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Rage Against the Machine
Studio album by Rage Against the Machine
Released	November 3, 1992
Recorded	April–May 1992
Studio	Sound City (Van Nuys, California)
Genre	Rap metal funk metal alternative metal rap rock
Length	52:55
Label	Epic
Producer	GGGarth Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine chronology
Rage Against the Machine (1991) Rage Against the Machine (1992) Evil Empire (1996)
Singles from Rage Against the Machine
"Killing in the Name" Released: November 2, 1992 "Bullet in the Head" Released: December 29, 1992 "Bombtrack" Released: June 20, 1993 "Freedom" Released: August 23, 1994

Rage Against the Machine is the debut studio album by American rock band Rage Against the Machine. It was released on November 3, 1992, by Epic Records, one day after the release of the album's first single, "Killing in the Name". The album was based largely on the band's first commercial demo tape of the same name, completed 11 months prior to the album's release. The tape contained earlier recordings of seven of the ten songs.

With politically themed, revolutionary lyrical content, the album artwork was notable for its graphic photograph of Vietnamese monk Thích Quảng Đức performing self-immolation in June 1963.

The album was a critical success upon release, with several critics noting the album's politically motivated agenda and praising frontman Zack de la Rocha's strong vocal delivery. Ranked number 24 on Rolling Stone's list of the "100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time", the album peaked at number 1 on the US Billboard Heatseekers chart and number 45 on the US Billboard 200 and has gone on to achieve a triple platinum sales certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in the US. Multiple publications have ranked it as one of the best albums of the 1990s. In 2020, it was ranked 221 in Rolling Stone's updated list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time".

Music

The album contains politically-charged lyrical content and stylistically blends funk and heavy metal musical styles, similar to the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Artwork and packaging

The cover features a crop of Malcolm Browne's famous photograph of the self-immolation of Thích Quảng Đức, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, in Saigon in 1963.

The songs on Rage Against the Machine all feature political messages. Activists such as Provisional IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands and Black Panther Party founder Huey P. Newton are listed in the "Thanks For Inspiration" section. Also thanked were Ian and Alec MacKaye.

The lyrics for each song were printed in the album booklet with the exception of those for "Killing in the Name", which were omitted; the booklet reads "2. KILLING IN THE NAME", skips the lyrics and continues with the next song.

The statement "no samples, keyboards or synthesizers used in the making of this record" can be found at the end of the sleeve notes. Similar statements were made in the band's subsequent albums. The band also refer to themselves as "Guilty Parties" for each album.

Touring and promotion

The album was supported by the Rage Against the Machine Tour, which commenced on January 15, 1993, in Chicago and concluded on December 31, 1993, in Detroit. Rage Against The Machine was accompanied by opening acts in certain concerts, such as hip hop groups House of Pain and Cypress Hill.

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	87/100
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Encyclopedia of Popular Music
Los Angeles Times
Mojo
NME	7/10
Pitchfork	9.1/10
Record Collector
Rolling Stone
The Rolling Stone Album Guide
Select	4/5

Rage Against the Machine received critical acclaim. In a contemporary review, NME wrote that "what makes RATM more than just another bunch of prodigiously capable genre-benders is their total lack of pretension or contrivance ... the results burn with an undeniable conviction." Q magazine deemed it "a record of real attitude and energy", while Los Angeles Times critic Robert Hilburn hailed it as "a striking, politically conscious debut" and de la Rocha "a bona fide star who combines on stage a Bob Marley-like charisma and a Chuck D.-style rap command -- and the music itself is as tough and relentless as his raps."

Robert Christgau was somewhat less impressed in The Village Voice, summing it up as "metal for rap-lovers—and opera-haters" while naming "Know Your Enemy" and "Wake Up" as highlights. AllMusic reviewer Eduardo Rivadavia wrote in a retrospective review, "it was the first album to successfully merge the seemingly disparate sounds of rap and heavy metal", he also praised the album's "meaningful rhymes and emotionally charged conviction" calling it "essential".

In 2001, Q named Rage Against the Machine as one of the 50 Heaviest Albums of All Time. The album is included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. In 2003, the album was ranked number 368 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, climbing to number 365 in the 2012 revision and shooting up to number 221 in the 2020 reboot of the list. It was ranked number 24 on the magazine's list of "100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time".

In December 2008, BBC Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe included Rage Against the Machine as one of 28 albums in his 'Masterpieces' series. In October 2011, Rage Against the Machine was ranked number five on Guitar World magazine's top ten list of guitar albums of 1992.

Rerelease

The band announced on October 9, 2012, via their Facebook page that they would be releasing a special 20th anniversary box set to commemorate the group's debut album. The box set contains never-before-released concert material, including the band's 2010 Live at Finsbury Park show and footage from early in their career, as well as a digitally remastered version of the album, B-sides and the original demo tape (on disc for the first time). The collection was released on November 27, 2012.

The release features three distinct versions:

• Deluxe box set featuring two CDs, two DVDs, one 12-inch 180gm vinyl LP, one 40 page booklet and two-sided poster
• Special edition featuring two CDs and a bonus DVD featuring six tracks
• Single compact disc (with three bonus tracks)

Track listing

All tracks are written by Rage Against the Machine (Tim Commerford, Zack de la Rocha, Tom Morello, Brad Wilk)

Anger Is a Gift bonus disc – released with the 1995 Australian CD re-release

1. "Darkness" – 3:40
2. "Year of the Boomerang" – 4:02
3. "Freedom" (Remix) – 6:14
4. "Take the Power Back" (Live) – 6:12

Bonus Maxi 12-inch from the "Limited Tour Edition" red vinyl 1993 European re-release included this second LP labeled sides C and D

1. C1 "Freedom" (Live) – 6:13
2. C2 "Bombtrack" (From Mark Goodier's "Evening Session") – 4:08
3. C3 "Bullet in the Head" (Remix) – 5:40
4. D1 "Darkness of Greed" – 3:40
5. D2 "Bullet in the Head" (Live) – 5:44
6. D3 "Bombtrack" (Live) – 5:33

All songs from both bonuses are the versions from previously released singles and promos, except C1 which is from a different performance. No information is given on the 12-inch about the date nor venue.

Personnel

Rage Against the Machine

• Zack de la Rocha – vocals, production, art direction
• Tom Morello – guitar, production, art direction
• Tim Commerford (credited as "Timmy C.") – bass, backing vocals, production, art direction
• Brad Wilk – drums, percussion, production, art direction

Additional musicians

• Maynard James Keenan – additional vocals on "Know Your Enemy"
• Stephen Perkins – additional percussion on "Know Your Enemy"

Technical

• Craig Doubet – assistant engineer
• Stan Katayama – engineer
• Nicky Lindeman – art direction
• Garth Richardson – production, engineering
• Jeff Sheehan – assistant engineer
• Steve Sisco – mixing assistant
• Andy Wallace – mixing
• Bob Ludwig – mastering (1992 CD and vinyl)
• Steve Hoffman – mastering (2016 Hybrid SACD)

Charts

Certifications

References

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Further reading

• Draper, Jason (2008). A Brief History of Album Covers. London: Flame Tree Publishing. pp. 304–305. ISBN 9781847862112. OCLC 227198538.

• 1992 debut albums
• Rage Against the Machine albums
• Epic Records albums
• Albums produced by Garth Richardson
• Albums recorded at Sound City Studios