Rage against the machine

Probably the best rap-metal band out there! Tom Morello is an amazing guitarist and Zack de la Rocha is probably the best white rapper ever. Anyways, opinions?

I like Ted Cockerly from Every Day Life (EDL) better than Zach. Plus EDL's first couple of albums had a real heavy sound. Good rap-metal band that never got their due.

:bangyerhead:

Rage Against The Machine very cool band, Tom Morello is an excellent guitartist, uses his own hands and imagination to create the sounds without resorting to hiring a dj, Zakk's very left wing politics while I rarely agree with his political viewpoints, at least his lyrics are food for thought, and is probably the only rock band that has a recommended reading lists on their website.
Listened to "Evil Empire" yesterday, the lyrical subject still applies 12 years later.

tom morelo is very skilled on the guitar for sure

The first RATM album is fantastic from start to finish. There are some heavy tunes on that disc.

spiritoradio wrote:

The first RATM album is fantastic from start to finish. There are some heavy tunes on that disc.

Yep! Easily my favorite RATM album!

Zach isn't white! Jesus. Really? Who posted that? Haha.

Either way, I like Rage, but I say it every time, Downset did it first and better (they deserve the recognition):







Downset were doing that when Zach was still doing this:



In fact, Downset used to cover that Inside Out song.

I thought Tom Morello was a pretty inventive guitarist that created his own signature sound, but the rap-rock stuff never appealed to me. I'm only familiar with 1 or 2 songs. I liked Tom's work on the 1st Audioslave disk, which is really what I'm basing my opinion on.

why is Schbopo, who started this thread, suddenly a guest?

manny wrote:

why is Schbopo, who started this thread, suddenly a guest?

"He Who Walks Behind The Rows" was hungry and Schbopo was out in the open?

Just a guess.

manny wrote:

why is Schbopo, who started this thread, suddenly a guest?

Schbopo is Schnomo.

Downset did it first and better (they deserve the recognition):

Just because they were first doesn't make them better, Tom Morello is better guitartist than Ares Schwager could ever dream of being, Rey Oropeza lyrics are laughable, not very articulate, and at least Zakk has read a book or two in his lifetime. Zakk has never written lyrics as insipid as following :
A shadow of divine perfection
Royal majestic my g-dhood extension
Truly move me from source of pure energy ecstasy

manny wrote:

Downset did it first and better (they deserve the recognition):

Just because they were first doesn't make them better, Tom Morello is better guitartist than Ares Schwager could ever dream of being, Rey Oropeza lyrics are laughable, not very articulate, and at least Zakk has read a book or two in his lifetime. Zakk has never written lyrics as insipid as following :
A shadow of divine perfection
Royal majestic my g-dhood extension
Truly move me from source of pure energy ecstasy

Are you kidding me? Zach has plenty of trite, insipid lyrics for both bands.

Quote :

Hey yo, it's just another bombtrack
And suckas be thinkin' that they can fade this
But I'm gonna drop it at a higher level
'Cause I'm inclined to stoop down
Hand out some beat-downs
Cold runna train on punk ho's that
Think they run the game

Quote :

Solo, I'm a soloist on a solo list
Alive, never on a floppy disk
Inka, inka, bottle of ink
Paintings of rebellion
Drawn up by the thoughts I think
Yeah!
Come on!

Clear strokes of genius. You might like RATM more, but the fact remains that they ripped their style from Downset. I like both bands; I have no issues with someone liking one over the other. Morella is the better guitarist, and really the only thing that set each band apart early was Morello's more creative...noises. Otherwise, Rage and Downset were nearly identical.

Are you kidding me? Zach has plenty of trite, insipid lyrics for both bands.

Quote :

Hey yo, it's just another bombtrack
And suckas be thinkin' that they can fade this
But I'm gonna drop it at a higher level
'Cause I'm inclined to stoop down
Hand out some beat-downs
Cold runna train on punk ho's that
Think they run the game

Quote :

Solo, I'm a soloist on a solo list
Alive, never on a floppy disk
Inka, inka, bottle of ink
Paintings of rebellion
Drawn up by the thoughts I think
Yeah!
Come on!

Clear strokes of genius.
You might like RATM more, but the fact remains that they ripped their
style from Downset. I like both bands; I have no issues with someone
liking one over the other. Morella is the better guitarist, and really
the only thing that set each band apart early was Morello's more
creative...noises. Otherwise, Rage and Downset were nearly
identical.[/quote]

I am glad you posted Zakk's lyrics, I found them to be hilarious. Maybe
Zakk isn't the Bob Dylan of the metal world, but for the most apart I
like his lyrics better, and I don't agree that Rage and Downset are
identical. I think Rage has it's own identity, and made a musicial
statement right from the starting gate.

I don't think downset and RATM sound that similar either. RATM has a much more "metal" sound IMO. Downset sounds more like a numetal/rap fusion to my ears.

I see Rage Agaisnt the Machine as this generation's answer to the Mc5,
not in musicial terms but in attitude wise, Downset's rhythm section is
nowhere near as good as Rage's, Zakk is better vocalist/rapper than
Rey, and brings alot of his personality into the music, that being said
if your fan of both bands that is cool, but Downset and Rage Agaisnt
the Machine are not identical.

Never liked them. Hate the style too. And the political agenda was anoying.....

Selvmord wrote:

Never liked them. Hate the style too. And the political agenda was anoying.....

I will agree with that last point. I just try to tune out the political agenda. Same thing I do with a host of other artists.

Pocket full of fatcaps, pocket full of fatcaps...


I used to like Downset...a lonnnng time ago (like 12 years ago)..

On that 'dead language' album, I remember the guitar being closer to traditional metal than RATM's stuff was, and the raps being a very straight flow for the most part with not a lot of change ups or repetition unlike RATM. I think I liked them more back then.


But I haven't listened since then, so I might be off some. I won't necessarily throw the radio to something else if RATM is on. The alternative stations are so pathetic, it's easily the best thing they play. It's not any of the worst stuff out there, but I'm not really a fan. I also wouldn't want to bother getting something that is more about the media format (music) being another vehicle for some gigantic political statement. It's cool to be an activist to an extent, and say what you mean lyrically, but when the music is just sort of this byproduct, something you just picked cause it was cool or whatnot..eh. That goes for all bands, the Christian ones too..

It's like U2. I know U2 doesn't have the same obsessive lyrical tendancies, but sometimes I wonder if their fans are stricken with guilt every time they plop down $17.00 for a U2 disc instead of sending it to Africa. You know?

Quote :

It's like U2. I know U2 doesn't have the same obsessive lyrical tendancies, but sometimes I wonder if their fans are stricken with guilt every time they plop down $17.00 for a U2 disc instead of sending it to Africa. You know?

I think this every time Bono spouts off about donating to AIDS or something. There's something vaguely hypocritical there IMO.

I always thought it was funny too how RATM always seemed to talk about "The Man" yet they are on a major record lable..... Hmmmm

Not that hypocritical...the RIAA (which Epic is part of) is all Big Hollywood anyway (super far leaning lefties) who only slap a censor on something when they figure they might lose money from the target audience. And Epic let them have creative control supposedly, so...

manny wrote:

I am glad you posted Zakk's lyrics, I found them to be hilarious. Maybe Zakk isn't the Bob Dylan of the metal world, but for the most apart I like his lyrics better, and I don't agree that Rage and Downset are identical. I think Rage has it's own identity, and made a musicial statement right from the starting gate.

Weak. Hilarious? Why not have some integrity and admit that they were stupid words.

As for who wrote better lyrics, that's all subjective. For every bad example of Downset's lyrics you show, I can do the same with Rage's. The opposite can be said as well.

"Anger! Hostility towards the opposition!"

i like Downset, but not RATM. this has to do with Zakks vocals for the most part.

Weak. Hilarious? Why not have some integrity and admit that they were stupid words.

As
for who wrote better lyrics, that's all subjective. For every bad
example of Downset's lyrics you show, I can do the same with Rage's.
The opposite can be said as well.[/quote]

You question my integrity because I found the lyrics hilarious? I admit
that lyrics are funny, hilarious, a laugh riot, knee slapper, tickeled
my funny bone,do I find Zakk's lyrics to be stupid, no because unlike
Downset's lyrics at least I felt some sort of emotional response
besides apathy, to question one's integrity over a disagreement on song
lyrics well, I do find that to be amusing.