Not happy with my opinions, I doubt you'll be either.
Not happy with my opinions, I doubt you'll be either.
Member since:07.09.2002
Reviews:16
Members who trust:20
Nu-Metal, made depressing by KoRn, and "down with the kids" by Limp Bizkit, was started way back in 1992, with Rage Against The Machine's self-titled debut album, "Rage Against The Machine". With the metal riffs, rapping vocals and experimental use of instruments, Rage Against The Machine started it all. Don't listen to any other teenager, KoRn created a weak expansion of this great genre, they did nothing in any aid of creating it, Rage did. They did it all.
Zack De La Rocha, the only rapper I will go down in history as saying I like, with his meaningfull and ever-powerful vocals, Brad Wilk with his aggressive drumming style, along with guitarist Tom Morello and warped bassist Tim Commerford (both of whom provide the riffs that make Rage "metal"), have created a full-on excellent, and legendary album. It doesn't just have a few highlights with the rest being filler, it's all classic Nu-metal, every little nut and cranny of every song is filled with the Rage attitude that makes them so popular. Here's just a brief summary of
the tracks on the album.
Bombtrack, where the rapping is perhaps most evident is a superb start to the album, with a familiar Rage riff you could pick out of a million; and the aggressive chorus with Zack chanting "burn! burn! yes ya gonna burn!".
Killing In The Name Of, built around two simple choruses of "an' now ya do what they told ya", is probably the best song on the album, in terms of instrumental use, with the solo at around 4 minutes being one of the most crazy yet innovative I've heard. If you're looking for sheer moshing crazy music (which you're probably not), then this is the song for you. With the most honest and aggressive lyrics towards the end like "f*ck you I won't do what ya tell me!" and "MOOOOTHEEEEERF****CKEEEEEEER!" this will have you jumping about your room in no time.
Take The Power Back is very calm and relaxed until Zack intervines and shouts "bring that sh*t in!", when all the instruments come together in the explosion that dignifies the start of another high-powered Rage song, which it most definitely is.
Settle For Nothing, is the most agnst-ridden song on the album. The gentle 2 minute relaxed part of the song serves well for the build-up of Zack's tortured vocals that make up the rest of the song. When I say tortured, I mean strong, bold, "like he cares". It's kind of scary the aggression the lyrics "we'll settle for nothing now! and we'll settle for nothing later!" brings. You can seriously tell how angry he is.
Bullet In The Head, my favourite song on the album, basically ripping on the public for being muppets to the government etc is just full of enegry, and you just KNOW they had a good time writing this one, with lyrics like "ya braindead! ya got a f*ckin bullet in your head!" and "they say jump, you say how high?" being perfect examples of how blatantly insulting they're being. Zack really goes mad at the end of this one, screaming "YA GOT A BULLET IN YOUR HEAD!" repeatedly until at the very end he screams "YA GOT A BULLET IN YOUR F*CKIN HEEEEEEEEEEEEAD!".
Know Your Enemy is the most upbeat song the album has to offer, and the one song where Zack has a huge point to prove: just how pissed off he is about ...well, everything! Towards the end he talks about compromise, conformity, assimilation, submission, ignorance, hypocrisy and brutality, then goes on to repeat the line "all of which are American dreams!", an astounding 8 times!
Wake Up is basically (maybe intentionally) a round-up of all the things he's already spoken about. ie: how stupid everyone in America is and how they're all growing up to be the same boring, hypocritical people. Zack's at his all time loudest towards the end of this one, screaming like a total maniac.
Fistful Of Steel, for a song with such a hard name, is awfully quiet. The chorus being the repeated "Firstful of steel!", is the heaviest part of the song, as Zack gently raps over the bizarre experimentation of Tim and Tom.
Township Rebellion opens with pretty much the same riff as Killing In The Name Of, but goes on to be much softer. I think they might've written this song so the instrument players could show off a little, as the song is over 5 minutes long, yet Zack is pretty much done for 3 minutes, other than shouting "Why stand on a silent platform? Fight the way, f*ck the war!* over and over again, he doesn't really do much else. This is probably the weakest song on the album.
Freedom, opening with an energetic "urgh!" is an up and down kind of track: much like Metallica's "To Live Is To Die", especially with the solo mid-way. Oh, and Zack screams again at the end, not the Raging Speedhorn "trying to scream as loud as possible", but the "showing we care", type of screaming.
The overall length is 52:52 and it cost me £6:99 from MoreThanMusic in Derby.
It's one of very few albums I can leave to play every track one after another without having to move up to my favourite tracks. A consistently good album.
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Not since the days of the Clash and the MC5 has rock seen such political force as in the ... more
uncompromising debut from this American quartet. Expanding the hip-hop/metal style of bands such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rage tap the spirits of vintage Blac...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
1. PROGRAMME START.2. THE GHOST OF TOM JOAD.3. VIETNOW.4. PEOPLE OF THE SUN.5. BULLS ON ... more
PARADE.6. BULLET IN THE HEAD.7. ZAPATA'S BLOOD.8. KNOW YOUR ENEMY.9. BOMBTRACK.10. TIRE ME.11. KILLING IN THE NAME.VIDEO CLIPS (UNCENSORED VERSIONS).12. KILLING IN ...
Not since the days of the Clash and the MC5 has rock seen such political force as in the ... more
uncompromising debut from this American quartet. Expanding the hip-hop/metal style of bands such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rage tap the spirits of vintage Blac...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Not since the days of the Clash and the MC5 has rock seen such political force as in the ... more
uncompromising debut from this American quartet. Expanding the hip-hop/metal style of bands such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rage tap the spirits of vintage Blac...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Advantages: Great vocals, amazing guitar (as a guitarist I must say I'm impressed), Tim C rocks on bass, Brad Wilk, great drummer. Poitical, loud. Disadvantages: absolutely none whatsoever
Dec 14th, 2002
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