifully produced masterpiece.
Had to really talk myself into listening to this - only because I know killing in the name of love 😂 Mike claims to LOVE them. What on earth? Not as bad as expected but only made it through 2 songs.
durisimo, se nota el oído
Favorites: Killing In the Name, Bullet In the Head, Know Your Enemy, Wake Up, Fisftul of Steel
I love this record, but it is too irregular in energy. Too quickly they shift from raging metal to funky bass, too often.
Ein Werk mit roher Energie und politischem Anspruch verliert oft an Balance. Die Direktheit der Texte und die aggressiven musikalischen Elemente wirken stellenweise zu dominant und lassen wenig Raum für Zwischentöne oder musikalische Nuancen. Trotz seiner Bedeutung bleibt das Album für mich zu ungestüm und eindimensional.
Its crazy how relevant this album was and had remained since it released. The political commentary of police being corrupt, the government being corrupt over the heavy instrumentation really sells the point of this album. It's one of my favourites of all time. 10/10 Favourite: Settle for Nothing Least Favourite: None
Good for punk mental or whatever genre this is, but was a bit too anxious of an album.
I used to lump Rage Against the Machine in with Red Hot Chili Peppers, without giving either too much thought. A kind of automatic reaction. A twitch. Men in singlets, shouting things. Swagger, mostly. Not much subtlety. Maybe I saw nu-metal coming and thought: best to get my excuses in early. Morello, like Frusciante, is an able technician with a fetish for the single note: stretched, compressed, throttled, filtered through devices. Anything but shredding. Fine. Neither Zack de la Rocha nor Anthony Kiedis could be called rappers, but they certainly aren't singers. They're frontmen with sixth-form lyrical fixations. De la Rocha may pen juvenilia, but it's still preferable to Kiedis pining for actual juveniles. It's tempting (briefly) to admire the confrontational directness of “Fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me.” But it is the same market-tested disobedience as “They say jump, you say how high?”, only reversed. The whole album is full of such balloon-light, impractical sentiment. Rebelliousness rather than rebellion. I wish I could name the rhythm section in Rage Against the Machine. I can’t, not without looking it up. But I can tell you this: I’ve never heard a Chili Peppers song that made me nod along like this. Not once. They are genuinely groovy, something the Chili Peppers never achieve. Rage grooves are simple and dependable, grounding the songs so de la Rocha can jump up and down and Morello can whammy pedal three notes into outer space. The bassist, apparently, believes the moon landing was faked. He once confronted Buzz Aldrin. Actually squared up to him. Which, in a strange way, makes perfect sense. If you’re going to rage against the machine, why stop at NASA? But it doesn't show in his playing. Rather, a moon denier, he - and the drummer - keep their feet on the ground. This allows his frontman and guitarist to lose the run of themselves altogether. They are the foundation. The others are the ornament. They are the machine. The other two are the rage. 3 ‘Bring that shit in, UGH’ A while back fortune favoured us with a brace of Beastie Boys albums including their misunderstood debut. They weren’t really frat arseholes you see; it was satire and the evidence was in the details. The DETAILS people! Go back and read our lyrics carefully - our tongues were in our cheeks; we are clever goddammit! Alas for the Beasties, in pop music as in newspaper journalism the headline is the important bit. Frat arseholes, answering the call to fight for their right, handed the Beasties their career. Rage Against the Machine have suffered/enjoyed a comparable fate. Whatever insight Zach De La Rocha thought he was offering regarding the struggle of people of colour to overcome modern America’s institutional white eurocentrism and systematic production of colonial mentality, it was all lost under the roar of a million middle-class white men (including manys a Frat arsehole) shouting “Fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me!” The headline on this album, apart from that, is that you can’t trust anybody and their ‘facts’ so…revolt, in some unspecified way. Maybe you won’t do your homework or maybe you’ll refuse to take a vaccine or maybe you’ll set fire to yourself in public; it’s all commendable, all roughly the same thing. This album’s initial commercial success aside, the moment it truly became part of a cultural zeitgeist was the use of ‘Wake Up’ at the end of the first Matrix film; Neo, shades on, flies off into the sky to call bullshit on absolutely everything, then Rage kicks in. A couple of generations of Americans had just found their political touchstone, regrettably. Many times inebriated and sweaty, I jumped up and down to ‘Killing in the Name of‘ just before kicking out time at the (old) Limelight. It was usually paired with Smells Like Teen Spirit to close Friday night proceedings. It’s a happy memory. So although Zach De La Rocha’s nebulous nonsense grates a little with me now I still have a soft spot for a few of these tracks. Tom Morello’s distinctive bag of one-trick never got better than it is here. The cover art is brilliant, if distasteful - a hypnotically horrifying image cropped to strengthen its iconic character. The typewriter font suits the project. The limited colour palette suits the bluntness of the music. 3/5
honestly? fuck yeah
fuck you, i won't do what you tell me!! this goes hard 30 years later and is unfortunately more relevant now than ever. incredible debut album, powerful lyrics, instruments all hit hard, just excellent stuff through and through. favorites: bombtrack, killing in the name, take the power back, know your enemy
People glaze this band so hard, so I had high expectations. Turns out its just a guy with a strange accent scream-talking leftist things through a hard-core band. The album sounds 90% the same as the two Limp Bizkit songs I've heard, and people hate them! What am I missing? On the topic of the lyrics, of course they are going to be relevant "30 years later". Lyrics that boil down to "da goberment sux" are going to be relevant 300 years later. It isn't exactly some sort of amazing predictive power that a civilization still has flaws however many years after you write lyrics criticizing it. I say all this as a bonafide leftoid.
I really hate Rage Against the Machine when I hear their stuff on Alt Nation on SiriusXM. Don't get me wrong, i love a lot of heavy stuff and it really bugged me thinking i am too old a guy to like something like this. But after finally listening to this album I think I get it, and I am able to appreciate the hard shredding style, the lyrics are really relevant, not just then but today as well. Hearing really closely I think is important when listening to super heavy music, otherwise it will just seem like sonic assault
Freaking amazing
I’m not sure any other album has so perfectly captured the anger and frustration of being a middle class male just coming into adulthood in a world dominated by politicians and phonies. It’s Catcher in the Rye with outstanding drums and guitar. I have little doubt that suburban teens will be playing this album thirty years from now just as there were thirty years ago.
Again, I can only do so much screaming in my music, even if it goes alongside such incredible music. This music is very good - tapping and moving the whole listen... but the screaming. I'm sure they'd call me a pussy!
Hasn’t really been my jam before. But for some reason it hits differently after November 5, 2024 can’t imagine why….
This is a very good album, albeit not one that I go back to a lot. I'm not the biggest Rage guy, despite Newman's assertions I should join their commune. Despite all this, this album rocks and is worthy of four stars. Whereas other conformists would want me to give this five stars... FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME Top Tracks: "Killing In the Name," "Wake Up," "Bullet In the Head"
Prime listening hours for that good shit. Rage rules, and the early stuff has an edge that cooks so hard some 30 years later. ZDLR might be one of the best screamer-singers there is. Even the politics still matters in the year of our lord 2025. Fascist Pig Cops do burn crosses! Etc. god, this fucking rocks so hard. Even just on vibes, it sounds incredible. Even if you just wanna be like, okay, ZDLR, we get it with the politics, it's still amazing music.
--Bombtrack...righteous anger --Killing in the Name...all-timer. Makes me want to run through a wall --Take the Power Back...this rhythm section kicks all of the ass --Settle for Nothing...we change tempo. Not for the better --Bullet in the Head...starts out more funky than other tracks then goes hard. The bass work/sound is perfection --Know Your Enemy...yes. Yes. YES! --Wake Up...this group is in full command --Fistful of Steel...a lesser track but still good --Township Rebellion...If you read my past reviews, you may notice that I like my songs on the shorter side. Most of the tracks on this album are 5-6 minutes. It's not a problem for me here because these guys keep things interesting and demand your attention --Freedom...kind of a Greatest Hits of earlier tracks. Not the best but seems appropriate for a closer
Chef’s kiss
just want someone to tell me what to do at this point
Best riffs on this are the ones you don’t hear in guitar center
Rap / rock collaboration was nothing new, but Rage Against The Machine turned things on their head with a guitar-imitating-hip-hop approach which was pretty refreshing at the time. Coupled with the angsty political agenda, they were on to a winner. It stilll holds up more than 30 years (yikes!) on, although the novelty has worn off a little. Listening in Summer 2025 though, I can't help feeling the machine is winning at the moment.
One of my favourite albums. The themes still feel depressing relevant today.
Legendary. Fave song: Killing In The Name Honorable Mentions: Bullet In The Head, Know Your Enemy
Incredible bass and instrumentals. Lyrics very topical for nowadays. Goes incredibly hard. Favourite Song: Take The Power Back Honourable Mention: Bomb Track PS: The name of the band and the album cover goes so hard.
There anger and sound is intoxicating. I’d fight the system to this.
🔥🔥🔥🔥
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
4 The moment where the Day-Glo color sheen of the Eighties becomes stark Nineties grainy black and white. Boiled down to its simplest attack, Rage is not blunt but wields their rage like a sword - ready to slice you open and then explain why you should have seen it coming.
Just really liked it. Great lyrics, unique sound, really just felt like I let Rage down listening to this at my desk in a corporate office job.
I know, I know, I know. It's important. It's a cultural artefact. It's iconic. It's RAGE. But it's also repetitive (God, is it repetitive), bland and, surprisingly, all surface.
I've been listening to this album on and off since junior high. Rage has never been my favorite band, but I've gone through cycles of listening to lots of them and I still enjoy their first two albums quite a bit. This is an album that I'm never mad about hearing. 4.5/5
When I was a kid, Evil Empire was my first Rage album and I loved it. I think because of that, I never spent a lot of time with the S/T album. The singles, of course, but not the rest. Really enjoyed it. Probably 2nd best for me after Evil Empire. 4.33/5
As someone who had only in recent memory listened to Killing In the Name, this is, infact, definitely an albumful of Rage Against The Machine music. If you're familiar with one of the songs and you like it then the rest of the album isn't going to throw you for a loop. That being said they're pretty sick and it's a good album to the end, they keep enough interest for the near-hour that the album lasts Unfortunately, due to the nature of this timeline, there is no specific day where rolling this album is particularly apt, it's more just whenever you get this, "yeah that checks out"
I feel like I should like this one but it’s just so much to take in
This is another album that shouldn't be relevant in 2025, yet here we are. This album was and is a wake up call. Sadly it wasn't heeded when it came out and I doubt it will be now. It's still a absolute great album. It holds up today as well as when it came out. Rage has a statement to make with each and every song and they are loud when they make it. "Some of those that work forces Are the same that burn crosses"
This is a massive album! good lord this slaps you in the face and the stomach.
"Hey Tom, that guitar riff is awesome, can you play a solo as good on this track?" "No"
To co-opt a phrase that was used to sell dish detergent and blenders during the COVID-19 pandemic, we need this type of statement “now, more than ever.” At least I think. All the guys who listened to this album in high school are now terminally online transphobes with hypocritical browser histories, so I don’t know. I remember enjoying this as an angsty teen, and as a weird terminally online bleeding heart lefty, I wonder if the angry poems about the injustices levied upon the working class will resonate even harder today. To battle! Bombtrack - Pure funk metal. I mean this is such a familiar song, and whilst I don’t really care about any of the “this song is better than other songs” shit, but I love a good shot at landlords and every suit wearing sycophant draining the planet of life. Solid start. Killing in the Name - I probably talk too much about autocorrect and what it attempts to do during these meandering tirades, but this time it believed I just forgot to finish that common phrase “Killing in the Name of Jesus.” Do people say that? I know all religions are barbaric control devices responsible for more death over the eons than anything else ever, but still. Anyway. This song has again, been ruined by adult teenagers who are just grumpy about having to have showers, but this song has so much energy. Pure vitriol. Some of those that work forces, are the same that burn crosses. Take the Power Back - More drive, more hatred. “Jump the fuck up” riffs done tastefully almost a decade before they’d encourage broken gypsum boards across the nation. Settle for Nothing - The lyrical repetition doesn’t work as well for me here, but this song almost has a Dystopia vibe. The band, not the concept. Add some broken glass and some increased hopelessness to the lyrics, you’re pretty damn close. Bullet in the Head - Probably the funkiest one going. Another comment on the news here and the propaganda machine in the US. The bass really leads this track. God that tone is incredible. Know Your Enemy - I remember this one being one of my favourites when I was 13 or so. The metal riff off the start is fantastic and the song moves with a swaggering aggression I still really enjoy. Undeniable. The shouted, repeated outro is still bone-chilling. Wake Up - Wake up, sheeple. I don’t love the funk sweeps (?). How do I say that? The funk guitar can be a little grating. Lyrics are strong here. Possibly the strongest lyrics but also perhaps the weakest song. Fistful of Steel - That guitar whine reminds me of some WWF theme song from later. More violent riffing, and a brief foray into Tom Morello guitar hero stuff. That main riff is just too good. Township Rebellion - More funk proto nu-metal. Solid riffing. You know what to expect at this point of the album. Freedom - The vocal breaks at the end of this are perfect. When you can hear a vocalist going beyond performance, it’s a special moment. One of my favourite spots on the entire record. These days, every moron with an internet connection (me) has some extreme political take. Half the discourse is about not thinking poor people should have water or houses or food; and the other half is about murdering the CEOs whose greed is ripping the planet in half. However, in 1992? I feel like this wasn’t trendy. This wasn’t a commonplace thing to hear, especially on the radio. America trained its citizens to be petrified and angry at any socialist thought, so to release this coherent and miserable blast aimed at the base of that military-industrial fire this early? It’s a true departure from the mainstream that somehow wove its way into it. Obviously, Rage Against the Machine didn’t invent the ideas held within their self-titled album, but to get these thoughts into the consciousness of your garden variety teenager in the early 90’s was a massive accomplishment. To do it with such an uncompromising vitriol? That is a triumph. A little bit of sameness keeps this from perfection, but this group cashes every cheque that their name writes and donates it to the various guerrilla forces forming outside of Fortune 500 company HQs. See? Sometimes I write serious things. Better save it. Uhhh Excuse me Mr. monk, you’re blocking traffic. There’s this sale at Lee Valley and if I don’t have my miniature trainyard done by Christmas, I can kiss my “Prince of Rails” blue ribbon certification goodbye. Oh great, now he’s self-immolating in protest. I better call Jim over at Lee Valley. I might be here awhile. 4 HIGHLIGHTS: Bombtrack, Killing in the Name Of, Know Your Enemy, Fistful of Steel
7/10 Highlights: Killing in the Name Take the Power Back Bullet in your Head
Veel beter dan verwacht. Luisterbaar en de rap is sick voor die tijd
"America, the land of the free? Whoever told you that is your enemy!" Raging against the machine complaining about things in the 90s that are still outraging in 2025.
perfect album for the 4th of July. I remember hearing this for the first time and it blew me away, because it was like nothing is ever heard. It was new and creative and it flat out rocked. I feel the same way about it to this day.
yeah i like rap
used to listen to this album in one earbud underneath my turtle beach headset while I played call of duty, and I would only pause it if I was last alive in search and destroy or something intense like that. It was fun to relisten as a way less angry and older person, especially while on a walk in beautiful weather 😍😩 who else is up raging against they machine
Pretty fun though also hard to take seriously since I did not grow up listening to it. FREEEDOOOOOMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!! Fav song: Settle For Nothing
One of the best debut albums I have listened to. A new genre, fully formed out of the gates and absolutely ripping!
If you want emotion and energy, this is it. So perfect even now with Trump 2.0 tearing this country apart.
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.
There were no pictures of the band on the band. They were a mystery. They played hard. It was very influential for a teen in the 90’s. Every single one of us has sung along to, “Fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me” Too bad most of us didn’t take that to heart.
Obviously familiar with RATM but I’d never listened to one of their albums before. I now understand why the late 90s and early 00s were full of shitty rap/metal hybrids, it’s because these guys made it sound so fucking cool. Turns out it’s really hard to do without sounding corny or derivative. All 4 parts of the band sound great but in my opinion Morello’s guitar - I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone play guitar where it sounds like it belongs in a rap song before - really stands out. I think this a rare 5 for me on the first listen. They even pull off all the political stuff without sounding forced or insincere.
4.8 You could argue that it doesnt suit your tastes but its important and iconic as it comes
Amazing hard rock and punk-rap album which is sufficiently gnarly and revolutionary yet never exhausting
Cult album.
Its a fiiiiiiive
It's a five because fuck you I won't do what you tell me
I like their message and some of the songs on this album. I think I would have really enjoyed these guys as a teenager.
Great album
Good but when I was a teen this seemed so much better.
The music is powerful and the message remains sharp and impactful. Rage Against the Machine still hits just as hard, even 30 years later.
I realise I'm severely biased by nostalgia. This album was a big thing when I was a teenager. I remember jumping around and going crazy to some of these songs on school parties. What a time that was. It's probably been over 20 years since I revisited this album and I was happy to do it for this list. Nostalgia aside I do think this is still a great album. Killing in the name is the obvious classic but I think Bullet in the head is maybe as great and there are a lot of other songs that still deliver.
Slam dunk 5. One of my favorite albums growing up - loved the rock rap fusion and passion. Revolutionary album in so many ways.
All ratings/reviews are really just a 'point in time' opinion. This album is a 5 on artistic merit and innovation alone, but as of today, I'm going with a 4 (really, 4.5). Whether that is from over-listening or just all of the nu-metal that came from the popularity of this, it just doesn't seem quite as revolutionary as it was. But it does want me to get my 311 CDs back out, haha! RATM still rocks hard, and 4.5 is still classic status. Tomorrow, it might be a 5.
Holy nostalgia, Batman! Not really my cup of tea. It’s a bit too angsty for my taste. I did enjoy the percussivness! The guitars and rhythms are, at times, a little mathy, which I did not recall from way back when, so that was a neat discovery.
Pretty solid album. The screams remind me of the tie fighter sound in star wars. I didn't realize how much I had heard this album when I was younger.
While I enjoyed this, it has very angsty lyrics and singing which I think high school me would have appreciated this more than adult me. I especially enjoyed the instrumental and the rhythmic rapping. Found myself tapping my foot or bobbing my head along quite often. Note quite a 5 for me, but close.
We're going purely by personal ratings here right? The whole rap rock thing just never clicked for me. Plus lots of cusses (jk).
goes so hard, I love it
4.5/5 Amazing. Throughly enjoyed it. No complaints.
don't @ me bro
Great album!
This album has hit in every decade of my life so far. I revisit frequently. Will I be 90 and blasting RATM? I hope so. What a great debut and introduction to RATM. Great summer album to blast while cruising in the car with the windows down or when you’re ready to quit your job. Or just want to. I don’t know if this is their best album and because of that I almost gave it a 4, but god damn it goes so hard. By the end of the album I was all in again.
Politically charged, and just as relevant today as it was in 1992, this debut record by Rage Against the Machine pulls no punches and isn't afraid to really make a statement right from rip.
A phenomenal debut album from a band that would shape music for years to come. Mike Patton crawled so Zach De La Rocha could run. Start to finish this album explodes with funky bass lines, absurd guitar riffs, and incendiary lyrics. One could even say Nu Metal started here, though RATM defies that genre classification. A must listen.
Incredible debut. RATM hit the ground running. They are a great example of a band that snuck through the cracks during the height of grunge, a time when execs were scrambling to find the next Nirvana and signed every metal band out of Los Angeles. RATM had the juice, though. It was just a completely different juice. A BETTER juice. A juice that makes you want to smash your face against the wall, but in a GOOD way! FUCK YEAAAAAAAAAH! FUCK YOU, I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME!! Unless you tell me to do my taxes, then, yeah... I'll do that.
Great album, so much…rage
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
Cannot take this seriously no matter how hard I try -- sounds juvenile.
Excellent Album
Not something I'm always in the mood for but I enjoyed this album. Killing in the Name is a classic. A lot of the songs (including that one) are a bit repetitive for me, but sometimes you do just need some angry music. Fav song: Take the Power Back or Killing In the Name Least fav: Settle for Nothing
Some decent songs in here but wasn’t too into the whole album. Still liked it as a whole though I think. Stronger second half I’d say. Listening to wake up at 0515 did infact wake me up a bit ill admit. Specific rating- 3.5 Fav song- wake up Least fav- settle for nothing
I'm not quite angry enough to truly appreciate Rage Against the Machine but I like the stuff they're saying (even if they're saying it a little too aggressively for me). Favourite: Take the Power Back Least: Settle For Nothing
Was rocking hard to it when I was only kid in school who knew who they are. Still rocking hard to it when this album is considered groundbreaking and genre defying
Oh yes! Was listening to this one while going home from a vacation where i was singing "Killing in the name of" every time my boyfriend tried to shake pool water out of his ears. We had a good laugh about the timing. Overall this is a perfect album. More relevant each day. ❤️💔
so true
Classic of its time
The album is great at what's it's trying to do, revolutionary for the genre too.
One of the greatest angst filled, stick it to the man records ever made. Every song is a banger.
not my type of music, but I still enjoyed it
Politics and music not my shit. Cool cover though
How did I miss out of this album all these years! More rock please 1001.
Unreal. One of my first Albums
We're 15. We're angry young men. Of course we are, we're middle class white boys at a grammar school with loving families. Life is terribly unfair. The answer? Become moshers and worship at the altar of Rage Against The Machine. And do you know what? They deserve it because this, all these years later, is absolutely, unstoppably, righteously brilliant. There are SO MANY highlights. The 'no more lies' bit, the countless 'HURGH's, the last 90 seconds of Killing In The Name Of, the guitar on How High. I could go on. It's just hairs on the back of your neck brilliant, from guys who were right about everything.
BEST SONGS: - Take the Power Back - Fistful of Steel
Excellent album!
This album rules. Just angry, classic punk rock that gets you amped up to do anything, feels very fitting for this day and age. Never has a band/album name lived up to it's title better, an all time classic of the genre.
It seems as though we have learned nothing
Loud and angry. There are some interesting tracks but it all blended together for me.
Classic and apropos.
One of the all time greats!
This could be my second favorite album of all time. It definitely is my favorite rock album of all time. It woke me up politically as a young teenager made me start thinking and questioning and paying attention.
The album was phenomenal when it was released and it has stood the test of time. It is still classic. From the lyrics to the actual music itself, all of it is top notch.
classic
Used to listen them LOADS last year and kinda toned it down, but I still think I like it as much as ever. Lyrics are great and thought provoking, and also the delivery is the best part. To my knowledge, at this time there was nobody so blatantly opposing the 'norm' politically, which is why I think they stood/stand out so much. I think they are the only band who were able to successfully mesh Rap and heavier rock. The Tom Morello guitar parts are amazing, the weird techniques which he uses to make totally unconventional sounds. The funk/rock basslines are also very standout, especially on the 3rd song. Although I've started to think more and more that some of the Guitar solos and effects are a bit extra, like the first part of the know your enemy one, or the lead guitar screaming in the verses of fistful of steel (this one kinda ruins all seriousness it might have had). But I definitely feel like there are worse solos on later releases because he ran out of interesting noises to make. Quite a lot of the solos on here are fine though. I have always thought that Evil Empire after this is better, and I definitely still stand by that, but this is for sure their second best album, not a lot to choose though I guess. Favourite songs: all but fistful of steel, My total favourites have to be know your enemy or the last one. Overall around 9/10
Band name aptly matches musical style
hell yeah bruther
This Rocked.
They say jump, you say how high
Amazing.
Good listen, inspirational but in today's world it kind of loses its impact.
I'm always down to Rage Against the Machine!
Incredible debut record that started a 90s trend. The trend wasn't great, but Rage absolutely was.
It’s still pretty great at pumping you up
1. shite politics. but anyway, fuck MAGA. but anyway, shite politics. 2. good song. 4/5
when rage against the machine hit the scene with their signature mix of rap, rock, and funk, there was nobody like them. they unabashedly expressed anti capitalist and leftist ideologies within their lyrics as well as their live shows causing a stir within the conservative media. they brought political awareness to a generation of fans through their music and activism, highlighting causes such as corrupt systems of government and the plight of leonard peltier. this is one of my favourite debut albums and it helped jumpstart my interest in leftist politics. “anger is a gift” highlights: “killing in the name” “take the power back” “wake up” “township rebellion” “freedom”
It’s been awhile. Still fun.
Hard core, screaming, seething anti-so-many-things, raw anger. Not my thing.
Already biased towards liking this album but man it's hard to beat. Bonus for all of the cognitively dissonant politicians that like Rage.
Perfect for the times!
It turns out I still remember how to play most of this on guitar. Another classic of my era. A must for Drop D enthusiasts.
Absolute classic of its era and still visceral today!
Angrily cleaning my appartment while listening to this
Incredible debut. Bought it when it came out and still listen to it.
Un autre album que j’ai déjà écouté. Ça me ramène à ma jeune vingtaine, dans la voiture de Julien. En fait, c’est le seul contexte dans lequel j’ai écouté RATM. Cette écoute-ci est la première fois que je l’écoute intentionnellement et en solo, de surcroît. Dire qu’à l’époque, je trouvais ça un peu trop métal pour moi. Le temps a fait son effet. J’en suis à la moitié de cette écoute et je dois dire que c’est de l’excellente musique ! Je suis conquis. Je comprend très très bien pourquoi le groupe (et ce disque) a eu autant de succès à l’époque. Le mélange de métal et de rap fonctionne à merveille. Avec le propos (qui est très politique) et ce mélange de genre (réussi), on est assez loin des prochains groupes à patauger dans les mêmes eaux (Limp Bizkit : de bonnes mélodies, mais du côté des calories vides ; Linkin Park : trop pop à mon goût, plutôt mièvre). L’écoute est terminée ! La deuxième moitié est tout aussi excellente que la première ! Bravo !
iconic
Enjoyably political. A little repetitive, but headbangy. Me likey
This album hits you like a steel chair. Rage’s first album is a testament on why they’re regarded as one of the best and most revolutionary bands of the 90s. A lot of people may say this album is,”Too Heavy”, or,”Too Aggressive”, but that’s the point, to shock you out of your comfort zone in order for the band to get their message across. The band are tight as ever on this album, with Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk laying down funky bass lines and interesting drum grooves for the other to band members to be supported by. Tom Morello is seen as one of the great guitarists of the day, and I wholeheartedly agree with that. His use of effects on this album give his guitar parts an otherworldly feel on songs like Bombtrack and Bullet in The Head. The lyrics on the songs are as sharp as ever, with Zack De La Rocha cutting through the injustices of the world they lived in like a hot knife. The standout song is obviously Killing in The Name, which became a protest anthem and a symbol of rising up against injustice. But other songs like Bullet in The Head and Take the Power Back also shine on this album. Overall, a powerful addition to 90s rock, and an album that, in the time we live in, we need now more than ever.
Ah I know this one very well indeed! This takes me back to my college days mostly.
Rap AND hard rock? I’m so sorry
Yeah it’s probably nostalgia but I love this album. The only really overlong anniversary reissue where I don’t mind the extra fluff
Rage Against The Machine was System Of A Down before System Of A Down; '90s metal wrapped under a left-wing blanked. It's unironically hilarious that here in the United States Of America, Former Speaker Of The House Paul Ryan is a fan of the band. Favorite Track: "Killing In The Name"
Все песни огонь!
The best protest album of all time. Sadly still relevant.
It’s impossible for me to describe the awesomeness of this album
Earnest punk rock which explains why I didn't listen to it much back in the day. Starts off well but then gets too samey and the songs are too long.
Perfekt
incredibly high energy rock metal/funk from Rage Against the Machine that fully highlights their passionate civil discourse against absolutely brutal and merciless riffs, throat-shredding screams, and slamming drums. Fantastic album.
medium interesting
This slaps. Straight 5/5
Given the riots currently occurring in California this album seems oddly prescient. The fact that it still holds up is a testament to this album and the power of their songs. For me this is the protest album of my generation.
Great album easy 5 stars. I love Tom Morello. Same vibes as peak Jack White
Sure, this is groundbreaking politically charged funk-rock, and yeah Tom Morellos guitar style was novel and exciting and like nothing anyone had ever heard before. There’s blending of what many describe as “metal” with Zach de la Rocha’s rapping was also quite new at the time. This record apparently blew peoples minds when it was released, and its longstanding popularity is nothing short of impressive. My main problem with Rage Against The Machine by Rage Against The Machine is that it’s whiny, annoying, and it fucking sucks. 1*
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.
FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME FUCK YOU I WON'T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME
The soundtrack of my youth!