“‘Cause I know the power of the question”
So much is conveyed in a singular line here, found on “Fistful of Steel”, the 8th track on Rage Against the Machine’s fiery self-titled debut. Over 30 years removed from the release of the timeless record, it has proven to be more relevant now than ever. Rage spent their entire existence creating angry, passionate protest songs of radical left-wing politics that were firmly opposed to the mainstream status quo. There songs have been banned and censored over the years for their lyrical content and strong language (every single song of theirs was taken off the airways in the immediate aftermath of 9/11) and they have been heavily criticized by conservative media.
The band has never shied away from standing by their lyrics, protesting the appearance of then republican presidential candidate and billionaire Steve Forbes on SNL while promoting their second record “Evil Empire”, resulting in their ban from the show. Musically, the band’s sound was just as revolutionary as their lyrics – no one has ever made music quite the way did before or after their debut. The band presented a melting pot of genres: metal, alternative rock, rap, and funk and used these sounds to create some of the most hard-hitting tracks of all time. Guitarist Tom Morello can play his guitar in the most technical way imaginable, creating sounds that seem nearly impossible to create without outside electronics or samples. Everything they ever made was the result of vocals, drums, bass and guitar.
In their perfect discography, their debut stands tall above its follow ups, being the most hard hitting and direct statement that the band would ever release. These 10 tracks are some of the most angry, potent songs ever recorded, taking aim at various political issues including freedom, police brutality and racism, question and standing up to power, and government control and corruption. Vocalist Zack de la Rocha isn’t just sloganeering on these tracks, he is stating deeply thought-provoking political insight. This is protest music delivered at its most blunt and raw; the band weren’t just musicians; they were genuine revolutionaries. Even the albums cover – a depiction of a Vietnamese monk self-immolating in protest to his government – is a striking political image.
These songs here are mostly on the longer side compared to current rock standards. The average song here is around 5-6 minutes in lengths and they shift across this runtime. Tracks like “Killing In the Name” and “Know Your Enemy” feature multiple iconic guitar riffs across their runtime. The record continues slower, more ominous moments such as “Settle for Nothing” and “Bullet In the Head”, changing up the pace of the record. Along with being emotionally charged and politically direct, these are some of the catchiest and best rock songs of all time.
The record opens with “Bombtrack”, one of rocks greatest intro cuts. It’s one of the more straightforward tracks on the album, introducing the bands left-wing political attitude and instrumental sound. It’s a fiery statement against social injustice and can be summed up by the lyrics “Burn, Burn, Burn!” The band takes aim against the nature of U.S. history as well, stating “F*ck Manifest Destiny.” The album’s second track, the iconic “Killing In the Name”, is one of the bands two defining singles (the other being 1996’s “Bulls on Parade”). It’s a track that takes direct name at police brutality and the structure of systematic racism in the United States. At the time of release, the Rodney King Riots were a mere 7 months prior and the blatant racism of the case was on full display. The band states that “Some of those that work forces are the same that burn crosses”, comparing racist and corrupt cops to the KKK, and that “those who died are justified for wearing the badge, they’re the chosen whites”, showing how white cops often escape prosecution for acts of brutality and murder. The song ends on a defining mantra for the band – one resulting in heavy censorship on the airwaves – “F*ck you I won’t what you tell me!” It’s a potent statement of defiance.
3rd track “Take the Power Back” and 6th track “Know Your Enemy” are two of the most direct and potent songs on the entire album. The former is a groovy rock jam focusing on the control that the U.S. has over education and the Eurocentric perspective often presented. Ignorance is bliss and cultures are ignored, and we must “take the power back.” The song slows down towards the end with its “no more lies” mantra before coming back with the repeated line “take it back y’all”. “Know Your Enemy” is a similarly upbeat track, containing multiple instrumental shifts and guest vocals from TOOL’s Maynard James Keenan. The song is all about knowing your enemy, standing up to the system and taking action. Again, the band takes aim at the portrayal of the U.S., stating “The land of the free? Whoever told you that is your enemy!” The song features a crushing bass breakdown towards the end before it’s ending mantra of “All of which are American dreams.”
Between these two tracks are two of the records most ominous and intense songs, “Settle for Nothing” and “Bullet in the Head.” The former focuses on broken families in the U.S. and the cycles of hate and oppression that stim from them. De la Rocha states “read my writing on the wall, no one’s here to catch me when I fall,” showcasing this lack of support and desperation in these desperate situations. One of the most defining protest statements is made here as well – “if we don’t take action now, we’ll settle for nothing later.” “Bullet in the Head” contains a methodical bassline and one of de la Rocha’s smoothest flows. It’s a song focusing on political repression and threats of violence posed to those who dissent. “A yellow ribbon instead of a swastika” is one of the most striking political statements made on the record, a sharp critique of political imagery that would likely be swapped for a red hat today. The songs closing moments (“ya bowin’ down to the flag, ya got a bullet in ya head” “standing in line, believing the lies”) end on a mantra of “a bullet in ya head.”
“Wake Up” is one of the grooviest moments on the entire record and its most direct song. The song calls out government corruption and false narratives, calling out the accused wrongs of the American Government. A defining image presented is “fist in the air, in the land of hypocrisy”. It’s simple and is a message especially relevant today – wake up. “Fistful of Steel” is one of the records darkest moments, containing a downright sinister instrumental. It’s a track calling out staying silence against government and societal oppression and the power of a question. In these present times of media being blocked from direct access to the White House and outright lies and propaganda being given by corrupt press secretaries and officials, it’s an important and extremely relevant message.
“Township Rebellion” features one of my favorite instrumentals on the record, containing pulsating bass and cowbell. It takes focus on the apartheid state that existed for decades in South Africa and how the revolutionary actions that resulted in its downfall can be applied here. Another striking and relevant line “When ignorance reigns life is lost.” The record ends on “Freedom”, one of the greatest album closers of all time and a true showcase of the band. It’s an instrumentally complex track, stopping and starting back at multiple points and calling out the nature of freedom, ending on the lines “Freedom, yeah right”. No lyric summarizes the band better than “anger is a gift”, a line followed by an explosion of instrumentals. It closes the record in a powerful and striking manner, sticking with you long after it ends.
“Rage Against the Machine” is one of the most powerful records of all time point blank. In my opinion it’s the best record of the entire 90’s and my personal favorite of all time. Musically, it revolutionized alternative rock and metal, effortlessly combining rock, funk, and rap into a uniquely captivating blend of genres. No band has or ever will sound as truly original as the band does here. They debuted fully formed, no growing pains or years long build up. All it took was one record to become instantly iconic and create an instant classic.
Politically, the record is a fiery display of defiance and protest. The band effortlessly convey their left-wing political views in an appropriately cinematic manner. The band used the imagery of revolutionaries throughout their career, and rightfully so. In a time where it feels like the government is only gaining more and more power, a record like this feels more important than ever before. The record is more important than just being a piece of great alternative rock, no its more important than that. It’s one of the few records that truly has something unique and important to say and I tell everyone reading this to drop what you are doing right now and listen to this. It’s a 10, a true masterpiece and the defining work of one of popular music’s greatest acts.
Highlights: every single song.
