Rage Against the Machine

One of the best albums ever made. Lots of people in the comments calling this “heavy metal” and “rap-rock” without recognizing the hardcore punk dna. Shame. 4.7

Absolute classic

The kind of music Little Timmy listens to when his mum doesn't let him have ice cream for breakfast

It is such an energetic album. The politically-themed angst throughout the album is even more so relevant as time passes.

8/10 [KEEP]

This was really quite good for corporate America rock.

Revisiting this album, it's crazy how spot on and important the hardcore political stuff still feels. Tim Commerford's killer bass and Tom Morello's guitar are insane, making a huge sound that goes perfect with Zack's ferocious, passionate vocals. It is an absolute powerhouse of a debut that immediately hooks you and gets your blood pumping, serving as the ultimate high-energy soundtrack whether you are trying to get psyched up for a heavy workout or feeling righteously angry at systemic injustice.

At the same time, listening to it with modern eyes brings a deep sense of cynicism and irony that is hard to ignore. There is an undeniable contradiction in a fiercely anti-capitalist, anti-establishment message being produced and heavily profited from by a massive corporate entity like Sony. While the raw, unfiltered anger and aggressive protest songs completely rock on a visceral level, the lack of an actual plan for change makes the revolution feel a bit like a commodified societal release valve. It is a masterpiece of focused rage that completely stands the test of time musically, even if it leaves you realizing that most of us, including the band members living comfortably overlooking the machine, are ultimately just hypocrites navigating the very system we are yelling at.

The self-titled debut by Rage Against the Machine often feels like a blueprint for what would later be labeled nu metal, blending heavy riffs with rap-influenced vocals and a strong rhythmic drive. The band sounds focused and powerful, with a clear identity from the very start.

At the same time, the relentless intensity can become tiring over the course of the album. The lack of variation makes it harder to stay fully engaged, even if the individual tracks are effective on their own.

Clearly some songs are classics. I can understand why some critics have this in their top 100. But, this is not something I can see myself reaching for.

"Killing in the Name of" is beloved for a reason - the way it builds slowly and then explodes? Fantastic song. The rest of these songs mostly all sound and feel like that, but that's ok with me.

Album is recommended for those days when you've made the mistake of reading the news, or when those helicopters that are always circling over your city start to get on your fucking nerves.

5 stars

After a dour run of albums last week, to quote the kids - "we're so back".

No notes needed. One of those albums where you just hit play, raise your fist in defiance and start bopping your head.

I haven’t listened to Rage Against the Machine in decades, but as soon as I saw this album generated, I immediately had Killing in the Name stuck in my head.

I don’t think there’s ever been a better time for a new Rage Against the Machine album. We need more of this angry, revolutionary energy today.

This band is not reaaally my thing, being a rap-metal(?) fusion, but they kinda remind me of System of a Down, mainly because of the lyrics, so I actually don't hate them that much. Even though their sound is in reality more like the Beastie Boys. But they don't use any slurs! So this is one of those rare cases where I like the band, it's just not a genre I like (i.e. very loud). I only listen to Slow Melodic Complaints Against the Machine, thanks.

Highlights: 'Killing in the Name' (gets stuck in my head a lot), the part MJK sings on 'Know Your Enemy' (Machine Jun Kelly? is that anything? haha no, but seriously, I really hope Tool or APC are on this list)

Lowlights: 'Settle for Nothing' (extra screamy), 'Fistful of Steel' (extra noisy)

More logic problems: "If ignorance is bliss / Then knock the smile off my face!"

Music is an exceptional blend of funk, rap, rock and punk that has a unique fingerprint.

I don't care for their politics at all but that has very little to do with how I appreciate the music (see guys, it's easy!)

cringe against the machine

La música y las imágenes de un tiempo de rabia tras caer del caballo. Para mí sigue envejeciendo como los buenos vinos. Tengo guardadas todas las canciones de este disco y todas merecen la pena escucharse con las letras en la mano y hacer un esfuerzo por entender el mensaje de rabia.

Absolute classic filled with bangers, that's still as politically relevant today as it was when it released. Morello's inventive guitar is fantastic, Commorford's basslines perfect, Brad Wilk an incredibly underrated drummer, and on top of it Zack de la Rocha's punchy, immediate vocals bring the energy. Standouts for me are Bombtrack, Killing in the Name, Know Your Enemy, and Fistful of Steel.

Really fucking good. But yeah, not much changed since then...

Another amazing album. Rage had a pretty big influence on my late teens and twenties, really opening my mind to a lot of injustices in an era that didn’t have the 24-hour news cycle and constant flood of information that we have now. It’s a real shame we didn’t get another album or two out of them before Zack shut up shop, but we have this masterpiece to remember them by.

what can I say

Yesterday, I had Rid of Me by PJ Harvey, which was my formative teenage 'yeah, fuck the lot of you!' album. RATM was clearly that album for a lot of people around my age, so I completely understand the love for it in the reviews. For me though, while I was amped up for the first few tracks, it eventually got a bit wearying.