Cover:
Artist:
Rage Against The Machine
Album:
Evil Empire
Bio
Rage Against the Machine earned acclaim from
disenfranchised fans (and not insignificant
derision from critics) for their bombastic,
fiercely polemical music, which brewed
sloganeering leftist rants against corporate
America, cultural imperialism, and government
oppression into a Molotov cocktail of punk,
hip-hop, and thrash. Rage formed in Los Angeles in
the early '90s out of the wreckage of a number of
local groups: vocalist Zack de la Rocha (the son
of Chicano political artist Beto) emerged from the
bands Headstance, Farside, and Inside Out;
guitarist Tom Morello (the nephew of Jomo
Kenyatta, the first Kenyan president) originated
in Lock Up; and drummer Brad Wilk played with
future Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder. Rounded
out by bassist Tim Bob (aka Tim C., born Tim
Commerford), a childhood friend of de la Rocha's,
Rage debuted in 1992 with a self-released,
self-titled 12-song cassette featuring the song
"Bullet in the Head," which became a hit
when reissued as a single later in the year.
The tape won the band a deal with Epic, and their
leap to the majors did not go unnoticed by
detractors, who questioned the revolutionary
integrity of Rage Against the Machine's decision
to align itself with the label's parent company,
media behemoth Sony. Undeterred, the quartet
emerged in late 1992 with their eponymous official
debut, which scored the hits "Killing in the
Name" and "Bombtrack." After touring
with Lollapalooza and declaring their support of
groups like FAIR (Fairness and Accuracy in
Reporting), Rock for Choice, and Refuse &
Resist, Rage spent a reportedly tumultuous four
years working on their follow-up; despite rumors
of a breakup, they returned in 1996 with Evil
Empire, which entered the U.S. album charts at
number one and scored a hit single with "Bulls
on Parade." During 1997, the group joined
forces with hip-hop supergroup the Wu-Tang Clan
for a summer tour and remained active in support
of various leftist political causes, including a
controversial 1999 benefit concert for death-row
inmate Mumia Abu-Jamal. The Battle of Los Angeles
followed later in 1999, also debuting at number
one and going double platinum by the following
summer. In early 2000, de la Rocha announced plans
for a solo project, and the band performed an
incendiary show outside the Democratic National
Convention in August. The following month, bassist
Commerford was arrested for disorderly conduct at
MTV's Video Music Awards following his bizarre
disruption of a Limp Bizkit acceptance speech, in
which he climbed to the top of a 15-foot set piece
and rocked back and forth.
Plans for a live album were announced shortly
thereafter, but in October, de la Rocha abruptly
announced his departure from the band, citing
breakdowns in communication and group
decision-making. Surprised but not angry, the
remainder of Rage announced plans to continue with
a new vocalist, while de la Rocha re-focused on
his solo album, which was slated to include
collaborations with acclaimed hip-hop artists
including DJ Shadow and El-P of Company Flow.
December 2000 saw the release of de la Rocha's
final studio effort with the band, the Rick
Rubin-produced Renegades; it featured nearly a
dozen covers of hip-hop, rock, and punk artists
like EPMD, Bruce Springsteen, Devo, the Rolling
Stones, the MC5, and more. By 2001, Morello, Wilk,
and Commerford had formed Audioslave with former
Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell, and the group
released an eponymous album by the end of 2002.
With a de la Rocha solo album still not announced,
Epic finally released the long-promised concert
album Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium on CD
and DVD in time for Christmas 2003.
Review:
Rage Against the Machine spent four years making
their second album, Evil Empire. As the title
suggests, their rage and contempt for the
"fascist" capitalist system in America
hadn't declined in the nearly half-decade they
were away. Their musical approach didn't change,
either. Lead vocalist Zack de la Rocha is caught
halfway between the militant raps of Chuck D and
the fanatical ravings of a street preacher,
shouting out his simplistic, libertarian slogans
over the sonically dense assault of the band.
Since the band didn't perform together much after
1993, there isn't a collective advance in their
musicianship. Nevertheless, guitarist Tom Morello
demonstrates an impressive palette of sound,
creating new textures in heavy metal, which is
quite difficult. Even with Morello's studied
virtuosity, the band sounds leaden, lacking the
dexterity to fully execute their metal/hip-hop
fusion -- they don't get into a groove; they
simply pound. But that happens to fit the
hysterical ravings of de la Rocha. Though his
dedication to decidedly left-wing politics is
admirable, his arhythmic phrasing and grating
shouting cancel out any message he is trying to
make. And that means Evil Empire succeeds only on
the level of a sonic assault.
Tracks:
1. People Of The Sun
2. Bulls On Parade
3. Vietnow
4. Revolver
5. Snakecharmer
6. Tire Me
7. Down Rodeo
8. Without A Face
9. Wind Below
10. Roll Right
11. Year Of Tha Boomerang
Rating (of 10):
8
Release Date:
Apr 1996
Label:
Epic
Genre:
* Rock
Styles:
* Heavy Metal
* Alternative Pop/ Rock
* Alternative Metal
* Rap-Metal
Bitrate:
128kbps
File format:
mp3
File size:
42.7 MB
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