Apollo: News

[Len]

Album of the Month

Rage Against The Machine - Rage Against The Machine (1992)
(Album/EP) (Hard Rock, Funk Metal, Rap Metal)


Album description:

Probably the first album to successfully merge the seemingly disparate sounds of rap and heavy metal, Rage Against the Machine's self-titled debut was groundbreaking enough when released in 1992, but many would argue that it has yet to be surpassed in terms of influence and sheer brilliance -- though countless bands have certainly tried. This is probably because the uniquely combustible creative relationship between guitar wizard Tom Morello and literate rebel vocalist Zack de la Rocha could only burn this bright, this once. While the former's roots in '80s heavy metal shredding gave rise to an inimitable array of six-string acrobatics and rhythmic special effects (few of which anyone else has managed to replicate), the latter delivered meaningful rhymes with an emotionally charged conviction that suburban white boys of the ensuing nu-metal generation could never hope to touch. As a result, syncopated slabs of hard rock insurrection like "Bombtrack," "Take the Power Back," and "Know Your Enemy" were as instantly unforgettable as they were astonishing. Yet even they paled in comparison to veritable clinics in the art of slowly mounting tension such as "Settle for Nothing," "Bullet in the Head," and the particularly venomous "Wake Up" (where Morello revises Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir" riff for his own needs) -- all of which finally exploded with awesome power and fury. And even listeners who were unable (or unwilling) to fully process the band's unique clash of muscle and intellect were catered to, as RATM were able to convey their messages through stubborn repetition via the fundamental challenge of "Freedom" and their signature track, "Killing in the Name," which would become a rallying cry of disenfranchisement, thanks to its relentlessly rebellious mantra of "Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me!" Ultimately, if there's any disappointment to be had with this near-perfect album, it's that it still towers above subsequent efforts as the unequivocal climax of Rage Against the Machine's vision. As such, it remains absolutely essential.


Track list:

1. Bombtrack (04:04)
2. Killing in the Name (05:14)
3. Take the Power Back (05:37)
4. Settle for Nothing (04:49)
5. Bullet in the Head (05:10)
6. Know Your Enemy (04:56)
7. Wake Up (06:04)
8. Fistful of Steel (05:31)
9. Township Rebellion (05:24)
10. Freedom (06:06)

Personal statement:

An easy nomination for me to make this month and I'm getting it in early as it's a fitting time to do so. At the time of writing this (3rd November) this album is 25 years old exactly. I recal hearing it for the first time as a 14 year old just after its release in 1992 and to say it blew me away would be an understatement. I remember being sat around the local park doing what rebelious teens usually do at that age when another older lad turned up with it to play from this old gheto blaster we used to huddle around. Listening to 'Killing in the name of' and the lyrics of 'fuck you I won't do what you tell me' spoke directly to my soul! The album as a whole stands the test of time and it still feels as fresh today as it did back then. Other stand out tracks such as 'Bombtrack' and my personal favouite 'Bullet in the Head' are just pure magic. To me it is without any doubt one of the most important and certainly one of my most played albums of the 90's. I'm sure most people here have listened to it before and I know its not really that obscure but i just couldn't nominate anything else this month.