Rage Against the Machine (music group)
Rage Against the Machine is an influential American rap metal band formed in the early 1990s in Los Angeles. Comprising lead vocalist Zack de la Rocha, guitarist Tom Morello, bassist Tim Commerford, and drummer Brad Wilk, the band rose to prominence with their self-titled debut album in 1992, featuring politically charged singles like "Killing in the Name" and "Bulls on Parade." Known for their leftist political stance, they garnered both a dedicated fanbase and controversy, particularly during events such as their protest concert at the 2000 Democratic National Convention. After de la Rocha left the band in 2000 to pursue a solo career, the remaining members formed the supergroup Audioslave with Chris Cornell.
The band reunited for a world tour in 2022, which faced setbacks due to the COVID-19 pandemic and de la Rocha's injury. Despite these challenges, Rage Against the Machine concluded a successful North American leg of the tour and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2023. They remain prominent figures in the music scene, continuing to influence discussions around political activism and music.
Rage Against the Machine (music group)
Rage Against the Machine is an American rap metal band. The band formed in the 1990s and gained prominence with the release of its debut self-titled album in 1992. The band's music, which included singles such as "Killing in the Name" and "Bulls on Parade," had political undertones. Rage Against the Machine became known for its leftist views, which eventually divided both fans and the band itself. Amidst rumors of a breakup in 2000, its lead vocalist, Zack de la Rocha, left the band to focus on a solo career. The remaining band members then worked on other projects, including a stint as Audioslave with Soundgarden's lead singer Chris Cornell. In the years that followed, Rage Against the Machine's band members reunited for several performances and hinted that new music was coming soon. In 2019, it was announced that the band would reunite to play a world tour in 2020, which the band rescheduled to 2022 due to the global COVID-19 pandemic; however, after de la Rocha sustained a severe injury to his Achilles tendon while on tour, Rage Against the Machine canceled the remaining dates of the reunion world tour in October 2022. In 2023, Rage Against the Machine joined the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Origins
Rage Against the Machine formed in the early 1990s in the Los Angeles area. It consisted of four band members from other bands. Zack de la Rocha, the lead vocalist, previously played in the bands Headstance, Farside, and Inside Out. Tom Morello, a guitarist, was from the band Lock Up. Drummer Brad Wilk worked on projects with Eddie Vedder, who later gained fame as the lead vocalist of the alternative grunge band Pearl Jam. Bassist Tim Commerford, a longtime friend of de la Rocha, rounded out Rage Against the Machine.
The band self-released a twelve-track cassette tape in 1992 featuring the song "Bullet in the Head," which gained popularity and garnered legions of fans. The label Epic took note of Rage Against the Machine and signed the band, which angered some fans since Epic was part of the giant Sony Corporation. Fans felt the band was "selling out" on its revolutionary leftist image by signing with a major label. Despite this, the band released its debut album Rage Against the Machine in late 1992. It contained the singles "Killing in the Name" and "Bombtrack," which became anthems among fans. The band toured to support its album as fans eagerly awaited its follow-up album. As the years passed, rumors of a breakup persisted.
In 1996, Rage Against the Machine debunked the breakup rumors and released its sophomore effort, Evil Empire, which debuted at the top spot of the musical charts in the United States. It spawned the hit single "Bulls on Parade," which became popular among fans. The following year, Rage Against the Machine joined the hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan on tour. During this time, the band supported several leftist political causes, which both attracted new fans and drove away old ones. One of the causes was the staging of a 1999 benefit concert in support of death-row inmate Mumia Abu-Jamal, who was imprisoned for killing Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner in 1981.
Continued Career and Breakup
Rage Against the Machine debuted its third album, The Battle of Los Angeles, in 1999. The album was widely popular—it ranked number one and reached platinum status. The following year, the band made headlines again when it staged a protest concert at the Democratic National Convention. The band continued to perform and cause controversies. Bassist Commerford interrupted Limp Bizkit's acceptance speech at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2000 and was subsequently arrested for his bizarre behavior, which included climbing to the top of the stage's set.
Rumors persisted that the band was headed for a breakup, but Rage Against the Machine denied the claims and announced plans for a live album. However, by October 2000, de la Rocha announced that he had quit the band amidst disagreements over its direction and his desire for a solo career. Rage Against the Machine announced plans to replace front man de la Rocha. Meanwhile, de la Rocha focused on his solo career, pairing with artists such as Shadow and El-P of Company Flow. The final Rage Against the Machine album was released in December 2000. The album Renegades included covers of songs from bands such as EPMD, Bruce Springsteen, Devo, and the Rolling Stones.
De la Rocha continued to work on solo projects, and Morello, Wilk, and Commerford teamed with Soundgarden front man Chris Cornell to form the band Audioslave in 2001. Audioslave released its first album the following year. Epic released Rage Against the Machine's Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium CD/DVD set near the end of 2003.
Audioslave dissolved in 2007, and the same year, Rage Against the Machine announced a reunion tour. The band performed at several events throughout the years that followed. Its last public performance together came in 2011. Since then, De la Rocha has continued his solo career and work with other artists, and Rage Against the Machine band members have hinted that the band would perform together and record music again soon. However, Bassist Commerford told Rolling Stone magazine in October 2015 that while Rage Against the Machine was still a band, it was not known if it would record music in the future.
In 2016, three members of the band, Morello, Wilk, and Commerford, joined several members of two other bands to form the supergroup Prophets of Rage. The group toured throughout 2016, playing songs from all three bands. In November 2019, it was confirmed that Prophets of Rage had disbanded. The same month, Rage at the Machine announced that they were reuniting for their first live shows in nine years. In addition to a world tour in 2020, the band was scheduled to play at that year's Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival; however, the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused the band to postpone their world tour and led to the cancellation of that year's Coachella festival altogether.
Rage Against the Machine initially announced that their reunion world tour, titled the Public Service Announcement Tour, would pick up in the summer of 2021; however, the band later pushed back the tour dates until the summer of 2022. The Public Service Announcement Tour began its North American leg on July 9, 2022. During the second show of the tour, vocalist Zack de la Rocha injured his Achilles tendon. As a result of de la Rocha's injury, in August 2022, the band announced their decision to cancel the European leg of the reunion world tour. Rage Against the Machine concluded their first run of the reunion world tour with five consecutive sold-out performances at Madison Square Garden in New York in August 2022. In October 2022, the band announced their decision to cancel all scheduled North American dates of the Public Service Announcement reunion tour in 2023 due to the severity of de la Rocha's injury.
In 2023, Rage Against the Machine joined the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. American rapper and actor Ice-T inducted the band at the Rock Hall induction ceremony on November 3, 2023. Guitarist Tom Morello attended the ceremony to accept the induction honor on behalf of the band.
Bibliography
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Greene, Andy. "Flashback: Rage Against the Machine Reunite at Coachella." Rolling Stone, 24 Jan. 2013, www.rollingstone.com/music/videos/flashback-rage-against-the-machine-reunite-at-coachella-20130124. Accessed 30 Nov. 2015.
Newman, Jason. "Rage Against the Machine Bassist Gives Band Update, Talks ISIS, Trump." Rolling Stone, 2 Oct. 2015, www.rollingstone.com/music/news/rage-against-the-machine-bassist-gives-band-update-talks-isis-trump-20151002. Accessed 30 Nov. 2015.
"Rage Against the Machine." AllMusic, All Media Network, LLC, www.allmusic.com/artist/rage-against-the-machine-mn0000863790. Accessed 30 Nov. 2015.
"Rage Against the Machine." Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, 2023, www.rockhall.com/inductees/rage-against-machine. Accessed 27 Mar. 2024.
Williams, Timothy. "Execution Case Dropped against Abu-Jamal." The New York Times, 7 Dec. 2011, www.nytimes.com/2011/12/08/us/execution-case-dropped-against-convicted-cop-killer.html?‗r=0. Accessed 30 Nov. 2015.