Evil Empire
(Evil Empire is the second studio album by American rap rock band Rage Against the Machine, released April 16, 1996)
Rage Against the Machine are one of the biggest bands to come out of the 90s. Even though their lyrics were extremely politically charged, they only released three studio albums (if you don't count the cover album Renegades), and they were relatively short-lived band, making albums only from 1991 to 2000, and then having a touring reunion from 2007 to 2011, they still managed to basically create a new genre. They were definitely not the first band to meld rap and metal, but they were the first to break into the mainstream, and they helped set up the foundation for what would eventually become nu metal. Their debut self-titled album was critically acclaimed and put the group on the map, but it took them four years to put out a follow-up.
Both pre-album singles didn’t exceptionally well, especially when compared to the success of their single “Killing in the Name.” They released the first single, “Year of the Boomerang” (spelled “Year of tha Boomerang” on Evil Empire) almost a year and a half before the album was released, on the soundtrack for the movie Higher Learning in December 1994. Then in 1996 they released “Bulls on Parade,” which is my favorite Rage song of all time, and despite not doing great during its initial release, over time it has grown to be on of Rage’s most well-known tracks.
When the album was finally released on April 16, 1996, it debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 and the UK Rock & Metal Albums charts, but was not met with nearly as much critical acclaim as their debut or their 1999 album The Battle of Los Angeles. Despite that, I still think that Evil Empire is Rage’s masterpiece. Every song, with the exception of the drawn-out sour riffs of “Wind Below,” is almost perfect. Guitarist Tom Morello takes his inventive guitar riffs to a whole new level by doing things like including the amp feedback as part of the riff (“Roll Right”), imitating a DJ scratch (“Bulls on Parade”), scratching the pick on a single string (“People of the Sun”), and so much more. Plus, the chorus of the track “Down Rodeo” has what might be my favorite guitar riff ever. Bassist Tim Commerford and drummer Brad Wilk both really come into their own. But above all else, frontman Zack de la Rocha brings hard-hitting lyrics and an energy that no other frontman could bring. This is proven by the awful supergroup Prophets of Rage, where the instrumentalities of Rage try and replace Zack with DJ Lord and Chuck D of Public Enemy, and B-Real of Cypress Hill, which on paper sounds good, but in practice does not.
On top of all of that, the album in incredibly cohesive. It sounds like you just walked into a group of friends jamming, which is essentially what it is. They recorded it in their own rehearsal space, just to capture the raw energy they possess. This album also marked the start of a long-lasting relationship with producer Brendan O'Brien, who has also worked with acts such as Stone Temple Pilots, Korn, AC/DC, and, most notably, Pearl Jam. The album also won the Grammy for “Best Metal Performance” for the song “Tire Me,” despite the lack of a single release, and "Bulls on Parade" and "People of the Sun" were nominated for “Best Hard Rock Performance.” Since it’s release, it has also been certified 3x platinum in the US.
Though their self-titled album and The Battle of Los Angeles are great albums, I still think Evil Empire is Rage’s best record, and one of my favorite albums of all time. From the amazing songs, to varied song structures, to the inventive riffs, to the band’s raw energy, this album has everything you’d want in a Rage album, but, in my opinion, done better than on any of their other albums. I am giving Evil Empire a...
9.5/10
Favorite Tracks: People of the Sun, Bulls on Parade, Vietnow, Revolver, Snakecharmer, Tire Me, Down Rodeo, Without a Face, Roll Right, Year of tha Boomerang
Least Favorite(s): Wind Below
Rage Against the Machine - Evil Empire | Rap Rock, Rap Metal, Alternative Metal, Funk Metal | Epic
Comments
Post a Comment