Album of the Week #21 - Rage Against The Machine - Self Titled

Karl Hungus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkuOAY-S6OY

seanironmaiden

Bows to the greatness of this album. I'll never forget the first time I heard Know Your Enemy in '95 when I was a kid. blew me away. As did the rest of the album. Classic

Sephiroth_dude

I remember my brother giving me a listen to killing in the name of when I was 8 IN 94,and I being really shocked at hearing the cursing in the song"**** you I wont do what you tell me"ah good times :-D

rainbow kirby

Gotta say I love this album, used it as gym music for a long time

Undergod

Sheer class. Every track is great. This was what second year was all about for me.

Malice

I remember sitting at the back of second year music class one afternoon in 1993 bored out of my mind when the person sat behind me asked if I wanted to hear the band he had on the tape in his Walkman. I asked him what it was and he said it was a mixture of Rap and Metal. Intruiged, I slipped on the headphones and the rest is history. Up to then, as far as I was concerned bands were easily pigeon-holed into genres. Metallica was Metal, Guns N' Roses were Hard Rock, Nirvana were Grunge Rock and yet here was a band straddling various genres and delivering a variety of hard-hitting political messages at the same time. I remember asking my parents about the album cover, even now it's a very evocative image with a story behind it that's well worth reading about if you're unfamiliar with it (which actually goes for most of the causes championed by the band).
The lyrics are great with Zack De La Rocha's angry delivery captured really well. The music is also fantastic with the bassist and drummer laying down a solid foundation for the guitarist to weave his magic on. All in all an absolutely fantastic album and a worthy choice for album of the week!

It wasn't me!

Good call. Very good call indeed. This really is a truly unique album and very much a milestone for musical development. I've never heard the same intensity and anger mirrored elsewhere. Personally, I'm glad of this in a way, as it makes it all the easier to know where to look for those things. Good choice though.

FunkZ

It's one of my favourite albums ever. Ya wouldn't listen to it for a year, then one day you'd accidently find it, put it on, and you be jumping around the place for a week!

villains77

Hey everyone hope you are all well after the crimbo and new year. hope you all have a great year and loads of great gigs

KrazeeEyezKilla

It's what Nu-Metal should have sounded like.

Malice

KrazeeEyezKilla wrote: »

It's what Nu-Metal should have sounded like.

It is? Why? I can't imagine Fred Durst having the same delivery or belief in a variety of causes as Zack De La Rocha .

KrazeeEyezKilla

malice_ wrote: »

It is? Why? I can't imagine Fred Durst having the same delivery or belief in a variety of causes as Zack De La Rocha .

I meant that there should have been more bands like RATM getting noticed instead of Papa Roach. Obviously I didnt expect much from Fred Durst.

Malice

KrazeeEyezKilla wrote: »

I meant that there should have been more bands like RATM getting noticed instead of Papa Roach. Obviously I didnt expect it from Fred Durst.

But that's the thing, Rage Against The Machine are special. There aren't more bands like them! Of course there are bands that mix rap and rock/metal but none do it as well as RATM. Without wishing to take the thread off-topic, I'd also like to stick up for Papa Roach . Their Infest album was great and while their later releases haven't lived up to it, they don't deserve being compared to Fred Durst!

CrazyTalk

Easily one of the best albums I've ever heard. Secondary school personified for me

Out Of Order

What a debut! A classic album, great choice.

Shiminay

We owe a lot to Cypress Hill

It is one of the all time greatest metal albums, undoubtedly. Jebus, the power behind it was something else and musically it was a big side step from everything that was going on around it.

Could an arguement be made it was the start of Nu-Metal? I know this has been said many times, I've probably said it myself, but I really think that Rage stand apart from any other band. The rap/metal thing has been done since, but no one has ever come close to the intensity and sheer talent shown by those 4 lads.

jmcguire

This album is the dogs bo****ks !!!


Missed it the first time out as I was a raver and techno head ... but now it is one of my favourite albums ...

There are some low points but they are balanced out by the blistering highlights.

Good music should always inspire. Rage Against the Machine makes you want to ****ing rip the place to bits... a masterpiece of angry rock..

Awesome

Lemming

An outstanding album and one that stands head and shoulders above most of the crowd of the mid-90s. It gets listened to frequently by me, even now over 12 years later. I can't think of a single song on this album that doesn't make you want to go f*cking nuts and just mosh! Mind you I can think of one or two that make you want to leave your body behind in doing so

Like Kharn said, I don't really think you can compare RATM to any nu-metal stuff. Hell you can't even compare RATM to most metal bands as it is. It's the sheer delivery and emotional response that their songs generate that really gets me going personally. A very politically aware band stoking the fires to piss you off with sh*t that shouldn't be happening the way it happens. Or something like that.

seanironmaiden

I think Evil Empire should be next week's album of the week :P

Beekay

Kharn wrote: »

Could an arguement be made it was the start of Nu-Metal?

The album was def something which contributed to the start of nu-metal. Along with Faith No More and Fear Factory.

JC 2K3

They have a great unique sound. They get a bit annoying when overplayed though; Fibber's has ruined my appreciation for Killing in the Name.

Earthhorse

An amazing debut and their high point as a band. Nothing they did after came together quite like this did.

Catari Jaguar

Sexalicious music. They make me wanna smash stuff when I hear them... I think that's a good thing.

Panthro

i think their best album is "evil empire"

Malice

papagormo wrote: »

i think their best album is "evil empire"

Do you have a reason for thinking that or are you just trolling?

Mongo

Massive Rage fan here.Went to Coachella to see them this year.Unbelievable album.Revolutionary.Nothing ever like it before it or after it but for me I prefer Evil Empire.Personal opinion.Still though self titled is an album that will live forever.

seanironmaiden

I'd agree with that. although the 1st album is revolutionary I prefer Evil Empire cos of the overall vibe to the album. The drum sound is amazing on it. My favourite Rage album definately and I think a lot of people think that. I'd even admit that the first album is better in terms of song quality but still...

acquiescefc

I reckon this is what got me into 'proper' music via a mixtape a mate made me.

Was lucky enough to see them twice and never forget feeling like i was lucky to escape from the pit alive both times.
I remember when 'Walk this Way' did the crossover thing, it was interesting but this was a long long way in front of that.

Personal favourite is Freedom. Still in my top five list.

Would love to see them one more time.

Doctor J

Great album, rap and metal was nothing new but RATM were probably the first to do it succesfully. I still have a video of them playing on The Word way back in the day. Gggarth deserves a medal for the production, a huge factor in the success of the album. I saw them in the Tivoli touring it, very good stuff. I think the subsequent albums weren't a patch on it, pretty much the same stuff, just not the same strength to the songs, nor the innovation. They got kinda one dimensional though I did enjoy the covers album.