Friday 26 September 2014

Album of the Week: Rage Against the Machine - Evil Empire

     Grab your shovels and miner's headlamp helmets, kids, because today we're digging deep into the mountain of history for your Album of the Week. I know, I know, this one's not exactly topical, but it's just one of those albums that's completely badass, and possibly (but hopefully not) unknown to you young 'uns.

     Fans of Rage Against the Machine will debate endlessly the question of which album represents the band's crowing achievement (trust me, I've been involved in several such debates over the years). But for my money there's really no question: 1996's Evil Empire is where it's at in terms of Rage.

     Sure, the 1994 self-titled might have more youthful rage, and 1999's The Battle of Los Angeles might be the band's most polished, creatively varied work. Evil Empire, however, exists in the sweet spot between the two, in more ways than just chronologically: it's more confident and focused than Rage but it still retains some of the venom and rough edges that feel a little more absent from Battle.

     Evil Empire, for me at least, is also one of those "all killer, no filler" albums: there aren't any tracks I skip, and every one is memorable for me. Maybe it's just because I grew up with this record and have been rocking it for more than fifteen years now, but all those riffs are locked in my head. I'm a terrible drummer, and I feel like I could play a lot of Evil Empire, the beats ingrained in my brain that deeply. Hell, I can't typically remember rap lyrics (or any lyrics...) worth shit, but I can still keep up with Zack on some stuff, all these years later.

     So for the next week or so, do me and you both a favour and revisit this classic nineties record. Then have your own debate about which Rage album is best -- just as long as you're supporting Evil Empire.

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