Rage Against the Machine

Rage Against the Machine

Rage Against the Machine is an American rock group from Los Angeles, active from 1991 to 2024. The lineup consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello and drummer Brad Wilk. The band is also often abbreviated as RATM or Rage.

Style and themes

The group combines heavy metal, rap, punk rock and funk, and is associated with alternative metal, alternative rock, funk metal, heavy metal, metal and nu metal. Its lyrics focus on anti-authoritarianism, anti-capitalism and social justice.

Albums and recognition

Rage Against the Machine releases its self-titled debut album in 1992 and it receives critical acclaim. In 2020, Rolling Stone places it at number 221 in its list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. The follow-up albums Evil Empire in 1996 and The Battle of Los Angeles in 1999 both reach number one on the Billboard 200. The band also releases the cover album Renegades in 2000.

Career history

The band gains wider attention after performing at Lollapalooza in 1993. By 2010, it has sold over 16 million records worldwide. It disbands in 2000 because of creative differences, reunites in 2007 for Coachella, and then performs at venues and festivals around the world before going on hiatus in 2011. A world tour announced in 2019 is delayed until 2022 because of the COVID-19 pandemic and ends early after de la Rocha suffers a leg injury. In 2023, the band is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2024, Brad Wilk confirms that the group has disbanded for a third time.

Influence

Rage Against the Machine becomes a major influence in rock music and has an impact on the nu metal movement that develops in the late 1990s and early 2000s. It is also ranked number 33 on VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock.