#2.
The runner up:
Rage Against the Machine - Rage Against the Machine
Released: November 3, 1992
Members:
Zack de la Rocha - vocals
Tom Morello - guitar
Timmy C. - bass
Brad Wilk - drums/percussion
Personally Acquired: December 26, 2002; bought at Best Buy.
Summary
B. R. I. L. L. I. A. N. C. E.
One of the most important albums of the 90s. One of the greatest albums of all bloody time. Greatest debut album since GNR's Appetite for Destruction. And yet, for all those accolades, it still does not honor the magnitude or raw volume this album evokes. Blessed with enviable skill and ferocious grace, Rage set the world on its ear with their gritty anarchist lyrics, bombastic instrumentation, and hip-hop aesthetic. And the world couldn't believe what they were hearing. Rap and rock had never cohesively meshed together as well as Rage blended it (and still hasn't, in my opinion). They were Public Enemy meets Fugazi. They were NWA meets Suicidal Tendencies. This album gave the band their name. And it remains as their most solid effort put forth. The music emits the most chemistry of any single album I've ever heard. Brad Wilk is the foundation, snapping out elaborate blocks of percussion to model the song around. Timmy C.--one of the most underrated bassists in rock today--punches basslines out with authority, plastering some incredible rhythm to the wall. Tom Morello accents everything with his inane guitar stylings and out of this world soloing. And Zack de la Rocha gives meaning the electric anthems with his harsh-spoken rapping and angry protesting lyrics.
This rock classic starts out with one of the staples of Rage's career, "Bombtrack". A tricky little guitar and bass riff quietly play out for a few measures before erupting into the belly of the song. It's now Zack introduces himself with his fluid flow and livid demeanor. This is one of the lesser angry songs, and on a Rage basis, it's actually one of their most basic songs. But that does not even come close to taking anything away from the amazingness it emits. "Killing in the Name". Holy. Shit. Arguably the best song they've ever created. On a vocal and lyrical standpoint, not one of their highlights. Zack just repeats one line over and over during the verse. But it's the chorus and outro that give this song meaning. During the chorus comes an off and on attack with Zack imitating his audience by mocking "And now you do what they told ya (now you're under control)". The whole song is a set-up for the final blow. After a shimmering Morello solo, Zack sets off his super famous line, yelling "Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me!" over and over again. Purely insane. "Take the Power Back" follows, which is Timmy C.'s time to shine. He opens the song with a slap-happy intro before the rest of the band follows suit. One of the overlooked tracks on the album, unnecessarily considering it's godliness. After the slow and brooding blast of "Settle For Nothing", the album hits its second half, which brings the volatile lambasting even further, starting with "Bullet in the Head". Penned as Rage's first single, it features some crazy squeals from Tom's guitar and probably Zack's best vocal performance ever. The section after the second verse is when the song blows up into a livewire smash with Tom and Tim slamming out a snappy riff as Brad smacks the drums. The outro repeats after a brief breakdown with just the bass lighting it up. I'm given goosebumps everytime. "Know Your Enemy". The most powerfully driven song on the album. It just moves so quickly you barely have time to catch up. A snappy intro turns into a heavy metal growl. The tempo finally calms down a bit during the bridge when the guitarists play a breakdown shuffle as guest vocalist Maynard James Keenan (of Tool) lends his voice explaining that he's "so sick of complacence". After the breakdown, Tom unleashes the most amazingly controlled solo he's ever done. The outro leaves the listener feeling villified and angry. "Wake Up". This song is essentially Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir" if written by an anarchist. "Fistful of Steel" and "Township Rebellion" are the next two on the docket. The former is one of the slower tempo'd on the album, but is still solid with a jiving bassline from Tim and focused rhyming from Zack. The latter is actually the goat of the album. Goat is such a strong word too, because the song still kicks it. All this leads up to the deadly outro. The angry, grinding, seething, fierce "Freedom". There simply are no words to describe this shapeshifting, start-and-stop, reserved explosive anthem. Beyond words. If ever I needed an answer to why they are my favorite band, I shall do no more than play this album.
Four Good Tracks: "Freedom", "Know Your Enemy", "Bullet in the Head", "Killing in the Name"
Rage Against the Machine - Rage Against the Machine
Released: November 3, 1992
Members:
Zack de la Rocha - vocals
Tom Morello - guitar
Timmy C. - bass
Brad Wilk - drums/percussion
Personally Acquired: December 26, 2002; bought at Best Buy.
Summary
B. R. I. L. L. I. A. N. C. E.
One of the most important albums of the 90s. One of the greatest albums of all bloody time. Greatest debut album since GNR's Appetite for Destruction. And yet, for all those accolades, it still does not honor the magnitude or raw volume this album evokes. Blessed with enviable skill and ferocious grace, Rage set the world on its ear with their gritty anarchist lyrics, bombastic instrumentation, and hip-hop aesthetic. And the world couldn't believe what they were hearing. Rap and rock had never cohesively meshed together as well as Rage blended it (and still hasn't, in my opinion). They were Public Enemy meets Fugazi. They were NWA meets Suicidal Tendencies. This album gave the band their name. And it remains as their most solid effort put forth. The music emits the most chemistry of any single album I've ever heard. Brad Wilk is the foundation, snapping out elaborate blocks of percussion to model the song around. Timmy C.--one of the most underrated bassists in rock today--punches basslines out with authority, plastering some incredible rhythm to the wall. Tom Morello accents everything with his inane guitar stylings and out of this world soloing. And Zack de la Rocha gives meaning the electric anthems with his harsh-spoken rapping and angry protesting lyrics.
This rock classic starts out with one of the staples of Rage's career, "Bombtrack". A tricky little guitar and bass riff quietly play out for a few measures before erupting into the belly of the song. It's now Zack introduces himself with his fluid flow and livid demeanor. This is one of the lesser angry songs, and on a Rage basis, it's actually one of their most basic songs. But that does not even come close to taking anything away from the amazingness it emits. "Killing in the Name". Holy. Shit. Arguably the best song they've ever created. On a vocal and lyrical standpoint, not one of their highlights. Zack just repeats one line over and over during the verse. But it's the chorus and outro that give this song meaning. During the chorus comes an off and on attack with Zack imitating his audience by mocking "And now you do what they told ya (now you're under control)". The whole song is a set-up for the final blow. After a shimmering Morello solo, Zack sets off his super famous line, yelling "Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me!" over and over again. Purely insane. "Take the Power Back" follows, which is Timmy C.'s time to shine. He opens the song with a slap-happy intro before the rest of the band follows suit. One of the overlooked tracks on the album, unnecessarily considering it's godliness. After the slow and brooding blast of "Settle For Nothing", the album hits its second half, which brings the volatile lambasting even further, starting with "Bullet in the Head". Penned as Rage's first single, it features some crazy squeals from Tom's guitar and probably Zack's best vocal performance ever. The section after the second verse is when the song blows up into a livewire smash with Tom and Tim slamming out a snappy riff as Brad smacks the drums. The outro repeats after a brief breakdown with just the bass lighting it up. I'm given goosebumps everytime. "Know Your Enemy". The most powerfully driven song on the album. It just moves so quickly you barely have time to catch up. A snappy intro turns into a heavy metal growl. The tempo finally calms down a bit during the bridge when the guitarists play a breakdown shuffle as guest vocalist Maynard James Keenan (of Tool) lends his voice explaining that he's "so sick of complacence". After the breakdown, Tom unleashes the most amazingly controlled solo he's ever done. The outro leaves the listener feeling villified and angry. "Wake Up". This song is essentially Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir" if written by an anarchist. "Fistful of Steel" and "Township Rebellion" are the next two on the docket. The former is one of the slower tempo'd on the album, but is still solid with a jiving bassline from Tim and focused rhyming from Zack. The latter is actually the goat of the album. Goat is such a strong word too, because the song still kicks it. All this leads up to the deadly outro. The angry, grinding, seething, fierce "Freedom". There simply are no words to describe this shapeshifting, start-and-stop, reserved explosive anthem. Beyond words. If ever I needed an answer to why they are my favorite band, I shall do no more than play this album.
Four Good Tracks: "Freedom", "Know Your Enemy", "Bullet in the Head", "Killing in the Name"