Reviews (page 12 of 14)
3.5
Listened on 5/9/25 3/5 Favorite song: Killing in the Name This gave me a headache but the political commentary was top tier
Love the energy and raw feeling of RATM, even if the music isn’t my particularly cup of tea. I’d give the album a 3.5 and Bombtrack is probably the favorite.
great album
I expected to like this more than I did, it was decent but just don't see myself going back to it much
Album art:4
-holy shit this is so cool, I wish I could’ve been a teenager listening to this in the early 90s -really nothing bad to say about this album in terms of quality I think. I definitely preferred the first half but it never really deteriorated in quality. can see why this one’s so loved -Favorites are Bombtrack, Killing In The Name, and Take The Power Back
🎧Respect to Rage, they’re probably the most successful and influential politically-minded band of the past 40 years. Solid songs here, and that’s coming from someone who doesn’t like rap metal. Favorite track: Bullet In The Head
Definitely deserving on the list although for some reason I don't quite gel with the LA/So-Cal rap thrash/metal/punk sound - RHCP/RATM and all that.. In some ways this sounds a little bit like as if The Beastie Boys got up on the wrong side of bed - which isn't necessarily a bad thing. And no slight on this album but was surprised to see the Global score right on the money at 4....that's just outside the Top 20 - interesting given how unsurprising/more mainstream the other albums getting 4+ overall ratings are...
Man what an angry and aggressive album. One of those albums that you have to take a break halfway through. But that's exactly what RATM set out to accomplish so credit where credits due. Killing in the Name is a great song. Not an album I'll listen to again but respect the art. 6/10 (3/5)
Definitely not my favorite genre but lowkey I admire RATM quite a bit. This album is unapologetically radical. I’m not gonna look it up because it will make me sad if I’m wrong about this but I don’t think Tom Morello has ever had a bad take. 🤞🏻
Just what was needed
3.5
I have really mixed feelings on this one. On one hand, it takes a bunch of subgenres I hate -- rap rock, funk metal, nu metal -- but against all odds, it kind of works about half the time. I think Zack De Le Rocha kind of saves the band from their own worst instincts. He's a cool frontman. I do think it's still kind of cheesy at times, but there's some cool stuff here, particularly "Killing in the Name" and "Freedom". 3.5 stars.
Classic
Pretty cool liked it. I am a modern rap fan so listening to it super funky but not my style some absolute bangers though
I’ll admit that I was not a fan when it came out , it was really agro cock jock rock imo and I was more of a Dead Kennedys fan. But it’s not like that and I was wrong. It rocks and this album is definitely having a resurgence for reasons I am sure are a timely response to a certain political climate that finds the USA divided. Heavy guitars and good lyrics go along way.
It's really not bad. Honestly. It may be some of the best popular political punk rap I've heard. I'm just not a fan of the sound.
It's nice I guess? Would have to listen to it more (I wonder if you can edit these later)
It doesn't get much more metal than this!
It’s fine, not for my taste
It was solid workout music. They just start to sound repetitive
Good rage album
Fantastic debut album, a raw yet refined sound that you can’t help but get fired up to. Pointed and poignant lyricism that demands attention from the listener and imbues its energy into them. Zack de la Rocha vocals are raw and powerful, and Tom Morello’s iconic tone on guitar is standout from the jump. Fav track: Killing In The Name
custom_rating:6.5
INCREDIBLE bass and guitar, but the singing/screaming felt repetitive after a time -- my rage might not be big enough for this idk
Bit heavy for my taste
As a teen I couldn’t stand RATM, and now that it’s 3 decades later… It’s fine. Had to skip one song because it was like nails on a chalkboard. WHen the album finished, I was just happy the yelling was over.
Hook-filled, yapping funk metal. It sounded a bit more toothy in the 90s and paved the way for some much worse examples (the Nu Metal / Woodstock ‘99 gang). Production sounds a bit flat thirty years on and Morello’s Led Zep-isms are a bit cloying but they were a unique bit of stuff overall.
Angry mood music
I've never really listened to RATM before. I don't traffic in that kind of anger anymore but I like their sound. Morello is a good guitar player
1992, j’ai vingt-deux ans, je suis installé dans le studio de la radio indépendante, et je reçois ce truc. Une pochette avec un moine qui s'immole. Pas de fioritures, pas de logo brillant, juste la violence pure et silencieuse d'une photo historique. Je me rappelle avoir posé le diamant sur le vinyle avec une sorte d'appréhension. Ce que j'ai pris dans la gueule en cinquante minutes, c'était pas juste un disque de rock, c'était un attentat sonore. À l'époque, on sortait tout juste de la domination des brushings du hair metal et de la pop proprette. On était en plein milieu de l'explosion Grunge, mais Rage, c'était autre chose. C'était une machine de guerre conçue pour broyer le système de l'intérieur. Musicalement, c'est un séisme. Tom Morello est arrivé avec sa gratte et il a décidé que les règles n'existaient plus. Le mec ne jouait pas de la guitare, il faisait du scratching avec ses cordes, il imitait des sirènes de police, il transformait son instrument en platine de DJ ou en scie sauteuse. Pour moi, voir un type réinventer l'instrument de façon aussi radicale tout en restant "groove", c'était fascinant car on n'avait jamais entendu ça. C'était du métal, oui, mais avec une colonne vertébrale funk tellement solide qu'elle aurait pu faire danser un mort. Tim Commerford et Brad Wilk, c’est une section rythmique qui ne respire pas, elle martèle. C'est du béton armé, sec, sans aucune réverbération inutile. Et puis, il y a Zack de la Rocha. Le mec n’est pas là pour chanter, il est là pour te cracher ses convictions à la figure. C’est un flow incisif, une rage (justement) qui n’a rien de feinte. On sent que chaque mot est pesé, que chaque syllabe est une balle. À la radio, quand on passait « Killing in the Name », on savait qu’on faisait chier le monde, et c’était ça qui était bon. C’était l’époque où on croyait encore que la musique pouvait renverser des gouvernements. Ce disque, c’était le manuel de l'anarchiste mis en musique, une charge héroïque contre le capitalisme, le racisme institutionnel et la machine médiatique. C’était brut, c’était sincère, et c’était d’une efficacité redoutable. Plus tard, entre 1996 et 2000, quand je bossais dans le magasin de disques indépendant, je voyais les gamins se ruer sur cet album car c’était devenu la porte d’entrée pour toute une génération. Le problème, c'est que ça a aussi ouvert la vanne à toute la vague Nu Metal qui a suivi, et là, j'ai commencé à déchanter. Voir l'héritage de Rage Against the Machine se transformer en mecs à casquettes rouges qui pleurnichent sur leurs problèmes d'ados, ça m'a un peu flingué le plaisir. On passait de la révolte politique pure à de la soupe commerciale pour MTV. C'est peut-être là que mon regard sur ce premier album a commencé à changer, à se teinter d'une certaine amertume. Parce qu'au final, quand je remets ce disque aujourd'hui, je lui colle un 3 sur 5. Pourquoi pas plus ? Parce que c'est un album qui manque cruellement de nuances. C'est un bloc, un parpaing. C’est génial quand tu veux tout péter, mais au bout de quarante minutes, cette production ultra-propre, ultra-compressée, finit par me fatiguer. Moi qui suis un bouffeur de Post-Punk, j'ai besoin de zones d'ombre, de silences, de moments où la musique respire la défaite ou la mélancolie. Chez Rage, tout est en pleine lumière, tout est frontal, tout est dans l'affirmation constante. Il n'y a pas de place pour le doute, et pour moi, le doute, c'est l'essence même de la bonne musique. C'est un disque qui a incroyablement bien vieilli techniquement, mais qui a pris un coup de vieux dans son approche "grosse caisse claire qui claque". Quand j'écoute « Bullet in the Head », j'admire la construction, le crescendo final est monstrueux, mais ça ne me touche plus aux tripes. C'est un album de jeunesse, de testostérone et de conviction, et peut-être que j'ai juste passé l'âge de me faire hurler dessus pendant une heure sans qu'on me propose un peu de texture sonore plus complexe. Néanmoins, je ne peux pas nier l'importance de l'objet dans cette liste des 1001 albums. C'est une borne kilométrique indispensable. Ils ont réussi à fusionner le Rap et le Metal sans que ça sonne comme une blague ou un accident industriel. Ils ont apporté une conscience politique dans un milieu (le rock lourd) qui en était souvent dépourvu, ou alors de manière très superficielle. Ils ont imposé un son que personne n'a jamais réussi à copier correctement, malgré des milliers de tentatives foireuses. Rien que pour ça, le respect est éternel. C’est le genre d’album que je suis content d’avoir possédé, mais que je ne ressortirai pas spontanément pour une écoute attentive. C’est une pièce de musée vibrante, un témoignage d'une époque où on pensait que le rock pouvait encore être dangereux. Un 3/5 solide, pour l'histoire, pour le riff de « Bombtrack », pour la technique de Morello, et pour ce putain de souvenir de moi, dans mon studio de radio, pensant que le monde allait changer grâce à un riff de basse. C'était beau, c'était violent, c'était Rage. Mais la suite de l'histoire nous a appris que la "Machine" gagne toujours à la fin, et ça, le disque ne nous l'avait pas dit.
Really cool, but gets old near the end.
Some good, some bad.
i know the lyrics are important and all but rap metal isn't for me
Photo of the monk is crazy work. I think Rage Against the Machine is just an average band, if I wanted to listen to something similar there are much better bands in my opinion. Vocals mediocre.
In a remarkable feat, every song is exactly two minutes too long. On paper, this should be the worst idea for a band anyone's ever had, it ends up working as well as it does thanks to the earnest of the execution. Good in short bursts - maybe a song or two - but listening to this all the way through in one go seems a bit redundant.
This should have been Evil Empire, because this is just Rage as they’re figuring things out. Half the songs are Public Enemy ripoffs, and the others are good but still sound like bad metal production. They’ve done better, and as influential as it is, there’s so much more these guys did that it feels cheap to put this on the list.
some eternal bangers on here but the Tom Morello schtick gets old pretty quickly
such a solid album... the bass goes insane and the hits are pretty mmmmmm amazing. fav: killing in the name of
Killing in the name is harrowing but then the rest of the album just kinda sounds like a less impactful version
There was a week there back then when I thought RatM was the second coming, but I was having a bad week. They were a little too alpha for me. Fugazi for skaters who would go into finance.
I shouldn't be surprised but I was surprised at just how repetitive the lyrics are, now that I've listened to an entire RATM album. I think it makes sense for the kind of music they're making though. I have thoughts about whether this approach still resonates in the current sociopolitical climate but just as music, it sounds great, but I'm not sure I'd want to put it on any ol' time to listen to it. It's very much music for a specific occasion and purpose, and that purpose is literally the band's name.
Ok
All the bones are here but it is uneven (Settle for Nothing was really unpleasant.). Great when it is funkier. Killing in the Name whips.
The band’s sounds is great and the playing is really tight. A lot of the songs kinda end up blending together though. Also, I just cannot take the band‘s attitude seriously at all. There is an overabundance of cynical, “anti-establishment“ bands and musicians. I can enjoy some of them, but this band’s attitude is a bit overwrought for me
Hardcore ska
This is pretty cool and all but I'm not as crazy about it as many people seem to be. It definitely sounds unique as far as early-90's alternative rock or metal goes, with as much rapping as actual singing. Pretty groovy, too. Key tracks: Bombtrack Killing in the Name
Just REALLY ANGRY variations on the Seinfeld theme tune.
So I have been meaning to listen to Rage more as (sorry to be basic) but I do love Killing In The Name. Sadly, I wanted to like this album more than I did. It's good, don't get me wrong, but it didn't blow my socks off. Lyrically, I know they are a very political band and fuck the man and establishment which comes across in abundance and I can get behind to a certain extent but maybe I could be more behind it if it was told in a bit more clever way? Or maybe that's not the point to be honest... and just repeating phrases of anger is the point and I'm the problem... who knows. The guitar is great and if you like screaming the vocals definitely have something about them. Favourite songs for me (not counting Killing In The Name) Settle For Nothing and Township Rebellion but in all honesty, can I really tell one track from another... not really. And thats the problem with this album, its a lot of the same unfortunately. It's like when you see a trailer for a movie and think it looks amazing and then you watch it and realise the trailer had the best bits in it and the rest of the film is just meh. That's sadly how I feel about this album, Killing In The Name is the trailer that gets you excited but the album itself is nothing to write home about.
It's alright. The music itself is great. Not a fan of the screaming, though I get that it's essential especially considering the subject matter of this album (and every other RATM album tbh).
Decent. Wouldn’t seek it out I don’t think
Plenty of rage, and I get the naysayers, a bit like Ice-T's albums in the early 90s, this is channeling stuff for the burbs. But it's pretty listenable, and if the singer's rap-scream-singing patter is perhaps the worst thing about this, it is as nothing compared to the horrors Linkin park and Limp Bizkit would visit on us a few years later.
Ne
I know RATM has been a popular meme for being called woke, but to be fair middle school me didn't understand a lot of the content of the lyrics at the time either. I still knew they had a message and agenda and that is great. What is not great is that we're 30 years down the road and some of these issues are stills around if not worse, and that is just depressing. I also don't remember listening to the full album often, just some of the highlights like "Killing in the name" "Know your enemy" and "Freedom". All the tracks in a row are tough to get through. I agree with a lot of the points, but I like most people feel bad about the situation and not being able to see a way to make the changes. It's exhausting. Still great jams for those main tracks, so I'll give them that. Just wasn't as excited as the end of the album as I was to start it. Favorite track "Know your enemy" 3/5
3/5
the instrumentals are very good but i don't think i'm a fan of the vocal delivery. if i heard these just as instrumental tracks i think id enjoy them more.
Rage Against the Machine is exactly what it says on the tin — unbridled rage, usually (and often rightfully) directed at authority. Rock music has always been about “sticking it to the man,” as Jack Black famously said in School of Rock, and this album is a shining example of this concept gone right. RATM’s self-titled album is a nonstop tirade against “compromise, conformity, assimilation, submission, ignorance, hypocrisy, brutality, [and] the elite,” which lead vocalist Zach de la Rocha derides as “the American dream” in “Know Your Enemy.” Musically, this album fits well with other funk-influenced 90s alternative artists like Red Hot Chili Peppers, obviously minus the irreverent silliness of RHCP. Tom Morello’s guitar finesse is on display throughout this album, and I only truly began to recognize how brilliant and experimental his playing is while listening to this album. He utilizes a handful of interesting effects, including heavy distortion throughout, but my favorite solo on the album, the one on “Settle For Nothing,” features a relatively clean tone and a simple, singable legato melody, contrasting with the choppy, aggressive sound of the rest of the song. I don’t know that I enjoyed RATM’s music as much as, say, RHCP’s music, but I did enjoy listening through this album and hearing their message. I think music for me is a kind of escapism, which is why I’m not super into political/protest music., even if I’m on the same side of the artist. I don’t want to be reminded of how much the world sucks; I just wanna vibe and listen to cool stuff. RATM is NOT vibey music, but it does what it was created to do, which is fire people up to inspire change. And if that is their mission, I’d say they’re pretty successful.
I liked a portion of it. It's really not my style.
I can only take political music in small doses. Rage Against The Machine is great but a whole album of them at once is a bit much.
eu sempre achei essa banda limpa demais. tipo, tem gritaria, tem umas guitarrada alta e tal, sinto que a produção TENTA ser suja, mas é muito limpinha, organizadinha. nunca achei que combinasse, fica faltando sujeira. no mais, é divertidinho. dito isso, eu gosto de algumas ideias da banda. acho importante, blablabla. mas aqui vai minha crítica à fanbase. tem 3 tipos de pessoas que gostam de ratm: - pessoas que botam fé na visão política da banda; - galera burra que acredita que não se deve misturar política com música; - adolescente revoltado. 0 noção do que eles tão falando, mas doido pra quebrar tudo (um clássico noventista). em resumo, é uma fanbase variada que só tem um tipo de fã decente, o resto é mei burro/bobo. a década de 90 trouxe varias banda nessa pegada de nu metal/rap rock e geral se vendeu rapidinho, é justo ter essas fanbase nada a ver. eles até tentaro não se vender e pá, mas tendo a visibilidade que eles tiveram por assinar com grandes empresas, é o que acabaria acontecendo (mesmo forçadamente). sinto que eles ganhariam mais (tanto em público quanto musicalmente) se ficassem independentes. ao mesmo tempo sei que é importante a visibilidade que eles tinham pra disseminar umas ideias deles. confuso, mas de quê adianta se só 1/3 do seu público vai botar fé no que cê fala? sei lá. até o momento é um 3 mesmo e é isso aí. nunca mais vou escutar voluntariamente, rap rock não é minha pira, mas respeito a banda, apesar de tudo.
Still holds up.
What a throwback! I loved this album in high school. Still love it now! Great start!
Heavy, but ok
Generally I like this style of music, but I don't like their views, and the singing made me cringe a little bit.
Loud and angry. I was a big fan of this album in my 20s. Now in my 50s, the lyrics strike me as somewhat juvenile. The tunes still rock.
If you like “Killing in the Name” then you’re in luck! This album has that song and nine other slight variations of the same song. Luckily I do like that song so this was enjoyable. Always relevant but also pretty repetitive. But yeah there wasn’t much variation from one track to the next.
Screaming rebellious, anti-establishment rhetoric while your message is obscured by the noise doesn't make you revolutionaries. But using the capitalist framework you ostensibly oppose by selling merchandise, albums, and concert tickets through labels and massive corporations does make you a hypocrite. And your followers, too, if they want to believe that it's about message and not music. Maybe, instead, just be recognized as great performers who made banging metal rock.
the lack of substance sadly drowns out some really tasteful guitar and bass playing
# 366 : They've done a pretty decent job, good album, it’s enjoyable and fun overall. Very repetitive, very riffy and very angry. A great first album. Weird but catchy and lively songs. Not too heavy but a bit too shouty. Killing In The Name Of was the best track on here.
Strage for a mainstream album to be so revolutionary with a real call to protest, even violently. Tom Morello goat as well as the voice, so iconic After some song it begun to be repetitive 7/10
Never heard the full album before, but have heard some of the songs. I've never been a fan of the band. Morello's guitar work is good, but I'm not a fan of the vocal style. And in general I feel like they're overrated. I also think it's a bs move putting a famous Pulitzer Prize-winning photo of the self-immolation of a true political martyr.
Some good points but lots of the same over and over.
Hit and miss.
The music is good, but the vocals arent the best and the lyrics are rather repetititve.
I find myself getting angry about different things these days but this is still relevant.
Love the guitar work, but I didn't find the scratchy vocals as appealing.
If a single RATM song pops up on a playlist, I enjoy it. Give me an entire albums worth and it just becomes monotonous.
some slappers but a bit samey
I didn't really like it... I don't like rap, I don't like metal... I don't like rap metal.. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Never really warmed to these guys. Wake Up is great though 2.5 rounded up
Basically the same song over and over
Quite enjoyed this but was in a bad mood 7/10
Classic album, but I’m past my raging against anything days.
Good solid album, Not sure how I've missed listening to more of them.
Apart from one great song. A pretty mid album.
It’s right there in the name: Rage. These dudes are pissed about everything. I get that to an extent. But while I like a couple of the songs and there is some really interesting music happening, for me it doesn’t produce a pleasant listening experience. https://open.substack.com/pub/richcain/p/project-1001-rage-against-the-machine?r=4ztyq&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
it was alright
Диссонанс: как можно всерьез рейдж против машины, если ты существуешь только благодаря крупному лейблу Сони? Как вообще можно выпускать такую музыку на одном из самых больших лейблов, не лицемерно ли это? В дополнение сюда, из этой группы родилось множество стыдных банд [которые я любил в детстве]. Энивэй, альбом окэй. Лучшая песня - Killing in the Name.
Will never listen to again
Such angry young men! F*ck you, I won't do what you tell me either! I appreciate their activism through lyricism and literally *showing up* to protests and driving their fans to take action, vote, and be heard. The music is an interesting blend of metal and rap which is a little much with my morning coffee. Maybe would give an extra star if I'd listened at 3pm instead!
political limp bizkit.
4st
I used to scare my peers with this album. It's got a lot of raw power and energy and was unlike most others at its time. Morello had a weird technique and relied almost exclusively on gadgets and tricks for tone.
It was a good album. First rock one ive ever listened to. or seemed a little too hard for me but there was defo a message that they were trying to get across
I hate listening to albums that have a really good song on them. I love Killing In The Name Of, but there's no way a whole album could be as good. I was right.
Liked it. Bass and guitar dove the album forward well
Came into this album expecting to hate it. Putting rage in the same bracket as limp bizkit and system of a down is an insult. The angsty white dudes in this band actually have some real shit to say. Might relisten
One of the most influential metal albums of all time or whatever, I get it. Maybe this helps get the album's point across, but better production and being less repetitive would make this album 100 times better.
First time listening to an album of theirs but I did recognize Killing in the Name. Their blend of screams, yells, and metal-ish sound doesn't work for me, there were a few moments where the music, especially the bass, sounded pretty good.
I used to love this album, and I used to love the production. The vocal style still works for me, raw, barely compressed, very dry. Like you're in the room with de la Rocha and he's personally screaming at you about injustice. The drumming style works for me too. But the clean, barely distorted bass feels like it lacks presence in the upper mids and the rhythm guitar sound reminds me of the midless-mush of ...And Justice For All. From a song writing perspective the first few tracks are iconic. Nothing beats Killing in the Name for passion and feeling. But after this the album tapers down to half time grooves and grunting with sporadic, amellodic and arrhythmic guitar solos from Tom Morello. It's hard to be too harsh on an album that includes Killin in the Name, but I spent most of my listen feeling like I wanted to listen to more interesting bands that these guys were inspired by or have inspired. Everything from Pearl Jam to Evergreen Terrace and Lamb of God.
Pretty rockin’. Great use of cowbell.
La rivoluzione, la libertà e la violenza. Gran bel disco.
The monster sitting at the pinnacle of angry 1990s rock.
Gonna have to relisten to this one. I know its a classic but i just wasnt blown away. The rap rock thing doesnt work for me and the lyrics sound like stuff ive heard a million times from lefty twitter
I like Rage, but an entire album is too much. They’re not very dynamic, all the songs sound the same for the most part. So an hour of it is draining. The album is very high energy, and has some really cool instrumentals. But even the guitar solos, while innovative, are kind of same-y throughout. I love a rage song every once in a while, and can appreciate what they contributed to music. However, the album as a whole had me wishing it was over by the halfway point.
It's still punchy yet I felt underwhelmed
Angry metal rap. Would like it better as a teen. Well executed.
Unfortunately, not my style and couldn't really understand the lyrics.
Rap meets heavy metal. I get the rage, but this is all a little cacophanous and one-nite for me.
It was ok. Not my cup of tea personally but it had great energy.
Few classic songs.
big 3
Good-ish album. I'm not sure what to say about this one. It's obviously a very popular and well-received album, but I can't help but find RATM kind of a dorky band. It's like edgy teenager stuff, but it does have a cool, interesting sound. Vocals/flow are excellent as well. It's not that great though. ***
A coherent album despite the screaming.
Jag har aldrig varit något superfan av RATM, vilket jag tror beror på att jag generellt inte tycker det skrik-rap-rockiga och pubertala uttrycket är jättebra (samma med t ex Beastie Boys). Med det sagt så gav jag den här skivan många chanser och de har verkligen sina stunder när de är grymma, men för mig blir det i längden lite för repetitivt över en hel platta. Vissa låtar, t ex Settle for nothing, tycker jag är rent plågsamma (trots den Kirk Hammet-inspirerade gitarrslingan). Stark trea.
Just a dude complaining for an hour
There are some real bangers on here. Many of the songs overstay their welcome for me, but most tend to have at least a portion that I enjoy. I did end up with a light headache by the end, though, so I can't go too high with my rating.
The first combination of heavy metal and wrap. A very interesting sound. Great musicianship. Definitely need to listen to it again sometime.
Rage Against the Machine Wake up sheeple! Corporations, yeah? The system, yeah? Although I kind of agree with the overall sentiment, lyrically this is pretty artless - it’s hardly groundbreaking to criticise capitalism and express dislike of inequality, but if you are, swearing with vague platitudes about systems and not doing ‘they’ say just sounds a bit crap. It’s not necessarily that they are naive, and I don’t doubt their sincerity and conviction at all, but the words are neither direct and powerful, nor opaque and poetic, so it fails to reach the intellectual articulation that he’s clearly striving for, and consequently it sounds a bit laughable - it has that sense of a teenager with superficial profundity telling you something very obvious that you already know. Musically however this is excellent, or more accurately ‘guitarily’ this is excellent. I know people always say Tom Morello is a great guitarist, but listening to this I completely understand. Although it may not be in my preferred genre, it’s so so good: heavy, groovy, riffy, simultaneously subtle and direct, it expresses the anger and themes of the album much better than the words do. I could quite happily listen to an instrumental-only version of this. Song wise, Killing in the Name is of course excellent and probably the standout. Take the Power Back is, I presume(?), unintentionally Seinfeld. Musically Settle for Nothing is great, superb guitar. Bullet in the Head is good and Know Your Enemy is excellent, possibly running Killing in the Name of close. Wake Up is very Kashmir, and then the remaining tracks are more of the same. Excellent guitar, bad lyrics. Of all the angry rock records, this has to be up there, I would say principally for the guitar - in fact I would prefer an instrumental-only version of this album. It’s tricky to rate, purely on guitar its a 4, but the whole is lesser, so I’ll go with 3. 🐑🐑🐑 Playlist submission: Killing in the Name
I have heard of them and they are not my style of music, but I kind of agreed with every machine they were raging against.
Something I’m familiar with which always helps the enjoyment of listening to an album. Not totally my cup of tea but happy to have this on cause it’s definitely a solid record. Makes me feel like I’m at high school again so nostalgia points are always welcome!
They sure are raging
Straightforward and a little repetitive, they have a message and go for it!
Liked some of this one. Interesting combination of heavy guitar and rap. The themes are still quite relevant today. Good arrangements. However, some of the lyrics and messages can be difficult to follow through the duration and added instrumentals in the songs. Highlights: Take the Power Back Bullet In the Head
RATM is good. I just don't love it personally all that much. Pretty cool for a debut album, there's no hiding from the aggression here, it's in your face as intended. Good album but I won't add it to the rotation.
Not bad
Energetic. Great band
It's a classic. But hasn't aged that well. Somehow I lost my teenager rage.
01) Bombtrack - 7,5 02) Killing in the Name - 10,0 03) Take the Power Back - 7,5 04) Settle for Nothing - 7,5 05) Bullet in the Head - 7,5 06) Know Your Enemy - 7,5 07) Wake Up - 7,0 08) Fistful of Steel - 7,0 09) Township Rebellion - 7,0 10) Freedom - 6,5 TOTAL: 7,50 (75/100) Current ranking: 113/210 Review? Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me...
Back in 2009, when the X factor had hijacked every single Christmas number one for four years a DJ appealed to the British public’s sense of anarchy and asked us to download Killing in the Name, to send a message to the music industry that we didn’t want sappy competition show winners any more. So in the Christmas of 2009, 17 years after its release RATM were at number one in the charts. I don’t love all the songs on this album, they tend to sound the same after a bit, but it is music and innovative compared to X factor bland ballads.
Radfasfggvvdh dgyb
Never listened to rage against the machine before but i expected it to be more metal. Either way, it was fine.
Honestly not what I expected. Felt like a Beastie Boys & Linkin Park mash-up… or perhaps I was just hearing how RATM influenced them.
Комменты пятилетних коммунистов в музыкальной форме 7/10
Really liked it. Not my usual fare and won’t revisit soon, but huge respect
Really not for me but it is iconic. I get why you’d like this as an edgy teen in the 90s but it’s too long overall. Plus I could never support music that suggests anything bad about the American government.
Good but get repetitive.
I liked it! But I liked the suggested radio songs that came on after just a teensy but more…
A little heavy
Good album. Have always liked Rage and this an enjoyable album, though not their best. “Killing in the Name of” is an amazing song. 3.5/5 Will listen again
It was okay, I liked the instrumental music, not so much the rap
Molto metal , non ho ascoltato tutto
Great energy and some great hooks - but a little bit repetitive after a while. If Sam Kinison was a lead singer then this might be the way his band would sound...
Favourites- Bombtrack, killing in the name, wake up
Didnt really click. I wish the beastie boys were a little less angry
A pretty good album to kick things off for RATM. Most tracks sound similar but listenable nonetheless.
Killing in the name of is such a banging song. maybe a little repetitive fav = killing in the name of
I want to love this because I am all about their message, but it’s delivered through a genre that’s hard for me to get into. I appreciate them raging against the machine and taking a stand though.
pretty good
full of rage lol
Three stars
High energy angsty "grunge" on a simple mission to absolutely dismantle the poltical system. Love this album for what it stood for during its time. Zach deLa Roche was an incredible political science revolutionary, and Morello filled a hole in the electric guitar experimentation timeline that hasn't been touched since Eddie Van Halen. That being said... boring album.
First song, Bombtrack, has similar riff to later song, Guerilla Radio. This riff is slowed down a considerable amount. Killing in the Name Of has a nice riff. Fuck you I won't do what you tell me.....interesting 🤣. Take the Power Back has a very distinct & catchy bass riff, best song of the album thus far
Some good tracks & great bass lines
While great back in the day, my tastes have mellowed with time.
Released in 1992 and an album I liked but didn’t love. The tracks are commentary on American racism, police brutality, corporate greed - all of which are unfortunately still as relevant today (if not more so) and the desire to rise up and reclaim power. My issue has always been that it ends up all sounding the same - by halfway through the album you’ve switched off to the lyrics as De la Rocha screams in your ear and the guitar and bass fight for dominance on the audio.
Not saying this album is bad, but I'd definitely have to be in a mood in order to put it on. An angsty, "f*** the world" mood. A lot of the songs had a similar formula: start with rocking out, some "screw you" lyrics, a slow build-up somewhere in the middle, finished by some rocking out. I did enjoy the formula, mostly. But as previously stated, I'd have to be in a specific mood to thoroughly enjoy the formula.
It was good. I liked it.
Beastie Boys but angrier
More angry angry music. Good sound, not bad at all.
Tom Morello is a modern-day riff-master. I love his stuff. However, I am way way less enthralled with Zach de la Rocha’s shouty singing/rap. It just makes for way too much of an aggressive sound for my liking. Whereas when Morello was paired by Chris Cornell, it was just as heavy but without the yelling. I know it’s critically acclaimed and all that, but for me, it just ain’t it.
boring & weirdly embarrassing to listen to but fun at times
A few all timer rage tracks and perhaps some lesser ones
I had always (perhaps unfairly) lumped Rage in with Nu Metal Bands and wrote them off. While they may have inspired a lot of dorky white boy rap/rock they are the progenitors and (I guess) the best at it. Still not really my bag, but their message kicks ass and the songs are interesting enough musically I didn’t get bored. Songs added to Spotify: 1
Another self titled album, let's GOOOOOooooo! They aren't really my kind of music but it's self titled so I'm kinda obligated. It was aight.. didn't convert me to fandom. Interesting how all the self titled albums seemed to be "good" have at least one major hit.
It's ok but not as great as a lot of people make out
Good arena rock
Why do people like rage against the machine so much. Its like shitty rap with a back beat. Sound like White guys trying to be black and failing Favorite: take the power back, know your enemy, wake up Least favorite : settle for nothing, 3.3/5
A bit too punk-ish for me tbh.
Rage against the machine has a very definitive sound. I like their strong base and lead guitar motifs. I may listen again if in the mood for 00’s. 3/5
It's good. Really good. But at the same time it's also very repetitive and boring. Some really great songs, some nice breathers but also lots of filler that sound exactly the same. Needed more diverse ideas to warrant a higher rating
Music is really aggressive and loud, really enjoyed it. Lyrics also aggressive and loud, somewhat less enjoyable.
I like the one song I like and the rest was okay
I don’t think it’s aged as well as their later albums
I came for the rage, stayed for the blend of R&B, funk, punk, heavy metal, politics, rap and mind twisting guitar. I'm too old for a steady diet of it , but in small doses it is cathartic. I saw them live at Lalapalooza, they were great, with water bottles flying the entire time, it was a great performance.
Some catchy songs and interesting guitar work. But raging against the machine got a little played out.
listened to this a million times when i was a young'un. Still sounds good ( but a bit one-note). But I don't have an albums worth of teen pseudo anger these days. Fondly remember singing this in high pitch voices in the Mill.
Lots of rage.
I’m glad that this exists but simply not for me
Good album, I used it at the gym to get motivation- I needed some rage! I prefer Audioslave though, for sitting and listening. I realize it was one of the earliest metal rap bands but Kid Tick and Limp Bizkit made me tire of this genre quickly
Headbangend met een boos vuistje in de lucht zie ik mezelf heel misschien stiekem wel een Rage Against The Machine concert bezoeken. Ik vind het echt muziek die live veel vetter is dan vanuit je warme bedje met je oortjes in. Zelf heb ik het nummer Killing In The Name Of talloze keren live gecoverd gehoord op mijn middelbare school (ik besef me dat dat heel vreemd klinkt). Mijn middelbare stond voor vrijheid met veel ruimte voor creatieve uiting in de vorm van kunst, toneel en muziek. Killing In The Name Of was vaak een van de afsluiters van een muziekavond. Headbangend naast je wiskundeleraar. Geniaal. Terug naar de review: het is echt niet mijn cup of tea. Ik kan best genieten van de boze Public Enemy/RUN-D.M.C achtige vocalen. En de riffs en basslines zijn echt wel goed. Maar toch lijken veel nummers op dit album volgens de RATM-formule geschreven te zijn. Stevige gitaar, boze vocalen, maar vooral: veel breaks. Opbouwen naar een diepe kreun of schreeuw, gevolgd door een ‘yeahhhhhhh suckers’. Ik ben daarom vrij snel uitgeluisterd. Highlight: Killing In The Name Of. Als je er toch eentje moet noemen, dan maar deze. Op momenten kan je hier echt wel zin in hebben. Bijvoorbeeld met een kratje pils achter de kiezn. Rating: 6/10
Dit is op vele fronten de West Coast evenknie van het reeds beoordeelde album van Public Enemy. Een opwindend muziekstuk aangedreven door politieke en sociale issues, gekenmerkt door een activistische houding van niet alleen de vocalen maar ook zeker de instrumenten. De samples worden vervangen door een scala aan industriële sounds, waarvan ik niet wist dat ze uit een gitaar konden komen, en een zenuwslopende bassline die het volk op scherp zet. Het debuutalbum opent met de powerhouses 'Bombtrack' en 'Killing In the Name', wat een manier om je naam kenbaar te maken. 'In your face' in de meest positieve zin. De eerste slaat letterlijk in als een bom, maar wordt daarna zelfs overschaduwd door de agressiviteit van 'Killing In the Name'. Een generation defining track op het niveau van 'Smells Like Teen Spirit', die stapsgewijs opbouwt naar een climax die je bloed laat koken, een beetje zoals de monnik op de cover. Én wat niet onbelangrijk is, het is hands down het beste nummer om voetgangers op dood te rijden in GTA San Andreas. Ik was al onderweg om het Capitool te bestormen, maar toen werd de adrenalinekraan enigszins dichtgedraaid. 'Take the Power Back' bevat nog wel een catchy basgitaartje, maar heeft daarnaast weinig te bieden. Waarom kun je aan een bassline direct horen dat het West Coast is? Het is exact Flea of Les Claypool. Maar toen kwam 'Bullet In the Head', en scheurde de San Andreas breuklijn enkele kilometers verder open. Een 10 op de schaal van Richter. Een creepy bassline die de toon zet, m'n favoriete gitaarwerk van Tom Morello op het album, en een apotheose dat qua energie matcht met Californische hardcore punk bands. Ik kan me een comment op YouTube herinneren bij deze track die de activistische energie perfect samenvat: ''This song makes me want to go outside and flip over all the cars in the neighborhood.'' Een gruwelijke banger, maar de keerzijde van de medaille is dat ik wel behoorlijk uitgeblust was voor de rest van de plaat. Door een combinatie van gebrek aan uithoudingsvermogen voor een album vol met metal sounds, wat me niet echt ligt, én een lak aan inbeeldingsvermogen over hoe gefrustreerd de Amerikaanse jeugd rond die tijd was, zorgde ervoor dat ik me lichtelijk ging irriteren aan nummers als 'Wake Up' en 'Freedom'. De band werd een beetje een one trick pony. Waar de enerverende opbouw in songs van kantje 1 zorgde voor spektakel, waren deze nummers een enigszins simplistisch aftreksel van dit concept. Bijna een beetje een komische parodie op rebelse muziek: 'Laten we het geluid zo hard mogelijk zetten en hysterisch luid een anarchistische leus schreeuwen, 'Wake Up' of iets dergelijks.' In 'Freedom' is dit zelfs gereduceerd tot enkel dierlijk gebrul. 'Fistful of Steel' is een lichtpuntje op een tegenvallende tweede zijde. Het instrumenteel had uitstekend op een Beastie Boys of Public Enemy album gepast. Het eindoordeel is gematigd positief. De insteek wordt gewaardeerd, en dit album combineert effectief een punk attitude en de lyrical precision of rap. De oproep tot actie is duidelijk: 'Why stand on a silent platform? Fight the war, fuck the norm.' Maar naarmate het album vordert verliest de band zich in z'n eigen ijver om een revolutie te leiden, en vergeet het wat mij betreft af en toe dat het technisch ook gewoon een sterke band is. Ik had de instrumentele virtuositeit van het eerste deel graag doorgetrokken zien worden naar het tweede. Maar dit zeg ik nu vanuit een huiskamer in Utrecht, daar had een ontgoochelde tiener in een door politiek en oorlog gekweld land geen boodschap aan. 7/10 Highlights: 'Killing In the Name' 'Bullet In the Head'
OEH! Rage Against the Machine is gruwelijk. De muziek is gruwelijk hard, de riffs van Tom Morello zijn gruwelijk dik. Het tafereel op de cover is gruwelijk, maar tegelijkertijd is de foto ook gruwelijk vet en iconisch. De ontspanning van de in vlammen opgaande monnik horen we niet terug in de muziek van RATM. En zeker niet in de zang van de la Rocha. OEH! Opener Bombtrack knalt er -combinatie met het iconische Killing in the Name- lekker in. Fuck You I Won't Do What You Tell Me! Wat een classic! De energie en boosheid stromen mijn lichaam binnen. Maar dan realiseer ik me iets: niks waar RATM boos over is voel ik zelf ook. Terwijl ik luister naar RATM zit ik gepriviligeerd in een links bolwerk in het brave Nederland. Ik voel geen boosheid over een controlerende media, institutioneel racisme, politiegeweld of banden tussen de LAPD en de KKK. Het maakt mij niet boos, maar RATM overduidelijk wel. De nummers blijven maar knallen en de ene OEH! volgt de andere op. Bullet in the Head is een positieve verrassing en nieuwe favoriet, maar tegen de tijd dat ik bij Wake Up aan ben beland ben ik er wel klaar mee. De nummers kennen teveel hetzelfde recept. De laatste nummers van de plaat worden daarmee een moetje en ik luister het album ietwat geïrriteerd uit. De kracht van RATM is omgeslagen tot irritatie. Ik had toch meer gehoopt van zo'n iconische band en album. Highlights Killing in the Name Bullet in the head 7/10
So much rage. This music is all political, kinda too much so.
Niet mijn stijl, maar desondanks een iconisch album, dat prettiger is om naar te luisteren dan gedacht.
OK! But not my thing
not my favorite musicwise but the anti-war anti-state anti-cop vibes were really hitting this weekend. 2.5
I enjoyed this until about track 8 when I suddenly realized a lot of the guitar and drum bits are very repetitive throughout the album. I think RATM goes with AC/DC in the stack of "don't listen to a whole album front to back" artists for me.
I did not particularly enjoy this album, but it has some nostalgia for me as I wrote a Research Paper on Protest Music and Rage Against the Machine in high school. While I likely would not listen to this apart from a couple songs, I think thematically this album is significant and important.
if anything they sound like NWA somehow
I never really gave their music a focused listen before and in my memory it sounded much more thrashy than it actually does. Also, I didn’t pick up on the political messages back then, which are astute and still relevant today. I kind of like it. I don’t think it’s something I’ll come back to, but I’m glad I have a new perspective on it. 3.2
I appreciate the politics
Pre-listen notes Listened and loved this record a lot back in 2019. Spun it so much during those times! Loved the heaviness and the rawness and the performances and the energy the band brings, especially Zach. The sound of tracks like Bombtrack and Killing in the Name are so unique and easily recognized, showing the power of the group's songwriting. It's not hard to evoke the sounds and the riffs and energy of the mentioned tracks. Though that does lead me to the second point: I cannot recall for the life of me the sounds of the other tracks in this record. Current listen notes: Bombtrack and Killing in the Name are still very good and fun to listen to! Amazing energy and performance — don't think these tracks will ever get old, which is unfortunate and disappointing considering the subject matter. Another new enjoyment: the ending of Wake Up — a barrage of screeches and noise razor sharp as to disorient and slash at the listener. Review: Fun album! Energy is maintained throughout the whole record. The whole crew is dialed in and brings their whole sound together and forward and complete. This thing is brimming with confidence. Bombtrack and Killing in the Name remain great as ever — not that I expected them to fall out of favor, of course. What a great start to this album. Unfortunately the tracks in between somewhat blend in with each other, as they play with the same sounds throughout. Not much deviation to be had here, which likeminded listeners might find a bit of a letdown. Nonetheless, the crew do a very good job of being right up your ear with their message and sound.
I kind of like Take the Power Back, Bullet in the Head
Heard of them/this. Hard rock from 1992. Appreciate the message but usually not my music, a bit too heavy. Low 3.
It is pretty much what I thought it would be: hard rock instrumentation with rapped political lyrics. It is good at being what it is. Some harshness for me, but that's to be expected.
Iconic!
If I were ten years younger I might have been into this. Vocally I quite like the hip-hop style and the drums aren’t bad, but the guitars seem really generic. It has it’s moments and I’m glad I listened to it, but I’m unlikely to listen to it again I think.
Kinda angry with a lot of cursing. Guess I've never felt the need to rage against the machine.
I understand the people’s desire for revenge and their anger, and the band is rather good but the singer sucks
There’s nothing better than listening to RATM while working my cushy 9 to 5 job
I ended up liking this way more than I expected to. It had some of the problems I expected it to have. The lyrics could get repetitive and annoying, and didn’t really say anything groundbreaking( I would’ve expected better for a Harvard political science grad). But, I found myself entranced by the guitar. It is a complete standout on the album and I wish it wasn’t disturbed by slightly preachy vocal breaks as much. Right on the border of 4.
Kan je natuurlijk niks van zeggen. Metal maar dan bouncy, goede boodschap, technisch nieuw en hoogstaand.
still haven't listened, but I will
Only like the music, didn't care for the lyrics. A 3/5 is generous.
Rap rock is a bad genre but Rage are one of the few who do it well
eh just not my thing. some cool ideas musically but didn’t like the singing. i know this is an important band and album and can respect that, just don’t like this type of music
Killing in the Name Take the Power Back Freedom
Some good, iconic songs. Also, some really lame funk metal slap bass that no one but Les Claypool can make interesting. I like their later albums better.
Better but 1 song only
Best part about this album is that rocks. Pretty funky too. Strong 3
Rage Against The Machine's 1992 self-titled debut album is a revolutionary blend of rap and rock that immediately grabs your attention with its raw energy and politically charged lyrics. Listening to it in full for the first time, I can hear hints of the Beastie Boys, as the album exudes a similar rebellious spirit. Fusing together hip-hop rhythms with heavy guitar riffs, I can't help but notice that half of the songs sound the same, to the point where the undeniable coherence in the band's sonic assault contributes to the overall impact of the album. It has to be said that the obvious standout track is 'Killing In The Name', which remains an iconic anthem with its powerful combination of Zack de la Rocha's fierce vocals and Tom Morello's innovative guitar work. This song in particular, solidifies the album's place in history as a seminal piece of work that captures the essence of the band's uncompromising approach to music and activism.
Rage gonna rage
Some amazing bass, hard hitting songs and lyrics
Deux albums que j'aime et j'écoute d'affilée ! On finit bien l'année.
Decent first half album, too much screaming and saying fuck. Some songs felt exactly the same and went on for way too long.
Not at all bad
Iconic. A bit repetitive tho.
Almost at the end of the tacklist, all those "UH" and "COME ON" start to feel too much. Overall this is a blast, those guitars are just so excessive that become genuinely good, a must-listen for every pseudo-anticapitalistic teenager who hates society to the guts (enjoyable even as an adult) (I don't like numeric ratings, I just give 3 to anyone)
Obviously iconic. I don't think I am angry enough for this album. This was a difficult listen. I'm sure there is a mood for this but it is not the one I am currently in. Listened to it in the car. Would probably not put on again. Can't really dance to this unless you are head banging.
Good stuff for angst. Good to workout too, but definitely not casual listening. 3.9
this album reminds me of driving home from golf with my 2 uncles when i was in high school. i couldn't believe they listened to songs with swears in front of other people.
Yeah it rocks but it’s also so funny.
The Ragers are very hip hop-ish. The lead vocalist is absolutely rapping on Take the Power Back and Bullet in the Head. Rock and hip hop have come together several times in the past. I’m willing to bet RATM has a song with some hip hop artist. If they don’t, they should. I’ll have to look into it. This is good music. With a message. As usual, songs from 20 or 30 years ago that rail against the political atmosphere of the time are still quite relevant today. I guess there will always be reason to rage against the machine.
Great music. Dont like shouty rap. Can appreciate what they’re trying to say but this is just a step up from the beastie boys.
Ugh such a great album, makes me feel so ragin and just like I wanna take on everything in the world n be like fuck youuuuu
Unexpectedly overstays its welcome. This album has no business having almost every single song be over 5 minutes long.
Classic Rage. A quick, easy listen. Not much to say on this one.
I'm not fond of heavy rock much. That is the truth. This album is arguably one of the best rock heavy metal albums out there, but I like the softer side of the guitar. The riffs in this sounded all the same to me and bored me after a while. While most songs had some quality to them other than heavy metal, it wasn't enough for me to distinguish them. The way the lyrics were delivered hit sometimes, but other times you just got tired of them. Overall, this album made me learn that no matter how hard I try, I just don't like the genre. There were a few songs in here that stood out to me, and I can certainly respect the production and message that this album contains, but I wouldn't listen to it again.
Heard before. A sound that's recognizable. Some really powerful stuff. Ends with a fitting song. + Killing In The Name + Settle For Nothing + Wake Up + Fistful Of Steel + Freedom
These guys sure are mad.
Not my vibe, but cool to hear guitar licks I know from other places
Bra men litt for heavy 3.5
Very good musically. Repetitive lyrics at the end of many songs that drags, and the brash vocals brings it down from a potential 4/5.
Listening to it now, I see the rap, rock-verging-on-metal, and punk influences. Fun and still punky in the present day.
Fine
The album starts off with a BANGERRRRR. the guitar kept me hooked the entire time.
Never been much a metal fan - the lyrics bring it down too
Bombtrack, Killing In The Name, and Wakeup are good. I'd heard them all before, though. The rest are just ok. It's hard to separate the album from the hype and impact the band had when they came onto the scene. Probably the first band to really successfully merge rock and hip-hop. They avoided the cheesiness inherent in previous attempts to combine the styles. Good band. Good energy. But they never really blew my socks off. This is a fine album, but beyond the few good songs, it's not particularly great.
Vocals are too agressive for my taste, but the guitars? Amazing!
I was never a fan of RATM. The album is okay, fair work, but it didn't move me to rush out and get their other albums. There's such a thing as something, while good, doesn't move one person, and someone else is crazy about it.
I am not a rap fan, but I give credit for the social importance of this band...
Didn't actually enjoy this as much as I thought I would
overall too shouty and screamy for me. Appreciate the power though
This is not really my thing, 3 stars. But the gulf between this and the 2 I gave RHCP is quite large; this is way better. Good songs: Take the Power Back, Know Your Enemy
Es un disco lleno de crítica y con un estilo muy marcado. Las líneas de bajo, los riffs de guitarra son tremendos, los solos te dejan descolocado y el delivery del cantante es sobervio. El problema son las letras y las duraciones de las canciones, no son profundas y son contundentes con el mensaje. Entiendo que sea la idea y que lo estás presentando no solo desde tu nombre sino que también desde la portada del disco, pero la realidad es que con una voz tan carcterística exijo más, pido más. Mi nota final a este disco innovador es un 6/10.
It wasn't as good as I expected, knowing only Killing in the Name. Good lyrics overall, topics I sympathize with generally, but often repetitive and musically it didn't touch me. I respect it, though.
Is a good album with a few songs I knew, not too much variety but you can rock out either way.
Better than I expected.
I can see why it's popular, even if I see their music as a bit repetitive. Plus, 30 years later, it's worth noting that they are more "a part of the machine" than they are raging "against the machine". But for its genre, there are some "classics" present here like "Killing in the Name" and the Matrix-used "Wake Up". If they didn't constantly swear (because, you know, "they can" cuz they're *hard* and all) and have so many "I'm gonna say this same phrase over and over again" lyrics, I might actually have given it 4 stars.
Sorry, but every Rage Against The Machine song sounds the exact same to me. It's all different variations on "Killing In The Name", "Bombtrack" or "Bulls on Parade" with slightly different words being said. I don't care about American politics, so to me the lyrics just sound like edgy teen "fuck the system!!" shit written by somebody who's all words and no actions. A spoiled college student angry that his part-time job at McDonalds doesn't earn him enough money to buy a Nintendo Switch. War is bad. Police brutality is bad. No shit. Want a cookie? Now write an album about dinosaurs and cool laser swords. That's never been done before.
I think it's too noisy......Maybe it's too early for me to listen to songs of such style.
Ever since Rage Against the Machine released this self-titled album over 30 years ago, the band have been worshipped for Tom Morello’s guitar histrionics (why shred when you can create entire sonic worlds?) and Zach de La Rocha’s love of sticking it to the man. As a natural metal-sceptic, it’s taken me a long time to get on board with, and it’s going to take longer still to really like. In 2009, “Killing in the Name” found itself as the Christmas number 1 in the UK after a Facebook campaign to sink the festive chart-topping juggernaut that was the X Factor. At the time, I admired the sentiment but hated the song almost as much as that year’s X Factor winner, Joe McElderry did: he described it as “pure rubbish… they wouldn’t get through to boot camp on the X Factor… they’re just shouting.” Fourteen years later, I’m ready to distance myself from these libellous, uninformed statements from Mr. McElderry. “Killing in the Name” is an absolute banger. It epitomises everything that makes “Rage Against the Machine” good: multiple memorable, grinding riffs, lyrics boiling over with righteous anger, a furious vocal building in intensity throughout. It’s simply great. Few of the tracks on here rise to its level, but plenty have a go. “Bombtrack” is a suitably incendiary opening; “Bullet in the Head” boasts a strong closing build-up, with a satisfying gear-change into double-time at the end; “Wake Up” has a killer funky riff for the main chorus and the verses. Tom Morello’s solos are almost always interesting, prompting a “how is he doing THAT?” or “I wonder what pedal he’s using there…” “Rage Against the Machine” is strong, powerful, passionate… but I found it easy to become numb to it over the course of fifty-three minutes. While their lyrics are of course in the right place, there are only so many “fight the war; fuck the norm” / “fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me” / “freedom! Yeah! Right!” catchphrases before the impact feels diluted. This is particularly an issue when many of the songs seem desperate to end with the riffs cranked up to 11, howling feedback and one line being bellowed over and over by de La Rocha. This is definitely the formula (see “Killing in the Name”, “Bullet in the Head”, “Wake Up”, countless others) and again I wished for a little more variation: the sudden hushed quiet at the end of “Take the Power Back” felt all the more powerful for this very reason. All in all though, Rage Against the Machine have got my attention with this album. It’s not entirely for me, but I appreciate the power and the execution. I only hope that one day Joe McElderry will come to feel the same way.
Someone else's review said RATM sound like a cross between the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Beastie Boys and that's the first thing that came to mind when I heard this album. The sound is harsher and more intense and I'm guessing more politically motivated. I also think they are bit overrated from what I read and heard and though the music is original and good, it's nothing that will make me go out and buy the record. The band has a large following, so obviously the band has enjoyed much success, so i might be in the minority. It's good, but not memorable or great.
Pidän tästä mutta albumillinen on henk koht raskasta kuultavaa, koska kaikkien biisien kaava on sama ja ne ovat liian pitkiä. Yksi tähti lehmänkellon reilusta käytöstä
I like Rage in small doses. This album was hard to power through.
But what are they so angry about? JK. I did wonder if they were on the right side of anti-establishment and not like anti-vaxxers or what not. Regardless, I was quite into this to begin with, liked hearing Killing in the Name (which was on the infamous Air Guitar CD referenced in other reviews - so I had early exposure to this song), but I have to say after that it did get a bit samey. Their use of repetition really works in that song and others, but by the end of the album I was tired of certain lyrics just being repeated so much, I felt like it lacked lyrical creativity. Listened to this partly whilst I was having a ladies pamper session and then finished the next day on a run - but felt like funny occasions to listening to it!
Great album, but not the kind of thing I love.
Je pense que vous savez tous désormais que je me suis mis à la course à pied il y a quelques jours. Ce que vous ne savez pas en revanche, c'est qu'au vu de mes chronos tutoyant l'exceptionnel, j'ai décidé de lancer mon entreprise de coaching pour entrer en concurrence directe avec mon rival de toujours et piètre athlète, eltrapeze. Ma société s'appelle désormais teambrucelee et propose divers programmes de course. À l'inverse d'eltrapeze qui s'obstine à emmener ses clients en montagne, je profite de mon environnement urbain et du fait de me trouver dans une des villes les plus polluées d'Europe pour entraîner les miens dans des zones bien plus risquées. Le décor que je propose est celui d'usines désaffectées ou encore de centrales nucléaires en activité. De plus, mes tarifs frôlent l'inaccessible. Les prix augmentent à chaque séance et il est quasi impossible pour mes clients de revenir sur leur engagement, la faute à l'emprise psychologique que j'exerce sur eux. En bref, eltrapeze a aujourd'hui un gros caillou dans sa chaussure domyos premier prix.
Quite interesting. It's not something I would listen to for a long continuous period of time but it when the mood for it hits, it's really great 🤟
Neither a hip-hop nor a metal fan, but I enjoyed this to some extent. So a 3 is a good rating from me ;)
I respect it, but I don’t enjoy certain parts of it.
It has its (obvious) moments
There are some great instrumentals and the lyrics incited me to look up some of the historical contexts behind them, but there is something lacking for me, not sure whether it's the overall sound or if it's the vocals or even some of the guitar parts are just meh (sorry Tom Morello), or maybe just the rap metal aspect of it, which reminds me now way too much of nu metal. So, for me, it's a strong 3.5/5.
Not my piece of cake.
Good ole' angry, gov hate music. I actually thought I would like this better than I did.
it was good, but just not my cup of tea
Anarkistiskt Spoken Word med Nu Metal Backing Track
Love rock and metal, but never understood the appeal of this band. Other people love it, so what does my opinion matter.
Capitalism bad
Would have been a 2 except for a couple songs that are decent to work out to.
Reminds me of being a wee little lass listening to zack’s wee little political ramblings, 3.5
This is not quite the album that I thought it would be. I've only ever heard the singles. I expected it to be perhaps a little more redundant, at the same time I was a little underwhelmed too.
Musically, this is amazing. But I just get into a vocal style that is just yelling with no choral intonation whatsoever. They lose an extra star for that.
A bit too Nu/Rap Metal for me but KITNO is a banger. Couple of other good tunes too.
Not bad, just a tad aggressive
All I can associate this album with is X Factor 2006 Christmas Number 1.
Pretty good but all the songs sound exactly the same.
Cool riffs, funky grooves and bass lines, but the songwriting gets so repetitive after 15 minutes. The vocals can get irritating. Personally, I would prefer this in a live setting.
While one has to acknowledge the, for the time, innovative sound and message behind the lyrics, ultimately it's just too barebones and non melodic for me
Great in short doses, but a bit intense when listened to in one sitting
The system grrrrrrrrr. Some really great songs on this, not all of them being big singles, but unfortunately I get tired of their sound very quickly. Two or three songs at a time is more than enough for me.
Good, but it's running out of steam pretty fast.
This album stands tall with its influence. Love their hard spirit.
3.5
Some of the guitar riffs are nice, but too screamy. The lyrics are not very imaginative overall.
Decent instrumentals. Very tough for me to relate to the anger and hate. Frustration does not stay fired in me very long. I hope they found peace in the beaucoup dollars they made raging against the machine that allowed them the opportunity to earn it
I have way more to say about this than I thought I would. I had pretty low expectations and was even hesitant to listen to it, because listening to rap metal is kind of an awkward experience. Ultimately, I was very frustrated by this, because I really liked the riffs and would have liked it so much more if there weren’t 3 major weaknesses. Because I am definitely a sound-over-lyrics listener, the biggest problem was the rapping, which just sounds very awkward over this music and too shouty. The second problem was how repetitive the songs were. There are a couple of songs where most of it is just the same lyric over and over again. Within the album, a lot of the songs sound very similar, although this might be because I’m really unfamiliar with the genre. Also, like a lot of reviewers mentioned, the lyrics are a little silly at times, like “Compromise, conformity, assimilation, submission/Ignorance, hypocrisy, brutality, the elite/All of which are American dreams (repeated 8 times)”. So I had mixed feelings about this, overall. Favorite song: “Bullet In The Head”.
White rap wiith guitar metal backing - pretty good, but not my thing. Better than most black rap.
I enjoyed this album, but it didn’t stand out to me. When Spotify accidentally switched to radio based on it, I didn’t notice and started liking it more
'Wie boos is, is meestal boos op zichzelf...' Ook deze heren lijken me toe aan een paar sessies anger management. Muzikaal wel interessant hoor, en je kunt er waarschijnlijk prima op headbangen. Een klassiek album, goed om een keer te luisteren, maar dit ga ik niet opzetten in de auto.
Stil dont like rock
I expected to like it more honestly. Seems kinda bare and not my style.
Good riffs but gets tiring with angry lyrics
Comme ça dès le matin là ?
6/10. Not bad, not my genre
Good sound, but I wouldn't say I like the lyrics. In punk-adjacent songs, it is essential that the listener can experience feelings of sadness or anger together with the singer. In this album, that doesn't really work, so the singer just comes across as annoying.
Respect this but honestly I found the album to be a bit exhausting. It felt long with nothing to relieve the constant intensity. Even Public Enemy had Flavor Flav to provide some levity... I think I prefer Evil Empire for its more varied and slightly hookier approach. Zach de la Rocha sounds like a human tie fighter, especially at 3:12-3:17 on "Township Rebellion."
Nice angry revolution metal vibes