Rage Against The Machine

4.5. Always a great listen.

One of the greatest rock album ever. "Killing in the name of" is just a theme song for one generations, epic song. The other song are also great, Bombtrack, Take the power back, Bullet in the head are the most memorable songs.

I mean this is definitely a classic, and you can hear the influence on later 90s /00s rock. It's catchy, kind of groovy, but a bit too macho for my tastes I guess.

Yesterday I rated a very generic rock album 4/5 because it was such a refreshing surprise after many alt/post/psych/folk rock albums in a row. I would like to officially apologise for and rescind my high rating for such a generic album. RAtM has reminded me what my heart was truly yearning for all along: punchy, metal, fuck you rock anthems that make you want to smash your guitar against the wall and rage against the Man.

So fierce, so angsty, so good! Some truly great bass, the album’s values and messages still hold up to date really well.

My introductory album to RATM. My teacher taught me that rock is supposed to be about the rebellious spirit, a message. This is it.

They're a one-trick pony, but it's a good trick. Sounds like they mean it. Favorite song: township rebellion.

Some absolute classics I used to listen to all the time. Also a few I used to skip - most of this is doing the same thing, with a varying success rate.

The lyrics on here are constantly occupying the space between genuinely righteous/radical and completely corny. Thankfully the music absolutely rips

Not exactly good work music but still amazing.

I was in high school when this came out and it was a really big deal, super popular. It's an amazing album that I have heard many times and I always get pumped up listening to it. Hearing it back when I was young kind of gave me some hope for the future, sort of like regular people could make a difference. Very creative guitar work and excellent lyrics what's not to like?

The rap rock band. Political rock for those that are bent that far left, of which I am not, but still features serious grooves of a Black Sabbath magnitude mixed in equal parts with thrash punk. Enjoyable, even if by the time you reach the back half of the record, the songs begin to run together into a shade of rap rock beige. Quite bit of conspiracy theory idiocy. Has the classic bangers "Killing in the Name", "Freedom" , and Neo's own "Wake Up".

clean sound. not my genre nowadays but great teenage memories

8/10 Favorite Tracks: Bombtrack, Know Your Enemy, Wake Up Least Favorite Tracks: Bullet In Your Head

Great album to workout to

Classic. Man I haven’t listened to this since I was a teenager. Def helped form my musical taste.

I'd heard this one before but a refresh was definitely needed. Awesome bass work throughout the record and a fine piece of political lyricism. For sure one of the better rock products to come out of the 90s.

Pretty okay album, but very much one-note and repetitive. Instruments and vocals are pretty good.

One of the best albums. ever.

Still relevant after 30+ years.

I bought this when it came out on the strength of Killing In The Name Of, but didn’t really gel with it. Now, thirty-some years later I’m a much more cynical and disillusioned person, and this really hits hard. It’s pretty heavily front-end loaded, but it is still solid and enjoyable throughout.

While the message is still very prescient to this day, I feel like its impact is shown to be less as time goes on. Contorted and ignored, somehow misinterpreted. The band off to the side not interested in continuing the message just coming out every now and then to make money playing the same old songs again. And songs played so much in so many places they just don’t hit the same. It’s a great album overall though honestly.

3.5-4?

No one does angry hard rock better than Rage.

Paul Ryan. You're sadly amusing. It's Ok to like what you like, but just so you're aware, Zack de la Rocha stands diametrically opposed to everything you believe in and work toward. While we're at it, you know nothing of Ayn Rand either.

admittedly the only RATM album ive heard .. I do think ultimately the music is really exciting and entertaining and it is nice to see a band who I share politics with be successful... me and Tom are actually in the same union :) and its nice that he has sorta kept the socialist folk singer thing alive with his The Nightwatchman project... anyways the band really does kick a lot of ass and I gotta listen to the rest of their stuff ... and audioslave apparently

Listening to this the week of the 2025 Inauguration really hit at the right time. Love the comparison of De La Rocha to Chuck D and the praise for his lyricism and leadership, but they left out Tom Morello! So political, so focused, so revolutionary... this album blew open a different arena of music, and nobody that did rap rock after did it as well. Wild how something so raucous is just honesty and talent.

Jeugdig enthousiasme kan alles

Great pump up album… Base is A Game!

Rå, politisk ilska från fantastiska öppningslåten 'Bombtrack' ända in i mål. Oftast väldigt on the nose, men ibland mer subtilt (iaf ljudbildsmässigt), som i 'Settle for Nothing', som är mer tyst frustrerad tills den exploderar i refrängerna. Stilen är också så originell. Hör man de la Rochas arga rap tillsammans med Morellos wah-wah-iga dataspelsgitarr förstår man på millisekunden vad det är man lyssnar på. Älskar hela 'Wake Up', och speciellt introt (som är väldigt inspirerat av 'Kashmir' av Zeppelin), som får mig att känna att ett krig är på väg. 'Fistful of Steel' också fantastisk. Gitarren går verkligen igenom HELA registret. Ett härligt bevis på att det bara är vänstern som klarar av att göra kvalitativ protestmusik. Är i slutändan inte 100% min genre, men råheten, ilskan, passionen, och ställningstagandena gör albumet drabbande. Vill ut och ställa mig på barrikaderna. "Silence, something about silence makes me sick / Cause silence can be violent sorta like a slit wrist". Bästa låt: Går inte att bortse från Killing In the Name.

The most powerful, thougtht-provoking album for the era in which it was released

"Rage Against the Machine is like the ring in Lord of the Rings. It drives men mad. It drives journalists mad. It drives record-industry people mad. They want the thing, and they’re driven mad.” Tom Morello via Rolling Stone Magazine (2023) Highlights: Killing In The Name, Bullet In Your Head. In a nutshell: furious minds We need more left leaning anarchists like RATM in the world. Play Know Your Enemy to the spawn in your life. Teach them media bias, to question everything and call out bullshit when they see it. Once that's done, stand back and hope they will grow up to think for themselves. Korn, Pantera and Slipknot are known pioneers of nu metal, but it could be argued that Rage Against The Machine unintentionally contributed to what would eventually be the nu metal sound. Overall: 7/10

This an intense package full of really good music and terrible politics.

I only knew singles by this band. As I grew up and got older, I understood Rage Against the Machine much better. It is still shocking that this band became such a success with their overtly political lyrics being screamed at you over outrageous and often experimental instrumentation. But the band is so tight, and some of the songs are unbelievably fun to shout along with. Listening to this album for the first time today, it finally clicked in my brain that they are funk metal. This album doesn't have all of my favorite Rage songs (notably Sleep Now in the Fire and Guerrilla Radio were later) but it's hard to believe that they came out with Killing in the Name right out the gate. They sound so fresh and new but also like they've been playing together forever. It's no surprise that the three instrumentalists found further success after Rage with Audioslave. They have incredible chemistry. By the end of its 52 minute run time, I'm definitely tired of being screamed at, but overall, this is a solid album, and thirty years later it still stands out as unique. 3.5 stars

I don't always agree with RAM's politics, but the songs do make me think, and I respect that. I also respect the vocals, instrument performances, and songwriting; top notch. Some of the most memorable guitar riffs!

Its crazy how this album even fit to these times... But that's also with every album that critics politic racism and communist environments. But that beside its still a great album that I love to take in the gym with me!

HARD GAAN

Know Your Enemy and Wake Up are good - he has a distinctive voice, the band have a distinctive and recognisable sound - and yet, the album is never boring. Lots of changes in direction within songs, plenty of time for the instruments to breathe. It is a very, very good album. Aggressive, but directed at legitimate targets, and avoids a lot of the angsty rock nonsense. Nice job lads.

🔥🧘‍♂️🔥

Listened to this at work as well, so I didn’t get to record the standouts for this one. Good album. Exciting, lively, and angry. Good time.

Favorite Track: Wake Up

Its kinda like limp bizkit but more poltical

Bombtrack Killing in the Name Bullet in the Head

Such an easy 4 star. A banger from start to finish! Maynard on Know Your Enemy and great memories of the concert in 2022. Not much else to say other than an evergreen banger of a rock album.

Enjoyed this, bit samey but solid set of tracks. Average score on here is 4 so I’m going to have to be a conformer unfortunately 4/5

Love this album, bombtrack straight into KITNO riff is such a great transition. Interesting to have this post Metallica, enjoyed this much more

Thanks to this list for making me have to listen to this album again. Made me all pissed off about shit. I have no ability to change, and raised my fucking blood pressure beyond belief once again. I'm too old to start a revolution at this point of my life, as I was, at the time that this album came out, but at least it still feels good to get my heart pumping once again, just to know I'm alive.

The toughest thing was finding a time when 50+ year old me could find space to listen to this nasty bit of aggro brilliance at a sitting. I'd forgotten that it came out just as I was graduating. Remember going out to Arizona and seeing some kids wearing the t-shirts but I really didn't suss it then. This was pretty popular stuff in the 90's. If there's anything going on right now with this level of rebel energy, I don't know where it is.

"Ignorance has taken over. Yo, we gotta take the power back." Heavy guitar, heavy drums, funky bass, defiant lyrics. A little too strident for my taste, but the message is on point.

Never heard the entire album before. It's good!

Powerful! Interesting music and banger.

3.5, really angry

Yeah hard to argue with, pretty damn good album

Was dreading listening to it before I turned it on, but actually they’re quite good. Music is very good, I’m a fan, highest score so far for me 4/5

Nice

I really liked the politically charged lyrics and overall sensibility, but I wasn't completely in love with this album. It was angry in a way that I found cringey. The songwriting didn't feel great to me. That being said, the guitar work sounded very fresh. There are some sensibilities that felt lifted from avant-garde music, and the guitarist switches between ferocious and tender in a way that I thought was cool.

Hard to be in the mood for this at the moment but still quality and a perfect example of what it is.

Essential 90's rock/punk.

ANGER - THE ALBUM I hadn't listened this album in years. Killing In The Name Of was one of the songs I listened to most when I was a teenager. Time when I woke up in the morning, drank my coffee and went to fight the system (skip class)

A tremendous start to any album - 3 unbelievable tracks - unfortunately only a couple more lived up to this - what a great album though

Fuck you I won't do what you tell me! 🤘🏻 I first heard of Rage Against The Machine in 2009 - I saw a campaign on facebook to get Killing In The Name to #1 in the charts, and to block X Factor from getting the Christmas #1. Being the angsty teen that I was, I of course joined in and downloaded the song I'd never listened to any of their other songs, and I really enjoyed this album! I wish back then I'd have also downloaded the rest of this album because I've been missing out! A very high 4 ⭐️

This is an awesome album. It's the perfect storm of anger, rap and rock! It's a landmark album. Tom Morello is a fucking legend. It can't be on too high a rotation for me, as it just makes me feel angry! solid 4 stars

Real music keeping it real. Heavy and often profound lyrical content. Sometimes heavy metal and sometimes funk mixed with elements of rap and global awareness. Music humans will be talking about for years to come.

Cañero cañero

Listened to before. Highlights:

A metal album I could actually listen to!

That's hard dude 4/5

I’m hyped for this

Hell yeah.

gott stuff

Iconic protest record.

Good stuff, but again, not my style.

Bombtrack 4.2 Killing in the Name 4 Take the Power Back 3.8 Settle for Nothing 3.7 Bullet in the Head 3.9 Know Your Enemy 4 Wake Up 4 Fistful of Steel 3.7 Township Rebellion 3.5 Freedom 3.7 Score: 3.85

Rage Against the Machine is the debut studio album by Rage Against the Machine, originally released in 1992. Rage really came out swinging on this debut. This thing is full of heavy riffs and angry vocals. Say what you want about the lyrical content, it really makes you want to fight for something. Others have called it "frat political rock" or "cheesy" but I honestly like the lyrical content. I think it comes off as authentic enough. The vocal delivery makes it feel authentic to me. The vocals are just so powerful. The musicianship is great on here too. Tom Morello is a very interesting guitar player. The bass is heavy and in your face. Even funky at times. The drums are aggressive. Don't even get me started on that album cover. Very very powerful. How could you see a record in the store with that cover and not buy it.

Ekstremt groovy, passende vred. Eneste kritik er at sangene godt kan lyde lidt for ens

Some great tracks

Such great energy in this, killing in the name and bombtrack always slaps

When I was almost at the end (by that I mean track 8, ‘Fistful of Steel’), I was like: “Man, do I even like rock?”, “Am I enjoying this or nah?” It got me conflicted. Chile. I don’t mean that it’s shitty but I’m mid about it. it’s because I don’t listen to much rock though. And that has got me dirty, also because it’s pretty hard for me to handle long tracks. It makes me tired, cause every time I listen to a song, I follow them lyrics in Genius to understand the meaning. I put effort in it. And seeing that them are minimum 4 and a half minutes long, got me gasping. Though I like some tracks, I consider them a bit of standouts from the others, they are ‘Bullet In the Head’, ‘Wake Up’, ‘Freedom’ and ‘Township Rebellion’, I exclude ‘Killing in the Name’ cause it’s the most popular one and I consider that a standout on its own. Though for me it’s 4. I have to admit lyricism made me raise the rank of it, cause i think it’s hard to talk about so many deep meaning in an album, and in 1992 they did it. Even before other artists of our time did. It’s really brave of them.

I honestly really like this rap rock. I just got back into linkin park and rage was the precursor to that. The album cover also being so iconic and me not knowing much about it before a few months ago made this perfect to list to now! Nothing more to say enjoyable and influential

This is definitely more up my alley! Heavy beats, lots of different sounds and styles, and funky riffs. I knew Rage was political, but this was the first time I've listened to an album straight through and it was more "eat the rich" than I expected (totally ok with that). Good album to work out to.

I like the sentiment and for the reason it's a high score from me. However it isn't terribly original and the lyrics are a bit lame and repetitive but if that's what's needed to get through I guess the means justifies the end.

Good start, dies off toward the end

Probably over listened to so it's hard to go back with fresh ears. Marginally overrated imo, not one you can listen to day after day, but still a powerful, hard-hitting album. One of the few rap-rock combos that worked. 3.5*

I was first introduced to RATM from watching The Matrix a few years after this albums came out, and hearing "Wake Up" for the first time probably marked the beginning of my foray into this genre. Lots to like on here, and bonus points for one of the more affecting album covers I've seen.

Pretty much what I expected lyrically from what I already knew about this album. I really rate the concept and the use of music to spread this message. + points for sick band/record name and sick cover Having been gradually introduced to heavier sounds than I was used to through bands like the Hives, I found myself enjoying the sound of this music a lot more than I would have previously. I like it! It’s a little intense lyrically to just slap on casually though I feel.. Hightlights: - Bombtrack ! - Killing in the name - Bullet in the head - Know your enemy - Wake up

If all rap-metal was this sincerely angry and on-point, I wouldn't hate Red Hot Chili Peppers so much.

Bombastic, really fw this album

Iconic and whatnot. In this kind of became what the album and the band set out not to be.

rage's debut album makes a strong political statement right away the moment the listener presses play. fusing metal, rap, and a little bit of funk, this album is an ambitious contender in this list. anti-censorship, anti-authority, and straight up hardcore leftist. it has a wickedly hardcore sound, but the lyrics couldn't be anymore blunt. that's not to say i don't agree with what they're saying, it's just so unbelievably straightforward and vulgar in how it is said, which... makes it at times feel like a punk band from a liberal arts college. tom morello is a god.

yeag

Great mix of rap vocals and rock/metal instruments. Perfect for head banging along to, or vibing while performing other tasks.

It's angry, it's interesting and it ROCKS! Banger grooves!

Generally not a metal fan, but the energy here along with the rap style vocals and political statements make this a massively energetic and exhilarating album.

I knew I liked KITNO, but didn’t expect to enjoy the rest of the album as much as I did. Think it spoke to my menopausal rage 👍🏻

Woooo!! High energy with something to say. Masterful composition and grooves. Compelling stuff. Very few misses here.

I don’t know anymore if they are genuine revolutionaries or middle class wannabes. I know Zach de la Rocha’s father was a genuine revolutionary. But is it valid? I suspect it is. But the cynic in me suspects it’s less cred. Too many crappy bands of rich middle class kids botching killing in the name. That’s not ratm’s fault. They also need to swing a bit. 3.5

I was living in a share house in 1992 when this album came out. I had a terrible band with one of my housemates, Andy. "Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me" was Andy's motto for living. He must have played Killing in the Name every damn day for a year, screaming along for effect. Twice a day. He loved that song. Which, you gotta admit, is a pretty great song if you're a left-leaning young man who enjoys music on the heavier side of things. The song was ubiquitous in all kinds of settings in 1992. I distinctly remember dancing to this in an industrial night club at 3am one Saturday night, and then hearing it again at the McDonalds when I went for breakfast on my way home at 6am on Sunday morning. It was a sign of the great alternative music crossover, about which I had mixed feelings. It was weird that a pretty abrasive and left political band were releasing records on a major label, getting lots of commercial radio airplay, and selling a bajillion records. Even a few years earlier, it would have been unthinkable. Rage Against the Machine's strengths were also its greatest weaknesses. Zach de la Rocha's vocals are forceful and politically aware (which makes a pleasant change from a lot of gangsta rap and nu-metal rappers, whose lyrics are non-stop violence and misogyny). RATM lyrics often read like the rantings of a first-year sociology student (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnZnnkJxoC8), but at least you don't feel morally compromised by just listening to it, even if it does feel like getting yelled at for an hour. The band is tight as a hipster's jeans, and they can swing like no other heavy band since Led Zeppelin, which is kind of awesome, but they don't really understand dynamics or songwriting. It is one killer, heavy, swinging riff after another, which is kind of awesome, but again, also a bit tiring. And I have this gripe about Tom Morello. I feel like he often confuses turning on a digital effect pedal for a proper solo. I think he is, bar none, the best heavy rhythm guitar player of his generation, but his soloing is not great. Together, though, the RATM band are the best heavy rhythm section around. I will secretly confess I really liked Audioslave, because Chris Cornell brought actual songs with light and shade, and the RATM band brought tight and swinging backing. There are a few killer tacks on this album, but, really, secretly, if you've heard one, you've heard their whole oeuvre. I really liked RATM when this album came out, but I bought the 12" of Killing in the Name, and I have never really felt the need to buy any other record by them. Actually, I tell a lie. My mate Peter has a 7" single of their cover of Fuck Tha Police on it. I'd _really_ like that record too, and then I'm done. 3.5 stars.

Righteous anger captured in a bottle, powerful stuff.

This album whips. Aside from Killing In The Name being overplayed to the point of absurdity (I never liked that one very much to begin with) this is consistently killer.

Elsker

3.5

Heavy. Love the feeling of the whole album.

This is such a great album. Track after track just really hits. Not a bad song on the album.

album legal gostei muito

Great album but too violent for me

Wouw!… This is cool and groovy RnR all the way!

Quite good

Visceral! American as fuck!!!

Arguably more important now than when it was recorded. Fantastic album.

Rage Against The Machine is great stuff, huge sound, angry, aggressive, impassioned, memorable and lasting riffs, thunderous bass driving the whole thing along, it's epic. The first seven tracks are outstanding, think it tails off slightly at the end, which probably stops it getting a 5, but it's the highest of 4s.

This is much better! Flies out of the traps very quickly (no gentle intro here!), Bombtrack and Killing In the Name are a really full on start, and it doesn't really let up at all. Tonnes of energy and emotion throughout, fades a little towards the end. Doesn't quite make a 5, it's a bit too cringey in places and has all the subtlety and nuance of a brick through a window, but it's easily a 4.

Hell yeah

I was expecting this to be a 3* album, since I've never liked "Killing in the name" that much, but "Bombtrack" is such a banger that made me immediately reconsider this. Easily one of the best opening tracks I've ever seen.

A lovely self titled debut that brought the fire and spark to the mainstream.

Goes hard asf in the gym

I've always liked the popular Rage songs, but not necessarily something I want to listen to front-to-back. Screaming "Bullet in your Head" for mintues on end isn't exactly calming. Still, good stuff.

Fantastic debut album. Lot's of energy, rocks very hard

A high 4 if not a 5, but I rarely give out 5s

Oh, man. This is a tough one. On the one hand, the genre-blending is a pretty darn great idea. Metal and rap? Badass - at least in theory. (Particularly for its time.) We see themes that are frequently covered in each of these "parent" genres, including anti-capitalism, police brutality, the broken education system, assassination of political figures, and corruption. There's a brutal, wild anger in the music that's very nearly unmatched. The instrument playing is almost too perfect for the mood RAtM is trying to convey. It's loud, disarming, terrifying. The guitar and bass, while playing the (great) riffs, are perfectly in sync, and I'm also a big fan of the ridiculously atonal guitar solos. (If they'd been contrasted with some coherent vocal melodies, I would've liked them even more.) The drumming is your classic metal crash bonanza. It's fast, energising, and fitting for the music. On the other hand, the singing (which is very much a centerpiece element) could use some improvement in a few ways. The vocals are mostly unmelodic screaming, with very few actual melodies to make the tracks singable or memorable. The songs then have to lean heavily on the riffs, which thankfully are much better. This isn't a deal-breaker for everyone, nor is it for me, but it's something that could be amended. In addition, the lyrics don't exactly mince words, getting directly to the point with each and every line: "Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me" (x16) "See through the news and the views that twist reality / Enough, I call the bluff, fuck Manifest Destiny" "Networks at work keeping people calm / You know they murdered X / And tried to blame it on Islam" It's almost too in-your-face. And that's not really a fault of the band, who remains stoutly true to this revolutionary new genre. It's the fault of the genre itself. 4/5 Key tracks: Know Your Enemy, Wake Up, Bombtrack, Killing In The Name

Visste att detta skulle bli mycket bra. Det är till stor del tack vare Tom Morellos gitarrspelande och musiken i övrigt. Egentligen är det konstigt att det är bra, "sången" och texterna är egentligen rätt töntiga, om man tänker efter. Men det gör man inte, man går på känsla!

Great energy. Got a Christmas no 1 as well what more do you need to Zack de la Rocha

anal bum a day 4 alright the generator REALLY doesn't want us to give up this time Rage Against the Machine is one of those bands that is just so culturally significant that this HAD to be on the list. Politically charged funk metal band RATM releases one of the most iconic debut albums of all time on November 3, 1992, the day of the presidential election of Bill Clinton. This record is chock full of insanely catchy riffs and sarcastic writing. The energetic delivery of Rocha's vocals really sells the whole thing, and it's pretty hard to not yell along. FUCK man this album is fire. 8/10

Listening to this on the day of Trump’s attempted assassination hit different

Rage is probably the only nü metal band I can hang with. Super leftist lyrics, the palpable rage and unchanging US politics makes this still feel fresh.

A classic, high energy album that pumps you up to fight against the powers that be. The main issue really is that Rage Against the Machine are very much a part of the machine, especially these days with their exorbitant ticket prices. Regardless of that, they make some pretty good songs.

On this album, the combination of something aggressive like heavy metal, rhymes and the rhythm of rap sounds very good. the sound impact gives strength to the political content of the lyrics. the atmosphere is set to ignite the listener with rage. If that was the intention, they nailed it.

Kan jeg godt lide

A very strong rock record. I’m not the biggest fan of super hard rock, which I think this is, but this album is pretty undeniable. 4/5

Good stuff. I had never listened to this album in its entirety before. Turns out that when you mix metal and rap, the metal part can make up for much of the awkwardness brought by the rap part. 4/5

This album can only be considered a patronizing capitalist insult to those who are getting ground up by "the machine".

Honestly liked this a lot more than I expected. Kind of an intense listen so I'm not sure I'd come back it a lot, but glad I gave this a chance.

Lots of raw energy might take away from the quality of music. The songs themselves were pretty awesome, and the guitar especially was WICKED. But I can't get past the screaming vocals. Dude had a lot to say and I couldn't even understand it.

Despite all my rage, I am still just a ratm in a cage. #167, time to kill a darling. Or, poke it with a dull stick, at least. I was 18 when this came out and even as a German circa middle class cishet white teenager, boy, was I there for it! I still own two copies of this, somehow. Today, I've largely grown out of funk metal while I have absolutely not grown out of the album's sentiments. And here's a problem: "Rage Against The Machine" was my generation's protest music and here we are, 32 years later. Have we taken the power back yet, mommy? Shut up and jump, they'll tell you how high. Feels like listening to unkept promises.

Excellent album. Best tracks are Killing In The Name and Take The Power Back 4/5

Amazing, some tracks drag for too long but it won me over. Might listen to it again.

Fuck yeah

Pretty great top to bottom. Can’t ask for anything more from this genre.

Great soundtrack for working for the government

When I waited in line on Ticketmaster in February 2020, I wouldn't have ever thought that I would have funny tales about my experience with Rages Against the Machines but wow, I really like this album and I really like them. I saw most if not all of these songs live and there really is such an electricity that I didn't expect

Metal for rap lovers. High energy, fun to listen to, gets you pumped. You don't even need to listen to the lyrics to feel the message. Zack raps kind of like Chuck-D. Also, the album art is metal AF.

LOL I hella has Rage Against the Machine and 30 Seconds to Mars confused in my head for some reason (blasphemous, I know). This kicked ass. What an album to listen to as I drove to work on Monday morning. My angsty ass will be returning to this for sure.

It’s a banger, it was a banger when it was released and it’s aged incredibly well (or I’ve aged with it?)

It's truly a fun album to listen to, you don't have to "get into it", intellectualize your experience or replay the tracks several time to enjoy the ride. I feel like a teenager in a good way

I’ve heard a couple of these before, but first time listening all the way through. Nice hybrid of the rock/metal instrumentals and hiphop/shouted vocals, yet keeping things fairly simple and clean & well balanced. 4/5

Bello tosto, ma mi aspettavo un po' di più.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHHHHHHHGGGGGGGGHNHHHHHHHHHH FUCK EVERYONEEEEE AGGGHHHHGHHGHH

good, feels a bit childish from time to time

Punk/Rap/Rock/Insanity, nice combo. Killing is deservedly iconic. This hits on all bases for me. I love the simple straightforwardness. Wake up indeed.

Turns out I like politically charged hard rock activists.

So I have always been a fan of RATM. Thank you Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 for bringing Guerrilla Radio into my life. I mean how can you not listen to any of their music and not feel like running through a concrete wall. It’s incredible. Absolute icons. I thought I was going to give this a 5, but honestly the last three tracks were okay compared to some other absolute bangers. This being their debut album makes it all that much more impressive. Hell yeah RATM

Enjoyed this album, a classic

nice blend of rock/rap. aged pretty well too

Truly a masterpiece. Such a unique sound, especially for 1992, blending elements of metal and reggae. Plus the energy is through the roof. This is one thing I loved in my childhood that I love even more today ❤️

Good bit of raging.

FUCK. YEAH. Heavy bass, slammin drums and righteous idealism. I was surprised by how raw this album sounds 30 years later. So many good memories listening to this album as a youth. Wish I still had that energy, definitely makes me think about my choices as a corporate drone!

Always good to rage

Talk about nostalgia... I remember the first time I heard Freedom. It was late night, MTV, probably 1AM. I was 12 years old. That video shook me awake. I credit this album's lyrics with opening my eyes to the lies of government. It really kick started my skepticism and questioning of what we were taught in history class. Thankfully, I read some economics books and didn't turn into a communist. For the music, this was an interesting album. I hadn't heard anything like it. I loved the odd, jazzy guitar and hard-core breakdowns and groovy, rhythms. Zack's anger went well with the music. I stopped listening to them after Evil Empire. I guess they lost that feeling with me. Great album, though. One of the greats of the early 90's. Hard to pick a favorite. I like Wake Up the best, maybe..

I was supposed to listen to this almost a year and a half ago. I just forgot to circle back to it. I definitely wanted to listen to the album and its entirety, like I do with every other album here, despite already being familiar with some of these songs, because I had never listen to it completely before. But I already knew what listening to it was going to entail, and when I first encountered the album on this list, I didn't have the right time or place available to listen to something so...incendiary. So I set it aside and kept moving through the list. Then I realized recently that I still needed to give it a listen. Well, with infuriating recent current events and my perimenopause well underway, it felt like a great time to rage. And what better soundtrack for it. This album is rightfully a classic and unfortunately still plenty relevant. 4.5

Fuck yeah, this album is a classic. The coolest blend of metal and political hip hop. RATM definitely deserve to have this album on the list. Fav songs: - Bombtrack - Killing in the Name Of - Wake Up - Fistful of Steel

4/5. Unique guitar solos. Very angry. Rare fusion of rock and rap that worked.

Yesssss I just listened to this all the way through for the first time right before I moved to NYC. This album is banger central. "Killing in the Name" is obviously a classic, been listening to that one for forever. The slap bass on "Take the Power Back" is SO GOOD. "Bombtrack," "Know Your Enemy," "Wake Up," and "Freedom" also go hard af. Rage makes the perfect mix of metal/punk, funk, and hip-hop. Some songs here a little more meh than others however. Looks like I gave this a 7/10 on my IG. I need to fix that, it should be an 8 at least. The songs that I didn't save are still pretty good. It's sad that the issues they talk about this album are still relevant 30 years later, we clearly need more revolutionaries like them in pop culture.

This is one time I think this format hurt the album. Each song on their own is very powerful, evocative, and pointed. However, back to back it starts to turn into a slurry of anger and repeated imagery that can test a person's music endurance. I'm giving a 4. Each song on its own very 4/5 As an album a 3. Pick the protest mosh song for you.

I hope I get to rally around the Bradley really soon. Great album, loved it.

Honestly I skimmed the rest of this album after the first few songs. Still liked the sound a lot though. 4/5

If you are a neo-liberal, capitalist shill, you better be ready to have your titties slapped and balls kicked by the righteous rage and fury. This is an iconic album. You might not agree with the politics, but there is truth in the message that was undeniable at the time, and has (unfortunately) continued to have impact through today.

Much respect for these guys. Definite pioneers of the genre.

I thoroughly enjoyed this album, they do a great job Top tracks: Bombtrack, Killing In The Name

It's angry music

Rage Against the Machine is honestly somewhat hard to rate for me. It was groundbreaking. Still is in many ways. Very in your face, anti-establishment nu-metal. The instrumentals are absolutely top notch. Zach de la Rocha's vocals are unique and almost instantly identifiable. Now, 32 years on from its debut, I think culture needs this album more than ever. No, it's not always a pleasant listen. If you really listen to the lyrics, they're often very challenging. You're not going to get any ballad's or "beautiful" music, but everything on this album is done with absolute excellence. It's a bit of a transcendent experience every listen.

Unfortunately, still just as relevant today.

Interesting. Youtube music had a disclaimer that this album has themes associated with suicide and I had to agree to the terms before I could listen to the album. It's certainly a powerful album. Very dark subject, but a powerful album.

Favourite: Killing In the Name

Angry but in a good way. They aren't constantly screaming and the guitar and drums make sense and aren't just loud to be loud. I really love Rage and their music. It is deep, meaningful and important. They take a look at deep issues in a musical genre that does not traditionally focus on these ideals.

It's rock'n. I'm old. My rage has turned to a seething frustration. I'm about a 3.5 with this but bonus points for being rebels with a cause.

Super familiar with this album, my oldest brother was a big fan. I've seen Tom Morello's side project, the Nightwatchman, live as well. There is a definite formula here, the band finds a big riff and Zach finds a sufficiently potent line and they repeat the line and riff with increasing fierceness until its time for the next one. It mostly works (Killing in the Name, legendary) but on some songs it gets a little boring, either the line isn't the skewering refrain the riff deserves or the riff falls flat on the 17th replay. The sound is definitely more developed on Evil Empire, "Bulls on Parade" started up right after the last song from self-titled and it hit so right. Either way, badass group, love when right wing authoritarian ding-dongs don't realize that they are the Machine against which we Rage, no one says "UHHNNNN" like Zach De La Rocha.

Great but too ragey after a while lol

Harsh and I could see why someone might not like it but I still like it after hearing it to the first time years ago

Very similar to Soulfly.

A lot of power, anguish and angst. I hadnt heard this album in a while, so I’m glad it popped up on this list. Dope album.

A must have Album

Started incredibly strong but tapered off towards the end. Not a big fan of "Freedom" which seems against consensus Favorite Tracks - Wake Up, Killing in the Name, Bombtrack

This album jams. A little too metal/grunge for me in certain spots but overall very solid. I always used to confuse Rage Against The Machine with Cage The Elephant for some reason. Drastically different.

I still find it hard to believe that even in 2024 people get surprised by what machine is being raged against. From their debut album they’ve been pretty clear about their stance and outlook on the world. The power to the people lyrics are incredible, but even if you took them away you’d still have an album that goes so damn hard. I really enjoyed getting to rock out to this one today.

An album for when you wake up in the morning and want to scream fuck you to the world! This is also the only album that I've ever had YouTube Music pop up an additional window stating viewer discretion is advised and required you to press confirm. Just another machine that I need to rage against! They love to repeat phrases at the end of every song: Bombtrack - "Burn, burn, yes, you're gonna burn" 16 times Killing in the Name - "Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me" 16 times Take the Power Back - "No more lies" 8 times Settle for Nothing - "If we don't take action now, we settle for nothing later" 8 times (with slight variation) Bullet in the Head - "A bullet in ya head" 15 times Know Your Enemy - "All of which are American dreams" 8 times Wake Up - "Wake Up!" 8 times Fistful of Steel - (It doesn't really happen in this one) Township Rebellion - "Why stand on a silent platform? Fight the war, fuck the norm" 4 times Freedom - "Freedom yeah" 7 times Awesome album especially for when it came out! Not perfect, or something I would listen to everyday, but there will definitely be times when I need to put this on.

nice energy

Not my favorite of the group but still a favorite group. I feel like I wish I liked Rage Against the Machine more than I do even though I still like them, but anyway good album

Feels like an ungrounded microphone, the kind that shocks your lips.

I feel the power and anger from this album. Killing in the Name is just a classic song of that 90s period. I also enjoyed the bass and guitar parts. Fire album

Delicately loud and thoroughly enjoyable. I missed this band years back and just 2-3 years ago gave them a listen and found I dug the sound, lyrics and drive.

Hard hitting and bringing funk-rock beats with a mix of rap that makes a unique and enjoyable sound

Ég hef ekki lagt það í vana minn að hlusta mikið á Rage Against the Machine og vanalega ekki talið það til míns tónlistarsmekks en ég kemst samt ekki hjá því að komast í algjöran fíling þegar ég hlusta á þau og mér finnst gítarinn hjá Tom Morello bara frábær. Ég held ég hlusti líklega á þessa plötu aftur næst þegar ég er reiður. Fínasti gripur.

4.5 Stars. So close. Definitely in my regular rotation.

classic! still very lyrically relevant. also one of the hardest album covers ever. 4.5

If we’re talking about a pure dose of influence and impact, then Rage Against the Machine’s debut was a guérilla operation. They snuck up on us and dropped a noisy, rocking, message-filled album. “Killing in the Name” stands out, repeating its defiance like a mantra. Talk about moving the needle and making your mark—in terms of the notorious and clunky genre Rap-Metal, Rage stood heads and shoulders above the rest because of the guitar work and the political-social commentary. They still strike hard, their impact hardly lessened by the decades. They took over the mantle of Only Band that Matters for a new generation of listeners; I’m not sure any group since has ever reclaimed the title from them. Maybe a Radiohead. But Radiohead never made you want to run out of your suburban home and join the Revolution.

This album is still fresh, which is pretty impressive given a description of 'funk metal'. Probably a 4.5.

Great album, when this came out I was a child and thought it was a bit silly, but love it now as an adult!

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 MOTHERFUCKER Highlights: Bombtrack, Killing In the Name, Bullet In the Head, Know Your Enemy, Wake Up, Fistful of Steel

Se m'ha fet una mica llarg al final però els primers 3/4 de l'àlbum m'han semblat impressionants, especialment killing in the name of Expected Lorenzo rating: 3

Iconic album

na

It's such a fun album

keine demo ohne bratwurst und zack de la rocha für den pathos und die eier, frei nach audio88. hätte es den auftritt von limp bizkit beim woodstock '99 jemals ohne diese platte geben können? ich denke nicht, aber was beide unterscheidet sind offensichtlich finesse und der politische anspruch, den ich hier ausnahmsweise abkaufe. blieb mir die band bislang eher wegen der berühtem singles und als smiley-kürzel aus diversen foren in erinnerung, find ich das rezept auf albumlänge sehr gut.

Some good stuff. 3.5.

yeah goes pretty tbf. some skips perhaps

Good, some weird parts

A great and inventive band with an important message. Dislike Zach’s voice. They are kind of full of themselves and 52 minutes feels like 20 minutes too long for this kind of music.

Fav album so far

Its a great album, but to there isn’t really a standout moment where its THAT good. But there isn’t a moment where it’s bad as well. Every instrument hits as hard as a rock, and the vocals are obnoxious but kinda charming.

Hits hard

Wake up

Angry singing with monotone guitar, but quite good. Stand-out: Bullet In the Head

A good listen, can see why it’s so highly rated. Would listen again

Final Score - 81

I'm raging!

Before listening: This will be interesting. I like only a few songs from RATM but it's a band I've always wanted to listen to more. After listening: Loved it! Very good album. Each song kinda sounds the same though which can be said for a lot of bands but nevertheless I really liked this one.

a bold-faced political statement. i thought the first handful of songs were fun and aggressive. not really totally my cup of tea, but i was on board with what they were cooking. for me, sustaining this for the entirety of a 53 minute long album was a bit much. i like what they were going for and i think it works, i just think that it ends up being a little bit too much and too same-y for me. after a certain point, it does feel a little bit like, "yeah, we get it" that being said, i still think the messages on this album are still relevant today and i did enjoy myself a decent amount.

Great.

I like ratm so I was happy to listen to this. So glad we actually had an album that I didn’t have to struggle through

I have no real way to explain this but it feels a bit like music a dad would listen to, and in this way it is not for me BUT I do like the different sounds they use. I think its like, the solos, the repetition in the chorus is sometimes a bit much for me like it feels like it comes back like and takes like 3 mins of the song itself half the time, I think that's what makes it feel dad-like and that I'm not into per se Uhh like 4.5 bc of that but still obviously this is cool for being what it is and I think the lead guitar and vocalist have been vocally pro-palestine which is sick Leonard Peltier is still in prison also iirc

Een classic. Allereerst heeft dit album een van de meest indrukwekkende en tekenende hoezen ooit. Het eerste nummer 'Bombtrack' laat namelijk gelijk zien wat je kan verwachten: stompende drums, de bas en gitaar die unisono op het eerste oog lijkende, simpele melodieën spelen, en een boze meneer die eroverheen schreeuwt over het onrecht in de wereld. Alhoewel het op het eerste oog lijkt op makkelijke muziek, is dit dat niet. In het tweede nummer 'Killing in the name' (het absolute anthem van mijn middelbare schooltijd) wordt al snel duidelijk dat de band niet alleen boos is maar ook muzikaal. Die boosheid neemt echter wel de overtoon en laat mij als geprivilegieerde witte man voelen alsof míj het onrecht is aangedaan waar de zanger het alsmaar over heeft. Hij zal nog steeds wel boos zijn aangezien de problematiek die hij aanhaalt vooralsnog speelt in de volgens hem zo kwade wereld. Dit maakt het album echter wel tijdloos. Zelfs 22 jaar na uitkomst luistert het nog goed weg. 2 uur kan mijn tiktokbrein echter niet meer aan. Al met al een goed album dat me boos maakt, maar wel de goede soort boos.

I wished the frat boys that listened to this... actually listened to this

Highway Star and Smoke on the Water are classics, Space Trucker

Listened to this a ton when it was new. Some great tracks, but not quite 5 stars for me.

The funk rock of Red Hot chili peppers with Public Enemy-like anger in their lyrics. Totally missed this the first time around but will be listening to this more. Killing In The Name, Bullet In The Head, and Wake Up are my favorites.

Super iconic sound. Definitely a vibe and how much you will enjoy the music will greatly depend on your state of mind at the time. I think I prefer their other album so giving it a 4 but you always know a Rage song.

I was surprised to find out that there were quite a lot of familiar songs in this album, and the rest pretty much sounded the same.

Solid 4. I usually only listen to the track “Killing in the Name Of” but it’s a good album overall.

Definitely a classic album, easily my favorite Rage album.

I wasn't paying attention and accidentally listened to a YouTube rip of the album plus the four extra songs on a bonus disc from the 1995 australian cd re-release. So i was prepared to come here and talk about how much i liked "Year of the Boomerang" but oh well. really like a lot of the guitar and bass work, tempo changes. it felt long, but i had four extra songs. would have been ok with 00:52, but 01:15 was a lot. 3.5 rounded up to 4.

I preferred the music over than the guy’s voice but it wasn’t bad More politics than I expected but honestly I should have known with a band name like rage against the machine

Makes me wanna break some stuff

This is some solid hard protest metal. I dig it.

respect the hell out of the message but its very unlikely that i’ll relisten to this lol. just not my preferred genre

Great album

god rage is so fucking good im gonna be cranking this down the mountain this weekend. FUCK U I WONT DO WHAT YA TELL ME

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Great stuff.

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

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

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

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

yeah - da ist man gleich nochmals 20!

Fun! Intense.

4.5

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

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

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

****

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

4/5

Wow…

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

Classic! Period!

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

Hypes up

Deffo heat

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

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

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

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

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

An excellent album!

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

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

Pretty rageful.

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

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

Banger album, such high energy

Champagne communists but they know how to bang a track out

rage against the machaine

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

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

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

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

This album got me through some emotionally trying times.

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

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

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

Fantastic rap metal. Pretty much the pinnacle of that genre

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

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

Still one of the most rockin' albums ever

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

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

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

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

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

This is their best album