Emily: I did not expect to like this album at all. My only real exposure to RATM before this was via Guitar Hero, and I would never play their songs anyway. I thought every song would be loud and screamy, and that holds true for the most part. However, two things elevate this debut album above headache-inducing metal – Zack de la Rocha’s lyrics, and Tom Morello’s guitar playing. De la Rocha is angry, no doubt, but he doesn’t lose artistry through his anger. His lyrics are fresh and powerful, and he spits them as if he can no longer contain his rage within his mind. Morello adds a throbbing pulse to the album with his guitar, building up the sense of anger in each song until it boils over and explodes. Rage Against the Machine is certainly not for every listener. This album is loud, mad, and in-your-face – but it’s also smart, political, and full of potential.
Favorite Tracks: Know Your Enemy, Wake Up, Bombtrack
Zack: Rage Against the Machine has always had a distinctive sound to me. The combination of Tom Morello’s ability to create totally abnormal sounds from his guitar with Zack de la Rocha’s voice creates a sound unlike any other nu metal band out there. Besides for their sound, the other distinctive feature about this album is the lyrics. If you were wondering why they chose that particular band name, you need not look farther than the words they use. They are pure rage, but the recipient of this anger is a group as ambiguous as “the machine.” At times, it seems like the band is angry because it is the fashionable to be so. More maturity and focus would have gone a long way towards their message, but then again accusing the government of raising taxes isn’t as inflammatory as saying they murdered Malcolm X or Martin Luther King.
Favorite Tracks: Killing in the Name, Township Rebellion, Wake Up
No comments:
Post a Comment