Rage Against The Machine

Evil Empire

Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/release/2268260-Rage-Against-The-Machine-Evil-Empire

Year Of Release: 1996

Review

Hard to believe it’s been over thirty years since this album was released (I know, old people love to say stuff like that). This might be my favourite Rage Against The Machine album. I remember buying it on CD as soon as it came out but being unable to listen to it because my CD player was broken. At the time it seemed normal to spend money on CDs while not having a working CD player. The CD I have is also one of those ones where the tracks aren’t separated correctly, so Year Of Tha Boomerang has the last twenty or thirty seconds of Roll Right at the beginning. Something about CDs pressed in Australia during that period. I’ve had it happen with a few different albums.

I got to see them play live at Big Day Out in the Summer of 1996, and I remember Zach De La Rocha being a blur as he was constantly moving around the stage – so energetic. The video clip for Bulls On Parade has footage from the Perth Big Day Out (I think). An absolutely amazing band to see play live.

I was at university when this album came out, so a little more across many of the themes covered by many of the tracks (as opposed to being in high school when the self-titled album was released). Standout tracks for me are People Of The Sun, Vietnow, and Tire Me, but this is another album that plays through easily. If you haven’t, you should. And if you have, then you already know.

Rating: 9/10

Rage Against The Machine

Rage Against The Machine XX

Discogs: https://www.discogs.com/release/4093460-Rage-Against-The-Machine-Rage-Against-The-Machine-XX

Year Of Release: 1992

Review

This is the twentieth anniversary picture-disc pressing of Rage Against The Machine’s debut album. I remember when this album first came out, a friend gave me a tape with the uncensored version of Killing In The Name on it, sourced from a late-night Rage session. I remember being amazed by the (new to me) combination of rap and rock, along with what I understood to be super political lyrics. I had no idea about what most of the songs were really about, and it wasn’t until much later that I started to understand just what the band was talking about with its music.

This album remains a compelling listen, with De La Rocha’s powerful lyrical delivery combined with Morello’s amazing guitar work, ably supported by the pounding drums of Brad Wilk and some impressive bass work from Tim Commerford. I remember discussing this album at a party late in 1993. I was in disbelief that all the sounds on the album were made just with instruments, assuming that some kind of electronic music or at least record scratching was involved. I was young and extremely ignorant. Now I’m older and not quite as ignorant.

Standout tracks on this album for me were Killing In The Name, Bullet In The Head, and Wake Up. There are no skips on this album. If you can get your hands on it, the Australian CD single version of Killing In The Name also has the most excellent tracks Darkness Of Greed and Clear The Lane – worth checking out.

Rating: 9/10