Rage Against the Machine :: Political Advocacy & Social Activism Thru Music

Rage Against the Machine (often abbreviated as RATM or shortened to Rage) is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello, and drummer Brad Wilk. The band is known for melding heavy metal and rap music with punk rock and funk influences, as well as their revolutionary socialist political views. As of 2010, they have sold over 16 million records worldwide. The band will be inducted into the 2023 class of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Musical style and influences
Inspired from early heavy metal instrumentation, Rage Against the Machine has been influenced by a variety of music, including acts like Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan, U2, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Iron Maiden, Kiss, Black Sabbath/Ozzy Osbourne, the Police, Devo, Living Colour, Queen, the Brothers Johnson and Wayne Shorter. They are also said to be influenced by hip hop acts such as Afrika Bambaataa, Run-DMC, Public Enemy, and the Beastie Boys, punk rock such as the Clash, Minor Threat, the Teen Idles, Bad Brains, the Dead Kennedys, Black Flag, the Sex Pistols, Fugazi and Bad Religion, and crossover bands like Suicidal Tendencies and Urban Dance Squad. Rage Against the Machine has been noted for its “fiercely polemical music, which brewed sloganeering leftist rants against corporate America, cultural imperialism, and government oppression into a Molotov cocktail of punk rock, hip hop, and thrash.” Zack de la Rocha’s lyrics and choruses are defined by a heavy use of sloganeering and repetition on songs like “Bulls on Parade”, “Guerrilla Radio”, “Testify”, and “Down Rodeo”. Guitarist Tom Morello, on the other hand, was considered the guitar player, but also the DJ in Rage.

Rage Against the Machine has been described as rap metal, rap rock, funk metal, fusion, alternative metal, hard rock, nu metal, heavy metal and alternative rock.[note 1] Although the band has been described as nu metal, Rage Against the Machine is often instead considered a predecessor to nu metal.

Political views and activism
The members of Rage Against the Machine are well known for their leftist anti-authoritarian and revolutionary political views, and almost all of the band’s songs focus on these views. Key to the band’s identity, Rage Against the Machine has voiced viewpoints highly critical of the domestic and foreign policies of current and previous U.S. governments. Throughout its existence, Rage Against the Machine and its individual members participated in political protests and other activism to advocate these beliefs. The band sees its music as a vehicle for social activism; De la Rocha explained, “I’m interested in spreading those ideas through art, because music has the power to cross borders, to break military sieges and to establish real dialogue”.

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Rage Against the Machine
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Rage Against the Machine – Full Concert – 07/24/99 – Woodstock 99 East Stage (OFFICIAL)