RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE

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November 3, 1992:

RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE’s self-titled debut injected some much-needed angst & social awareness into metal in the early 90’s with their own unique brand of vitriolic, sonic vengeance aimed at the corrupt power elite responsible for negatively impacting sociopolitical and corporate landscapes the world over with complete impunity.

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With powerfully simplistic riffing, a revolutionary lyrical message, and six-string pyrotechnics which transformed the guitar into a new way to DJ, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE managed to ear worm their way into the collective consciousness of the early 90’s metal scene, making it fun to embrace our own inner angst and revolt in protest against a broken, unjust, and backwards system hellbent on greed, power, and totalitarian control in the most radically metal way possible.

RAGE on the InterWebs: https://www.ratm.com/

Released: November 3, 1992

Label: Epic

Producers:

GGGarth

Rage Against the Machine

Zack de la Rocha – vocals

Tom Morello – guitar

Tim Commerford – bass

Brad Wilk – drums

Additional musicians

additional vocals – Maynard James Keenan "Know Your Enemy"

additional percussion – Stephen Perkins "Know Your Enemy"

Tracks

1 Bombtrack

2 Killing in the Name

3 Take the Power Back

4 Settle for Nothing

5 Bullet in the Head"

6 Know Your Enemy

7 Wake Up

8 Fistful of Steel

9 Township Rebellion

10 Freedom

It’s time to uncover yet another one of the myriad of reasons why we (still) have no female callers (because “Sharon is Karen”).

Go ahead and get “Axel” on the horn to understand what “Star Wars and The 2 Live Crew” have in common as you learn the name of that instrument they play in the Outback as well as the better, new term for “jowls”. Go ahead and fly that flag upside down, get ready to “listen to ‘The Message’” and JOIN US for a dive into the debut album that fired the first shot in the heavy metal insurrection to “take the power back” as we RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE.

BOMBTRACK:

Definitely a groovy beginning. It would seem that RATM has the ability to start with one riff and completely morph into something else altogether, never returning to that riff again. Almost has a heavy funk kind of vibe. The anger and vitriol of the lyrics seems to intensify the groove of the music. The chorus riff definitely has a Sabbath feel to it, in terms of heaviness.

Definitely read those lyrics: these guys are pissed off! And although we all may not stand with them in the same space politically, it’s safe to say we DO agree with them in that we are all being fucked over by power whores and elitist, psychopathic scumbags on a daily basis and that we need to “take the power back” and end this nonsense.

“Landlords and power whores on my people, they took turns

Dispute the suits, I ignite, and then watch ‘em burn…”

KILLING IN THE NAME:

Just the opening itself is a bit off putting…one chord played 4 times…and then some cowbell and then a completely different riff that we won’t hear again…and then:

“Killing in the name of…”

THAT riff right there is straight up balls! Granted, there’s a lot of lyrical repetition, but one of the functions of constant repetition is to emphasize and drive the point home so it lives inside your head and compels you to REMEMBER the importance of the message.

“And now you do what they told ya…”

This song is easily the soundtrack for the last 3 ½ years (if not the last 3 ½ DECADES!) and people are fast approaching flashpoint, unable and unwilling to tolerate this mass fuckery & tyranny for much longer.

“Now you’re under control!”

Do you see the pattern yet? READ. THOSE. LYRICS. Read ALL of them!

As a guitar solo, the one in this song is like nothing we’d ever heard before. The Whammy Pedal (pitch shifter pedal by DigiTech) was still pretty new at the time, but Tom Morello managed to create brand new sonic textures never before heard in heavy metal.

(NOTE: For perspective, this was still a good year and a half before the release of Far Beyond Driven and “Becoming”, which also has the Whammy on it.)

“FUCK YOU I WON’T DO WHAT YOU TELL ME…MOTHER FUCKER!!!”

That’s right…WE won’t!

Not anymore.

TAKE THE POWER BACK:

The intro almost sounds like an intro to an old 70’s cop show or something. Like heavy, groovy, funk metal…think R&B but with more balls and intensity.

The mark of a true artist is a completely unique voice that sounds like NOBODY else, which defines RATM to a ‘T’: no one sounds like them, whether in metal or any other genre of music.

The use of dissonance and the percussive use of the guitar also adds another dimension to the music. Even Zach de La Rocha’s venomous vocals add a uniquely powerful (and extremely explosive) dynamic that only serves to makes the music that much heavier.

The walk down at the end has a very Sabbath vibe to it.

“Expose and close the doors on those who try

To strangle and mangle the truth

‘Cause the circle of hatred continues unless we react

We gotta take the power back”

SETTLE FOR NOTHING:

Definitely a creepy bass intro to open with…and the weird wail of the guitars elevates the uneasiness of the message that’s about to be transmitted.

It’s interesting that you have to “sign in to confirm your age” to listen to this on You Tube. Gee, I wonder why that is? Could it be that the power elite don’t want the younger ones to know just how fucked up and dysfunctional their unquenchable greed has negatively transformed this world?

Rage Against The Machine are the kings of creating audio dissonance designed to stoke the anger of the oppressed and provoke them to proactive, revolutionary action.

And then that jazzy guitar solo…WHAT!? Talk about a left turn…definitely unexpected, and certainly a nice surprise.

“If we don’t take action now, we’ll settle for nothing later…”

Remember what he said…

REMEMBER WHAT HE SAID!

“We’ll settle for nothing NOW and we’ll settle for nothing LATER!”

(Remember what he said…)

“Read my writing on the wall!

No one’s here to catch me when I fall!

Caught between my culture and the system

Genocide!”

BULLET IN THE HEAD:

Nice clean bass intro. Almost a funky rap vibe; it’s as if Tom Morello is one of the first DJ’s of the guitar. That’s essentially what he is: the guitar DJ for the revolutionary new wave of metal in the 90’s.

“They say jump, you say ‘How high?’”

The 70’s cop show vibe to that riff is weird, but it’s awesome. And heavy. It’s like RATM has the heaviness that rap artists need that they can’t possibly achieve with audio samples and turntables.

That escalating riff going into the breakdown…excellent! That’s just straight up metal.

And then the buildup afterwards…tension mounting…flashpoint imminent…here it comes!

The double time change on the drums escalates it even further…

“No escape from the mass mind rape

Play it again, jack, and then rewind the tape

And then play it again, and again, and again

Until ya mind is locked in…”

KNOW YOUR ENEMY:

That intro almost has a strange keyboard vibe to it. Still funky…still rap-like…they lock you into a groove…

And then go into something that’s reminiscent of Helmet, riff wise, with that heavy, funky Sabbath riff, and that climb.

Actually, the instrumentalists in RATM should reunite and be a backing band for any and all super intense, revolutionary, pissed off rappers looking for the TRUE musical power that DJ’s and samples just can’t deliver.

That riff will straight up ear worm you!

“What? ‘The land of the free’? Whoever told you that is your enemy…”

The Maynard part in the middle…talk about a perfect pairing. And if that doesn’t get you fired up and pissed off, then you’re already dead.

Tom Morello doesn’t get enough credit for the change he brought to the guitar and how it fits into heavy music.

Hail and many thanks to you, sir, for your innovation.

“I’ve got no patience now

So sick of complacence now

Sick of, sick of, sick of, sick of you

Time has come to pay!”

WAKE UP:

One simply cannot hear this without thinking about the end of The Matrix. The world certainly needs a Neo right now!

(That riff is so fucking familiar…)

One of the greatest things about heavy metal (and also to a large degree, rap) is the awareness it brings to the masses of all the social ills that plague their communities and the impetus to “wake them up” to the reality of what’s really going on so they can take collective action to impact change and improve the world.

The riff after the solo…and then that build up.

Can you feel your blood pumping faster?

Can you feel your anger escalating?

Can you feel the call to action?

”I think I heard a shot…”

There’s a whole gaggle of spoken word stuff right before the clarion call of WAKE UP!!! WAKE UP!!! WAKE UP!!! (followed by a cacophony of sonic revolution). “How long? Not long. ‘Cause what you reap is what you sow.”

“Networks at work, keeping people calm

You know they went after King

When he spoke out on Vietnam

He turned the power to the have-nots

And then came the shot…”

FISTFUL OF STEEL:

The sound of putting a cat in a blender and setting it to “smoothie” followed by riffs filled with heavy, funky balls! There’s that 70’s cop flick vibe again…and DJ Morello kicking it live “sick-6-string” style.

It’s odd how they can sound so massive and heavy with just 3 musicians. There’s a lot of space and depth to their music. It’s definitely an infectious riff…the harmonics fading off add a lot of atmosphere, like the repetitive wail reminiscent of sirens in the distance, coming to a much-needed rescue.

“Yeah…”

That riff though: ”YYYYYYEEEEEEEAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!”

“With the visions of the move, vocals not to soothe

But to ignite and put in flight, my sense of militance

Groovin’, playin’ this game called Survival

The status, the elite, the enemy, the rival…”

TOWNSHIP REBELLION:

That’s the weirdest bass sound ever…sounds like one of those things they play inside the Outback Steakhouses in Australia. It’s not DiGiorno, but it sounds like that…

(DeGarmo? No, he played guitar for Queensryche…)

OH! It’s didgeridoo! (It’s not DiGiorno, it’s Didgeridoo!)

RATM has such a strange knack for taking two completely different riffs and tempos that don’t seem to fit well together and somehow make them work well together. It’s awesome, but in the weirdest way: like “having an orgy in a hot tub filled with warmed lube” kind of weird.

That one particular chord in that riff adds so much in the balls department…

“What’s it gonna take?”

”When ignorance reigns, life is lost…”

Wait…that wasn’t actually the outro riff…it was the pre-outro riff…back to that heavy as balls funky riff…

“This is a stick up

Our freedom or your life

Lord, I wish I could be peaceful

But there can be no sequel…”

FREEDOM:

What a great way to close out the album. Go watch the video…it’s one of the few that you don’t have to “sign in” to see on YouTube. Ironically, the video seems to focus on the fuckery of the Feds (shocker!) against Native Americans in America (you know, the “Land of the ‘Free’”, remember?)

That faster middle part sounds like it would be right at home on a Sabbath record. The guitar solo section has a very 70’s feel to it as well.

In this day and age, we could sure use another band as vehemently outspoken and critical about treacherous, tyrannical government fuckery and overreach like Rage Against The Machine.

Maybe next year, which just also happens to be an “election” year.

”FREEDOM!!! YEAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!”

The feedback and dissonance at the end pretty much sums up the mission statement of RATM: The American Dream is being systematically dismantled by the global elites which control the global governments which are continuously steering us towards endless debt and financial slavery and it’s high time we revolt against any further fuckery and truly “take the power back” once and for all!!!

“Anger is a gift.”

Show Notes:

(00:01): “My dick is still outside of my body…” / #noturtle / #bathroomhaunting / #theuncorking / “That’s what it sounds like when…” / #gracias / ***WARNING: #listenerdiscretionisadvised ***/ #thisepisodesclinkyoftheepisode #RMRose #FireOnTheMountain / “Actually the upper part…” / ***WELCOME BACK TO THE METAL NERDERY PODCAST ADVENTURE…*** / “It’s on the shirt…you’re wearing it.” / Reflecting on the 2 weeks or so since the Pantera show (as of the recording of this episode) / #thisepisodesbeeroftheepisode #NewFoundary #TwentyFirstAmendmentBrewery (“Isn’t it weird that it (the 21st Amendment) doesn’t apply to drugs?” I’ll save that for #TheTriangle #UnredactedASMR) / #fourpointninepercentABV / #theverdict #mangofinish (It’s a close second to the #MangoCart)

(05:08): You can email us at metalnerdery@gmail.com or on the socials at #FaceTits or #InstaBook (Face Tits?) / “Where would they be?” / “That’s what jowls are…#facetits…” / ***GIVE US A CALL AND LEAVE US A VOICEMAIL AT 980-666-8182!!!*** / #thevoicemailsegment and #JohnnyO / The #metalnerderysydnicate / #hornyfeelings / “The moment’s gone…” / Remember The Fat Boys? / Bands and artists that would be cancelled today / “Since we’re on the topic…and since you said it…” / #herewego / #fiftypercent / “We try so hard to get listeners…” / #CavemanClubsASMR / #NO / “We are talking about #originalfactoryspec #bonushole … from the dealership.” / #RussellsReflectionsASMR regarding #OriginsOfHipHop / #Friday / “I liked the metal, and I liked the rap…” / #theheavymetalofpop / #GrandmasterFlash (“That Matt, he was ON!”) / #SharonsKaren / “Careful…” / #TheMessage (“Yeah, that one.”) / “That wasn’t what I learned…” / “Lets be careful…they’re active, bro.” / #RussellsReflectionsExpandedEdition and a flashback to #backintheday at #TheOzone / #obscenityASMR / “He kept calling me Axel…”

(19:46): #thedocket (But first…) / Looking back to rap in the early 80’s and the impact on metal / “Which one is it?” / METAL NERDERY PODCAST PRESENTS: RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE!!! / #RATM sort of falls in the #AltMetal #NuMetal #genre / Looking back on various #crossover music in the early 90’s / #JudgmentNight / Released 11-3-1992 / “It’s got that groove…” / “NOBODY sounds like RATM…” / Other bands similar to Rage back in the day / “Angry and really loud…” / “Fuck you I won’t do what you tell me!” on #LiveTelevision / “He’s a #maverick in the world of guitar…” / #TomMorelloASMR / #DJSickStrings or #DJSixString ? / “Simple…but effective” / “They sound #biglytremendous …” / “Everytime…I get a little bit of a boner…” / #upsidedownflags are a sign of #anationindistress (We ARE in dire distress…especially over the last 3 years!) / “We’ll save that for #TheTriangle …” / #comingsoon

(28:22): The #albumcover and a sidenote about #RichardPryor / “Monks can meditate themselves into a medicated state…” / “That’s a man right there…that guy’s a real dude, man.” / #killeropener BOMBTRACK (You can feel it building…) / “That groove will carry you through the entire show…” / Koalas don’t buy albums… / “In a way, #nineeleven kinda did ‘em in…” / “Isn’t that weird how that works?” / “This is ‘the hit’ off this album…” / #allthecokelines / KILLING IN THE NAME (“Repetitive…but effective.”) / “And now you do what they told ya…now you’re under control!” / #WhammyPedalSoloASMR / “Fuck you I won’t do what you tell me…” / “That was some shit in ’92!”

(37:52): Other killer metal releases from 1992… / “One of the most overrated bands I think…”/ #NO / TAKE THE POWER BACK #usethoseheadphones (“A little Van Halen there…”) #cleandistortion (“It’s like heavy jazz…”) / “It was all coming…” #markthetime / A #tangentional note regarding some hella overrated 90’s #grungebands / “The guitars are screaming and yelling?” / “They’re gonna be #biglytremendous #yuge …” / “Do all parents do that?” / “They’re rock and roll…” / “In the fall…with relaxers…”

(45:16): “You can settle for nothing now or settle for nothing later…” / SETTLE FOR NOTHING (“Total #BlackSabbath all day long…”) / “Caught between my culture and the system…GENOCIDE!!!” / “It’s good…and it’s angry.” / BULLET IN THE HEAD (de Rocha = like ‘Rock Ya’) / “I can’t wait to go read the lyrics to all of this…” / “They say jump you say, ‘how high?’”/ “It’s probably my favorite song on the album…” / KNOW YOUR ENEMY (feat. Maynard James Keenan) / “That almost sounds like a #Helmet riff…”/ “I got no patience now…time has come to pay!” / “It almost sounds like a keyboard…” / “If this doesn’t fire you up, you’re dead…you have no soul.” / #meaty / “All of which are American Dreams…” / #waitwhat / #TheAmericanDreamIsDead

(55:56): WAKE UP (see also #TheMatrix) / #flahns / The world needs a Neo right now… / #flaser / “Turned the power to the have-nots…and then came the shot!” / #Yeah #No / “That riff sounds familiar…there’s something about it.” / #thewalkdown / FISTFUL OF STEEL (“Sounds like stepping on a cat…with cleats.”) / #backshadowing (#ReinventingTheMetal)/ TOWNSHIP REBELLION (“Weird effect (on the bass)…”) / #SabbathVibes / The word you’re looking for is #Didgeridoo / “We have to cancel all the bad things that happened in the world so we can pretend it’s all great…” / #killercloser FREEDOM #Yeah #NO / “He says ‘Yeah’ almost as much as Hetfield…” / “How about we save that one for #ElectionWeek ?” #airquotes / “It’s so funny how we get our ideas…let’s do a RAGE show!” / #OttoPilot #PalindromePilot / A moment of reflection regarding the $100 Million F-35 plane that we just “lost” / ***THANK YOU FOR JOINING US!!!*** / #firstdayoffall / “Dip your #facetitties in some chili…” / #untilthenext / ***COME ON DOWN TO THE BUNKERPOON GIFTSHOPPE AND PURCHANDISE SOME MERCHANDISE AT metalnerdery.com/merch *** / #outroreel #DecimationASMR #KillEmDead

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