In 1992, a band appeared on the scene that sounded like no other before them. The sound that Rage Against The Machine blasts into people's ears with full force is generally described as crossover. In fact, the four-piece from Los Angeles explodes genre boundaries on their self-titled debut album - and thus picks up fans of the most diverse musical styles from hip-hop to metal. Songs like "Killing in the Name", "Bullet in the Head" and "Bombtrack" have since achieved cult status and work just as well today as they did in the nineties. With this first album alone, RATM wrote music history.
What distinguishes the troupe, consisting of frontman Zack de la Rocha, guitarist Tom Morello, bassist Tim Commerford and drummer Brad Wilk, apart from their unique mix of styles, is the anger and power they convey with their music. Uncompromisingly left-wing, the quartet denounces political and social grievances in their lyrics. The pithy lyric line "Fuck You, I Won't Do What You Tell Me" from "Killing in the Name" stands for the rebellious attitude of the band members, some of whom also stand up for social justice outside of their activities with Rage Against The Machine.
RATM - side projects and future
After the impressive debut album, fans understandably want more. In 1996, "Evil Empire" is released with the singles "Bulls on Parade" and "People of the Sun" and reaches high chart positions internationally. Rage Against The Machine released their third album, "The Battle of Los Angeles", in 1999. Like its predecessor, it reaches #1 on the US Billboard charts. The most commercially successful album singles are "Guerilla Radio" and "Sleep Now in the Fire". In 2000, Zack de la Rocha throws in the towel. The cover album "Renegades", which was already finished at that time, was released shortly after the announcement of this bad news. While the ex-frontman went solo (a solo album was never released), the remaining band members brought former Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell on board to work together under the name Audioslave. The result was three successful albums, which differed clearly from Rage Against The Machine musically and especially vocally. Meanwhile, the 2003 release of "Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium" fanned the flames of RATM fans' desire for a reunion.
In 2007, what belongs together does indeed come together again - much to the delight of the fan community, whose German members consequently get to enjoy Rage Against The Machine live at Rock am Ring and Rock im Park, among others. After some internationally acclaimed live shows, of which the one in London's Finsbury Park will be released on DVD/Blu-ray, the band continues without Zack again in 2016. This time, B-Real from Cypress Hill and Chuck D from Public Enemy take over the microphone. The formation releases their self-titled album "Prophets of Rage" in 2017. The hope that this nevertheless does not mean the end of RATM is confirmed in 2019, when the band announces further concerts with the original line-up. That it is an unforgettable experience to experience RATM live is proven by recordings like the one from Finsbury Park. So if you ever have the chance to attend a concert by the cult band, don't hesitate for a second.
