FEATURE:
Rage Within the Machine
Will the Touring Return of the Los Angeles Legends Lead to a New Album?
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THINK about the music scene when…
Rage Against the Machine arrived. Their eponymous album was released in 1992 and, at the time, they were heading into a landscape that was seeing Grunge acts like Nirvana rule. It was clear that there were these bands who could articulate a frustration that, perhaps, was not common at the time. Although Nirvana’s lyrics were more personal in nature, Rage Against the Machine were more political. George H.W. Bush was U.S. President in 1992, and it is not a surprise a band like Rage Against the Machine would appear and represent a fury and sense of isolation many Americans were feeling. Their debut remains one of the greatest ever, and it combines Zack de la Rocha’s intense and mesmeric vocals; there is Tom Morello’s insane and genius guitar work; Tim Commerford brings his epic bass chops to the party, whilst Brad Wilk’s percussion gives the album intensity and heartbeat. Songs like Killing in the Name became anthems for the disenfranchised youth, and it is a song that sounds relevant and timely today – police brutality, racism and oppression. Rage Against the Machine continued to impress, and they released Evil Empire in 1996; The Battle of Los Angeles came out in 1999, and Renegades (an album of covers) came out the year after – that was the last studio album from the band. 2020 is an important year, as it is twenty years since their last album but, as we are seeing political tensions and a lot of anger swell up, their return is very welcome!
There have been a lot of articles released this week, as the band has been announced as a headliner for the Reading and Leeds festivals. Here are some more details from NME:
“Rage Against The Machine have been confirmed as headliners of this year’s Reading & Leeds Festival.
The political rock icons, who’ve also announced they will top the bill at France’s Rock en Seine festival alongside a host of other dates, are set to play Leeds festival on August 28 and close Reading festival on August 30”.
It is not only Reading & Leeds Rage Against the Machine will play this year. It seems like they are in full frontal, and there are many other dates confirmed. In this feature from Pitchfork, we learn more about their plans:
“After announcing a string of reunion shows, Rage Against the Machine have unveiled a full tour, as Rolling Stone notes. Featuring support from Run the Jewels, they kick things off next month in El Paso, Texas and currently wrap up in Krakow, Poland in September. Their “Public Serve Announcement Tour” itinerary also includes a headlining slot at Coachella. Proceeds from the band’s shows in El Paso, Phoenix, and La Cruses will go to immigrant rights efforts, the band announced in a statement, according to the Detroit Free Press. Proceeds will go toward different activist groups in other cities.
According to a press release, Run the Jewels’ return to the road will accompany the release of their long-awaited new album Run the Jewels 4. It was recorded at Rick Rubin's Shangri-La Studios as well as Electric Lady in New York. While a specific date has not yet been confirmed, it is due for release this spring”.
It is excited the band are back, as there has been talk and speculation for many years. Although they did play a gig at Finsbury Park in 2010, there has been nothing as extensive as a tour since then. Tom Morello has done some work with his other band, Prophets of Rage, and the other members of the band have done bits here and there. There is that debate as to whether this is a sort of one-off tour and the band are getting back together to fulfil the dates they have committed to already. Many fans will ask whether this reunion means we will see another album. There have been no announcements made just yet, but one feels it will only be a matter of time before something comes to the fore. As much as anything, the music scene now is full of artists who are speaking against hate and have that Rage Against the Machine-like bite. With that said, does it mean the Los Angeles band is almost like the old guard in a sea of younger acts?! Is this nothing more than nostalgia, and can a band where its members are quite wealthy and a lot older than they were when they came through in the 1990s resonate and connect in 2020?
One can argue a case to state Rage Against the Machine’s salad days are gone, but it nice that they are touring again. I think there is as much appetite for this music now as there was in the 1990s. If anything, the world is in a worse state than it was in 1992, and age does not mean the band have lost their edge and meaning. Touring will sharpen their skills, and there will be so much love from the fans. Will that spark the imagination of the guys and lead to a new studio album? Certainty, there are plenty of bands who return after decades away and release albums that sound evolved but retain their spark. I do think there will be another album, because the guys are back together and it wouldn’t make much sense them returning for a few gigs and going their separate ways again. They are not short of cash, and I feel they are shaping up for something; maybe it will be a new track, but there are many who would love to see an album. Some have asked whether a band that railed against the government and were these acolytes of truth will stand out in a scene where they have plenty of competition. Is the ‘machine’ now something they are part of, in the sense artists have bandied together and are not this united organism for change and progress?
They are valid points, but I do think the band has inspired so many others, and a new album will definitely speak to other artists coming through. It is exciting, none the less, that Rage Against the Machine are a unit again, and they will be heading to Reading & Leeds this summer. I have been listening back to their classic albums and, as we look ahead, many will speculate what comes next. Will the band keep the touring juggernaut going, or will they head into the studio and pen a new album? If Trump remains President after the U.S. Election later this year, you just know the band will have something to say about it! That is what leads me to believe there will be an album coming soon enough. A band that shot into the consciousness because of their thought-provoking and powerful songs would not just reform to do a few dates, surely?! I think they have a lot to say and, as this year reveals surprises, great announcements, and stunning albums, will we hear more from the Rage Against the Machine boys? Those who doubt their purpose and motivation for touring need to listen back to albums like Rage Against the Machine and Evil Empire and realise how important these albums are. Their upcoming shows will be immense, and it provides an opportunity for those who did not hear the band back in the 1990s to get their first experience of Rage Against the Machine. If they do indeed head into the studio, I think the resultant album will prove…
JUST how relevant they still are.