Review Summary: War is hell.
War is hell.
War is hell. No one can disagree with that.
What motivated the Buddhist monk in the cover photo of this album to commit ritualistic suicide is clear: War is hell.
Specifically, the monk was protesting the Vietnam War. Historians will recall that war as an existential struggle against the Communist Soviet Union versus the capitalist good guy’s United States of America.
What we have here in Rage Against the Machine’s self-titled debut album is, in essence, a war. Rage Against the Machine waged ideologically warfare on behalf of the leftist political ideology in which they espouse.
Tom Morello guitarist of Rage Against the Machine famously spent eight hours a day practicing guitar at Harvard University, yet teachers, the system, and the government are the subjects of this band’s unquenchable rage. How is that possible?
Rage Against the Machine’s debut album begins with the aptly named anthem Bombtrack, which lights the fire of every liberal’s ire at the establishments which have destroyed the dreams of Karl Marx.
Killing in the Name, the second track, is no different. As an antithetical anthem to authority and to the powers that be, this song is used in USA military training to drum up angsty and adversarial sentiments amongst military recruits, so that they understand what it truly means to be against another group of people, without sentiment or concern.
Bullet in the Head presents the reality of a living in a totalitarian regime whether that be on the left or the right. Comply, obey or receive a bullet in the head. Simple as that.
Know Your Enemy presents a concise synopsis the fabled Sun Tzu’s Art of War in a rock-infused angsty anti-authority anthem.
The opening riff of Wake Up famously featured in the Matrix sending shivers down the spine of anyone who listens to Tom Morell’s opening riff. Lyricist Zach De La Rocha puts the conspiracy back in “conspiracy theories” as he muses on the tragic demises of American heroes Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcom X.
Fistful of Steel exemplifies Zach De La Rocha’s secondary persona “madboy” which highlights the themes of suicide, angst, and general discontentment with life.
Township Rebellion demonstrates the importance of Tom Morello’s drop-D tuning riff-driven guitar playing to this band.
Freedom, a them alluded to in the previous track Township Rebellion, elucidates everything that is great about Rage Against the Machine, a self-proclaimed militant poet in the form of Zach De La Rocha, a riff-heavy guitarist in Tom Morello, a “thick” funky bass player in Tim Commerford, and an outstandingly consistent drummer in Brad Wilk presented without inhibition or apology. “Anger is a gift” which drove this band to incredible success in 1990s and early 2000s. Tom Morello’s guitar solo still to this day brings chills down my spine.
Make no mistake: this is the best rock, punk, metal, funk, and hip-hop album that you will ever listen to, and it is not even close, which is why it is in every sense an age-old, timeless, classic 5/5, but by all means, listen for yourself and arrive at your own conclusions.
