Review Summary: Rage Against the Machine return with this rocker full of signature RATM songs and doesn't fail to disappoint despite a change in sound from their previous release.
Most of you probably know the Rage story by now so I'll skip the intro. Evil Empire is political powerhouse Rage Against the Machine's second cd, following the massively successful self titled album. After 4 years of silence, this was released and immediately went to number one, for good reason. Rage keeps the heavy riffs and angry, aggressive lyrics with this release, but adopt a deeper and more experimental sound. As Zack de la Rocha so accurately says on the opening track, “turn the bass up on this one.” This album has heavy bass, heavy guitar, and is very in your face.
The opening track, People of the Sun, shows the trademark of Tom Morello's style of guitar playing. The allen wrench riff is rather dirty sounding, with a simple deep bass riff that fits along perfectly with the songs flow. Great lyrics about the Zapatista movement in Mexico. The track is rather short, but makes an impression and sticks in your head. 3.4/5
Bulls on Parade is probably my favorite track off the album. A pulse pounding intro riff gets you hooked into the song right away. The verse and chorus is heavy and loud, and the bass solo before the guitar solo is awesome. Speaking of the guitar solo, it is perhaps the most original ever recorded. It's the first solo of Morello's scratching technique simulating a turn table. Very energetic, then goes back to the intro/outro riff which just gets you pumped and energized. 5/5
Vietnow is a bass thumper, with the guitar played an octave down. The bass and guitar just blend so well with this song and it rocks all the way through. Good breakdown, and just a classic rage song. 4.5/5
Revolver has a killer intro, sounding like a synthesizer or something you'd hear watching a movie about ufo's flying through space. It build up into a pounding bass riff, then they change it up with a slow, mellow verse, with zack almost whispering over the simple yet effective bassline. It starts to pick up before the chorus, building anticipation, then bugs out with all the energy rage can release in a classic rage chorus. Angry and loud. Average solo comes, nothing to special, then ends with the chorus blaring. Great track. 4.5/5
Snakecharmer has a good drum intro, showcasing some of Brad's talents. Very drum driven, with a little breakdown after the chorus gets you psyched with zack's trademark “YEAH”. I dont know I dont have much to say about this one, its a little different sounding than the other tracks, kinda punkish if you will. very good. 4/5
Tire Me starts with just a very deep bass riff, then the rest of the band joins in for a fast paced song. Chorus is probably one of the best riffs in my opinion, very aggressive. The solo is untraditional yet again, showcasing the violence/confusion that the verse and chorus riffs seem to portray. 4/5
Down Rodeo has a great chorus riff, followed by a simple verse with some cool guitar work and funky bass. The solo in this song is more of a breakdown, and then continues to drag on for a little while. Good song nonetheless though. 3.5/5
Without a face is another standout track. The bass carries this one with a funk sound. The lyrics talk about the US and Mexican border and the struggles immigrants face. Very good solo hear, resembling machine guns fired by US border patrol at potential immigrants. The end is a heavy, angry riff, perfectly fitting the vibe of the song. Overall great track. 5/5
Wind Below starts with a great riff, and the guitar verse is just so wretched, fitting with the bass perfectly. I love the way it all fits together. The solo is high pitched and medium paced, and is followed by the calm before a storm, with a good little bass riff and quiet drums and lyrics. Ends with a frenzy of sound and anger. 5/5
For some reason I always feel Roll Right is underrated. I don't know why. The main riff is one of my favorites, rocking with a little mic feedback behind it. The verse is very funky, with just bass and drums, making a great sound. Zack's lyrics fit perfectly with it. And the solo is mind-boggling. The end sounds like he was just hitting keys on a cell phone or computer or something! Very unique. 4.5/5
Year of the boomerang has a wretched intro, followed by a solid verse riff. I love the breakdown, it sound so soft and somehow fits perfectly with the feel of the song. Picks up with nice bass work. Ends with a bang. 4/5
Overall this is an excellent album from an amazing band. I give it a classic rating because I can listen to the entire thing from beginning to end, without getting tired or sick of it. The pros include the bass, high energy, lyrical content, and guitar work. The only con I can even think of is that a few tracks sound similar, but not enough to take anything away from the cd. Overall, one of my favorite albums. This was my first review as well, so I hope it wasn't too bad.
