'Take today what tomorrow never brings'
Review by Leigh Hughes
The Battle of Los Angeles
Rage Against the Machine
Epic Records through Sony
After a long absence, Rage Against the Machine has blasted back onto the political music scene with its third album, The Battle of Los Angeles. With Zack de la Rocha's vocals spitting the fury of a rebel and Tom Morello's guitar tearing up the sound waves with incredible riffs and style, Rage confronts issues — from the Zapatista struggle in Mexico to political prisoners in the United States — with a left-wing perspective and a revolutionary combination of heavy rock and hip hop with punk and jazz influences.
The barrage of political protest begins with the Gulf War and US oil politics being condemned as "Testify" rips out of the speakers. It has a slightly different vocal style and the familiar heavy guitar and drums.
Rage's new single, "Guerrilla Radio" follows with de la Rocha's furious rapped attack on the media monopoly in the US, the industrial-military complex, the two-party state and the vile frame-up of African-American political activist and death row prisoner Mumia Abu-Jamal. This must be one of Rage's best songs, up there with "Killing in the Name", "Bulls on Parade" and "Freedom".
"Calm Like a Bomb" and "Mic Check" kick off a new direction in Rage's music: a clearer, funkier and slightly hip-hop style. These songs describe the parasitic nature of capitalism in Mexico, the Zapatista peasant revolt against it, and the horror of US society.
"Sleep Now in the Fire" is a kick-arse semi-history of capitalism in the US. With anger built on seeing and experiencing injustice, Rage lists the criminality of US greed.
"Born of a Broken Man" is a song about de la Rocha's father, who had a nervous breakdown due to excessive religious beliefs. This song is poetic and varies from light to heavy as it catalogues the Rochas' personal struggles. "Born as Ghosts" is in a similar vein, but more political.
What de la Rocha did when he disappeared for four years between Rage's first and second albums is told in "Maria". He was running guns for the Zapatista guerillas in Chiapas, Mexico. This song combines new guitar sounds, rapid vocals and Brad Wilk's skilful drumming to educate people about the lives of the Mexican poor.
Mumia Abu-Jamal had a hand in writing "Voice of the Voiceless", which exposes "Philly's finest killing machine" (the police) and attacks the racism so prevalent in the US. The repression of dissent there is likened to George Orwell's 1984.
Privatisation, deregulation and other capitalist agendas get a serve in "New Millennium Homes", which shows how these programs affect the people. Rocha, Morello, Wilk and Y.Tim.K thrash out this awesome polemic.
"Ashes in the Fall" attacks entrenched conservatism in public attitudes and proves how the US social system perpetuates it. Rage says that "hope lies in the rubble of this rich fortress", that by bringing down the existing social system we can "take today what tomorrow never brings" — or as rapped in a previous album, "We've gotta take the power back!".
In "War Within a Breath", the lessons of the Zapatista revolt are applied to Los Angeles, arguing that socialist revolution and people's power can be won in the ruins of the seat of capitalist power. In typically flawless political and musical fashion, Rage issues a call on behalf of the followers of Zapata, shouting "Land or Death!". A magnificent end to a great album.
Rage Against the Machine is committed to generating progressive social consciousness and urges activism whenever "injustice becomes apparent and prevalent in front of our faces", says de la Rocha. "We're not going to play to the mainstream; we're going to hijack it", declares the lead singer.
Judging by The Battle of Los Angeles, they will succeed. With this band blasting through the frequencies, the "machine" doesn't have a hope.
Visit these sites to find out more about Rage Against the Machine: <http://www.musicfanclubs.org/rage/pictures.htm> and <http://www.ratm.com/>.