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RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE
Rage Against the
Machine earned acclaim from disenfranchised fans (and not
insignificant derision from critics) for their bombastic,
fiercely polemical music, which brewed sloganeering leftist rants
against corporate America, cultural imperialism and government
oppression into a Molotov cocktail of punk, hip-hop and thrash.
Rage formed in Los Angeles in the early '90s out of the wreckage
of a number of local groups: vocalist Zack de la Rocha (the son
of Chicano political artist Beto) emerged from the bands
Headstance, Farside and Inside Out; guitarist Tom Morello (the
nephew of Jomo Kenyatta, the first Kenyan president) originated
in Lock Up; and drummer Brad Wilk played with future Pearl Jam
frontman Eddie Vedder. Rounded out by bassist Tim Bob (aka Tim C.,
b. Tim Commerford), a childhood friend of de la Rocha's, Rage
debuted in 1992 with a self-released, self-titled 12-song
cassette featuring the song "Bullet in the Head," which
became a hit when reissued as a single later in the year.
The tape won the band a deal with Epic, and their leap to the
majors did not go unnoticed by detractors, who questioned the
revolutionary integrity of Rage Against the Machine's decision to
align itself with the label's parent company, media behemoth Sony.
Undeterred, the quartet emerged in late 1992 with their eponymous
official debut, which scored the hits "Killing in the Name"
and "Bombtrack." After touring with Lollapalooza and
declaring their support of groups like FAIR (Fairness and
Accuracy in Reporting), Rock for Choice and Refuse & Resist,
Rage spent a reportedly tumultous four years working on their
follow-up; despite rumors of a breakup, they returned in 1996
withEvil Empire, which entered the U.S. album charts at number
one and scored a hit single with "Bulls on Parade."
During 1997, the group joined forces with hip-hop supergroup the
Wu-Tang Clan for a summer tour, and remained active in support of
various leftist political causes, including a controversial 1999
benefit concert for death-row inmate Mumia Abu-Jamal. The Battle
of Los Angeles followed later in 1999, also debuting at number
one and going double platinum by the following summer. In early
2000, De La Rocha announced plans for a solo project, and the
band performed an incendiary show outside the Democratic National
Convention in August. The following month, bassist Commerford was
arrested for disorderly conduct at MTV's Video Music Awards
following his bizarre disruption of a Limp Bizkit acceptance
speech, in which he climbed to the top of a 15-foot set piece and
rocked back and forth. Plans for a live album were announced
shortly thereafter, but in October, De La Rocha abruptly
announced his departure from the band, citing breakdowns in
communication and group decision-making. Surprised but not angry,
the remainder of Rage announced plans to continue with a new
vocalist, while De La Rocha re-focused on his solo album, which
was slated to include collaborations with acclaimed hip-hop
artists including El-P of Company Flow.
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©2001 Digbeth Promotions (a subholder of Badger Promotions).
