Tom Morello: Rage Against the Machine May Not Play Again - Rolling Stone Tom Morello: Rage Against the Machine May Not Play Again Tom Morello: Rage Against the Machine May Not Play Again 'Once a year, the band discusses and turns down awesome offers to tour the world' Tom Morello backstage at the Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival in San Francisco Credit: Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images All Stories "This is the first Rage Against the Machine release of any kind in 12 years," Tom Morello says of XX , a 20th anniversary box set including their remastered 1992 debut album and original demos. The set also features DVDs capturing full live shows, from their first public performance in October 1991 at California State University in Northridge to their 2010 gig at London's Finsbury Park. "That to me is the more staggering number than, 'It's been 20 years since the record came out.'" More News From the Archives: The Battles of Rage Against the Machine The set may be the band's only activity for a while: there are currently no plans to record new music or tour.

"If it were up to me, I would've made two records a year," Morello says. "As it is, we have just three records of original material over 20 years." Later in the interview, he adds, "Whether or not we ever play music again in any capacity is unknown. I'm grateful for the music we played together, and thank goodness the cameras were rolling." In this exclusive Q&A, Morello discusses Rage Against the Machine's place in music history, why they aren't touring and his relationship with singer Zack De La Rocha. Did you ever get emotional watching the old footage? Yeah, in some ways, it's bittersweet. It's like, the very singular and combustible chemistry that made Rage Against the Machine the force of nature that it was, was the same thing that kept us from producing more. If it were up to me, I would've made two records a year. As it is, we have just three records of original material over 20 years. It's a testament to the strength of that material and to the mythos of the Rage live shows that there is an interest 20 years later in people looking at it.

What this box set does is celebrate the exciting fusion of genres and politics that is Rage Against the Machine. It is something that is able to be a victory lap for fans of the band – and it's also a reminder for me of work left undone. What is there left to accomplish for the band? In some way, it's the 20th anniversary of the first record, and that specific cauldron of ideas and where we were on the graph of music history. Rage was maybe the first in that first wave of post- Nirvana bands. [There are] things that preceded Nirvana – Jane's Addiction , Soundgarden to a certain degree, Living Colour . . . commercially successful, but I believe it was Nirvana that convinced record companies for the first time in their history to just leave the artist alone. I'll tell you, they sure as hell didn't understand Rage Against the Machine, but they knew that if they got out of the way, it was going to be best for everybody. Were you guys big Nirvana fans? The first time I heard Nirvana was back when Tim [Commerford] played them for me at an early Rage Against the Machine rehearsal.

They cranked that thing in the truck, and we listened to "Smells Like Teen Spirit," like, 15 times. I mean, now it's a song and a band and a record that is oversaturated in a way that I don't know that I'm ever going to get off on "Smells Like Teen Spirit" again. But I remember that first night, very clearly, those guys cranking it up. We were moshing around in the parking lot of our rehearsal space. Is the 20-year milestone weird to think about? Does it feel that long? Maybe I haven't entirely processed it. On the one hand, it feels like time has blown by. On the other hand it feels like lifetimes ago that we were writing those songs together in that small San Fernando Valley rehearsal room. It's sort of bizarre either way. On the one hand it seems like a very quick continuum, even with the seven-year break [from 2000 until 2007]. Here's the thing: this is the first Rage Against the Machine release of any kind in 12 years.

That to me is the more staggering number than, "It's been 20 years since the record came out." The reason why we're doing this is very clear and simple: it's for our fans, which I believe are the single most dedicated, wild in concert, and patient fans maybe in the history of rock music. It was past due that we really did something that honored their commitment to us over the course of 20 years. How did the band assemble the box? Did you all sit in a room together, getting nostalgic? The job of sculpting the content was Rick Rubin's, who executive produced the package. There was so much stuff to go through, we left that in his hands. We drew out the guidelines. We wanted it to be every video, the first concert, Finsbury. But when it came to organizing the packaging, we left it in Rick's capable and objective hands. Has Rick given you direction on where he thinks Rage should go in the future? [Laughs] Maybe I shouldn't laugh at that. I don't know that there's much direction to go. There's no plans, no current direction of anything, so I guess the answer is no.

It was my great hope that we'd celebrate the 20th anniversary with a five-continent world tour. But short of that, this box set that celebrates the 20-year span of Rage Against the Machine is something that will hopefully be very satisfying for longtime Rage Against the Machine fans as well as turn on new fans to what the band is all about. Why is it so difficult to stage a Rage tour at this point? We'd have to agree to go on one. Once a year, the band meets and very seriously discusses and turns down awesome offers to tour the world. That's part of the program. I'm very grateful that we did agree to do is this box set, which we're very, very proud of. Some of those early videos, you know, we're playing these clubs for 25 people. I remember that period very, very well. I had been in a lot of bands before Rage Against the Machine, bands that had tried hard to make it, and with that band, with Rage, it just spontaneously combusted. It immediately connected with something in the reptilian brain of fans of rock, hip-hop, punk, metal, activists in a way that was global right off the bat.

Are there any bands right now you think could reach the heights Rage did? Here's the thing. When Rage finally did break, and sort of created a genre of music, the audience that we created was then served by bands that may have had some of the sonic ingredients, but completely lacked the politics. They may have been artistically lacking in other ways, depending on your subjective point of view. You'd think that in the wake of Rage's success, in the course of the last 20 years, there'd be other examples of bands that were able to fuse genres with political content. And there hasn't been any. I think that really just speaks to the very, very unique musical and personal chemistry of the four guys in Rage Against the Machine. That band could've happened nowhere but Los Angeles, and it could've happened in no other way than with Zack, Tim, Brad [Wilk] and myself. I'm curious – what is your relationship with Zack today? When was the last time the band got together and played music in a room? Oh, I mean, we communicate fairly regularly, and my relationship with those three guys is what it's been for some time. I love them.

I consider them brothers and brothers-in-arms, and whether or not we ever play music again in any capacity is unknown. I'm grateful for the music we played together, and thank goodness the cameras were rolling at that first show at Cal State Northridge, and it's been very hard. For me, as a fan, not just as a member of the band, it's some of the most exciting stuff I've ever had the pleasure to hear, let alone to be a part of. So L.A. Rising [the band's own 20th anniversary festival last year] might've been the last Rage show? Every show we've ever played might've been the last. [Laughs] Don’t Miss a Story Sign up for our newsletter to receive breaking news directly in your inbox. We may use your e-mail address to send you the newsletter and offers that may interest you, on behalf of Rolling Stone and its partners. For more information please read our Privacy Policy How we use your email address Trending Ranked on a scale from 1 to 10, the trending score reflects the number of users reading a story in real time. What is this?

Rage Against the Machine - Music on Google Play Rage Against the Machine About the artist Rage Against the Machine is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group consists of rapper and vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello, and drummer Brad Wilk. They draw inspiration from early heavy metal instrumentation, as well as hip hop acts such as Afrika Bambaataa, Public Enemy, the Beastie Boys, and Dutch crossover band Urban Dance Squad. Rage Against the Machine is well known for the members' leftist and revolutionary political views, which are expressed in many of the band's songs. As of 2010, they had sold over 16 million records worldwide. In 1992, the band released its self-titled debut album, which became a commercial and critical success, leading to a slot in the 1993 Lollapalooza festival. In 2003, the album was ranked number 368 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

The band did not release a follow-up record until 1996, with Evil Empire. The band's third album, The Battle of Los Angeles, followed in 1999, and in 2003, the album was ranked number 426 on the same list. 1 $9.49 Evil Empire is the second studio album by the American rap metal band Rage Against the Machine, released on April 16, 1996 by Epic Records, only four years after the band's debut album. The album's... 1 1 $14.49 Say what you will about the group's politics—overly idealistic, radical, deluded, etc.—but Rage's highly influential debut still feels vital twenty years after its original release. In fact, its sn... 1 1 $6.99 Seething with revolutionary spirit, the self-titled debut of Rage Against the Machine record had social, cultural and musical rebellion at its very core. In the group's marriage of heavy metal guit...

1 1 $9.49 Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium is the second live album by the American rap metal band Rage Against the Machine, released on November 25, 2003 by Epic Records. It is a recording of two shows ... 1 System of a Down 0 System of a Down, sometimes shortened to SOAD or System, is an Armenian-American heavy metal band from Glendale, California, formed in 1994. The band currently consists of Serj Tankian, Daron Malak... 0 Audioslave 0 Audioslave was an American rock supergroup formed in Los Angeles, California, in 2001 and disbanded in 2007. The four-piece band consisted of then-former Soundgarden lead singer/rhythm guitarist Ch... 0 Red Hot Chili Peppers 0 Red Hot Chili Peppers, also sometimes shortened to "The Chili Peppers" or abbreviated as "RHCP", are an American funk rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily co...

0 Alice in Chains 0 Alice in Chains is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987 by guitarist and songwriter Jerry Cantrell and original lead vocalist Layne Staley. The initial lineup was rounded ou... 0 Stone Temple Pilots 0 Stone Temple Pilots are an American rock band from San Diego, California, that originally consisted of Scott Weiland, brothers Dean and Robert DeLeo, and Eric Kretz. Since the band's formation in 1... 0 Foo Fighters 0 Foo Fighters is an American rock band, formed in Seattle, Washington in 1994. It was founded by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl as a one-man project following the death of Kurt Cobain and the resulting ... 0 Soundgarden 0 Soundgarden is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1984 by singer and rhythm guitarist Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto. Matt Cameron became t... 0 Tool 0 Tool is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1990, the group's line-up includes drummer Danny Carey, guitarist Adam Jones, and vocalist Maynard James Keenan. Justin Chancel...

0 Nirvana 0 Nirvana was an American rock band formed by singer and guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington, in 1987. Nirvana went through a succession of drummers, the longest... 0 Beastie Boys 0 The Beastie Boys were an American hip hop group from New York City, formed in 1980. For the majority of their career, the group consisted of Michael "Mike D" Diamond, Adam "MCA" Yauch and Adam "Ad-... 0 Incubus 0 Success is a devilish opiate. A swift and heady drink that goes down smooth at first, and then starts to burn your throat and rattle your bones. Only to leave crater sized holes in your constitutio... 0 Korn 0 Korn is an American nu metal band from Bakersfield, California, formed in 1993. The band's current lineup includes founding members Jonathan Davis, James "Munky" Shaffer, Brian "Head" Welch, and Re... 0 Queens Of The Stone Age 0 Queens of the Stone Age is an American rock band from Palm Desert, California, United States, formed in 1996.

The band's line-up includes founder Josh Homme, alongside longtime members Troy Van Lee... 0 Deftones 0 Deftones is an American rock band from Sacramento, California, U.S. Formed in 1988, the band was founded by Chino Moreno, Stephen Carpenter, Abe Cunningham and Dominic Garcia. During the group's fi... 0 Metallica 0 Since they formed in 1981, San Francisco Bay Area band Metallica have gone from an underground heavy metal band to one of the most successful acts in the world, with an intensely loyal fan base. ... Rage Against the Machine | Play MP3 Music Online Rage Against the Machine rock Rage Against the Machine is an American rap metal band, formed in 1991 in Los Angeles, California. The band's line-up comprises vocalist Zack de la Rocha, guitarist Tom Morello, bassist Tim Commerford and drummer Brad Wilk. Critics have noted Rage Against the Machine for its fiercely polemical music, which brewed sloganeering leftist rants against corporate America, cultural imperialism, and government oppression into a Molotov cocktail of hardcore punk, hip hop, alternative metal, and funk.

Rage Against the Machine drew inspiration from early heavy metal instrumentation, as well as rap acts such as Afrika Bambaataa, Public Enemy and Beastie Boys. In 1992, the band released its self-titled debut album, which became a commercial success, leading to a slot in the 1993 Lollapalooza. The band did not release a follow-up record until 1996, with Evil Empire. The band's third album The Battle of Los Angeles was released in 1999. During their initial nine year run, they became one of the most popular and influential political bands in contemporary music. Shortly after breaking up in 2000, the band released the cover album Renegades. De la Rocha & Morello both started low-key solo careers; the rest of the band formed the rock supergroup Audioslave with Chris Cornell, then-former frontman of Soundgarden, which disbanded in 2007, and in April of that year, Rage Against the Machine performed together for the first time in seven years at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. The...

Related Artist Bullet In The Head (Live) Login Tom Morello: Why Zack De La Rocha Is NOT Involved With Prophets of Rage | Music News @ Ultimate-Guitar.Com Tom Morello: Why Zack De La Rocha Is NOT Involved With Prophets of Rage "The cold embers of Rage Against the Machine are now the burning fire of Prophets of Rage..." UG editorial team. A group of people who are passionate about guitar and music in general. Posted Jun 08, 2016 08:09 PM 0 Guitar wizard Tom Morello was directly asked about why Rage Against the Machine vocalist Zack De La Rocha is not involved with the Prophets of Rage supergroup. Chatting with Wall Street Journal , the man gave a bit of an evasive answer, perhaps insinuating that Zack was either not interested or not invited. He said: "Well, because this is a new band. You know, Flava Flav is not part of it either [laughs]. Nor is Sen Dog from Cypress Hill. This is basically...

"At this crucial historic moment [US election], you know Martin Luther King famously said: 'There's no hotter place in hell than for people who remain neutral during times of moral conflict.' "This is a time of great moral conflict and we just basically said, 'Hey, we have to do this now. We have to play these songs, they speak to this moment in this time, we have to cause a ruckus, during our North American campaign this year. Raise your hand if you're in.' "The people that raised their hands were myself, Timmy C [the bassist], Brad Wilk from Rage Against the Machine, Chuck D and B-Real, so that's our band - and DJ Lord from Public Enemy as well, who's a DJ and a fantastic turntablist." Stressing that "the most paramount thing is the music" and that "these Rage Against the Machine songs that have remained dormant for too long," Tom added: "The cold embers of Rage Against the Machine are now the burning fire of Prophets of Rage. Where Rage Against the Machine lives, is this summer in these songs that we are playing.

"And we have nothing but the greatest love and honor and respect for Zack De La Rocha, the brilliant lyricist of Rage Against the Machine, who is working on his own music, which I'm sure will be fantastic - he's a great artist in his own right. But where you're going to hear Rage Against the Machine is in Prophets of Rage." Finally, Morello noted that Prophets of Rage will NOT make an album, but will create new songs. He said: "We hope to do some recording and release music before we go out on tour. It definitely won't be a full-length album, but we've got some... While the tour will be exploring, deeply, the catalogs of Rage, Public Enemy and Cypress Hill, we've got a new song or two that we want to record before we go out on the road." Tim the bassist previously said that Zack gave Prophets of Rage his blessing. Read about it here .

Interview: Tim Commerford Talks Chris Cornell, Zack de la Rocha & Tom Morello Attending His Concert - AlternativeNation.net Interview: Tim Commerford Talks Chris Cornell, Zack de la Rocha & Tom Morello Attending His Concert Tweet on Twitter Photo credit: Sandrine Gomez Photography Tim Commerford has found his voice. Well known for being the thunderous bass player for Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave, Commerford has now taken on a new musical challenge as lead singer and lyricist in his newly formed rock band, Wakrat. Coincidentally, it’s Commerford’s longtime friend and Rage bandmate, Zack de la Rocha, who introduced him to his new bandmates. The group is a trio consisting of Mathias Wakrat on drums, guitarist Laurent Grangeon and Commerford on bass and vocals. Wakrat himself, is a restaurant owner in Los Angeles at a place that de la Rocha frequents. It turns out Wakrat and Commerford shared a passion for mountain biking. Eventually, after numerous rides, their conversations casually led to music and Wakrat mentioning he was a drummer.

As the band Wakrat formed, Commerford found a new outlet in writing lyrics and ultimately taking on the vocals. Though singing was not completely foreign territory to Commerford, having just taken on the role with side project, Future User, Wakrat has given Commerford the opportunity to really let loose and be himself as an artist. Their debut single, “Knucklehead,” is an aggressive introduction that Commerford believes is a great portrayal of the band as it comes from a very honest place. With a punk crack to it, we’re met with Commerford saying, “Gimmie the gun, fuck the knife, gimmie the gun, I’m alright.” The band has their debut album on the horizon with a string of festival dates lined up for the summer. As Commerford drove home from band practice last week, I had the opportunity to catch up with him about his new, refreshing band. His voice rings with enthusiasm giving off a complete opposite vibe from the video. But perhaps that’s just it. The music is just so personally freeing. This is the second time we’ve seen you taking on the frontman/lead singer role with Future User and now Wakrat. How has that adjustment been for you?

Future User I describe more as performance art. We were never going to go on tour. We just made videos and music. It was more electronic where I also sang, played bass and wrote. I’d practice singing and playing at the same time at home. I was able to do it, but I never had to do it for real. With Wakrat, it’s the real thing. My buddies Mathias and Laurent came to me and wanted to play bass on their music. I got the music and it was really challenging just to play bass on it. They have crazy time signatures, they’re not in 4/4, a lot are in a bunch of different timings. That in itself I’m not used to. I eventually got it down and then I went back to it and figured out vocals. That’s how we work. They wrote arrangements on guitar and drums, then I would play bass and write vocals. We would edit accordingly. We would then go back and rerecord everything after we performed it and played some shows. It was pretty neat how we did it. At one point I was telling them I think we might need to get a bass player because I don’t know if I can sing and play at the same time.

It’s a very short list of bass players who sing. Then you can break it down even further to bass players who sing and play with their fingers and don’t use a pick. It’s a harder thing to do to pluck with your fingers then it is with a pick. I play with my fingers so it was a learning process. I finished one song and I was so excited. It was “Knucklehead.” I was like – wow, I did it. I was so inspired. It became a rubix cube that I had to figure out. We finished our record at 10 songs and last week I just finished learning how to sing and play at the same time on all 10 songs. It’s very exciting and it’s super fun. I love the challenge. I’ve heard the words furious, energetic and spastic in explaining Wakrat’s music. Being you are the singer and write the lyrics, is this the most accurate representation of you personally as an artist? Yeah, this music is definitely. It feels like home to me. It’s comfortable. Whether people like it or not, I’m OK with that. I love that feeling of – hey, you don’t like it?

Fuck you, this is what I’m doing. The music sort of says that and that’s the type of person I am. So this is me. We played our first show and Tom Morello was there, Chris Cornell was there, Zack de la Rocha was there and Rick Rubin was there. These are people, especially Zack that I’ve known for a long time. I kept hearing from Zack, Cornell and different people, that they could tell this was the real me. It’s honest and it really does feel like me for sure. “Knucklehead” is certainly a come out swinging type of song, with intense lyrics. You’ve mentioned it’s a very personal song. Are the lyrics metaphorical or where you really in that position? A little of both. I was obviously not really living or trapped in an aquarium. From the perspective of I’m a lucky person and I have a home where you can see the ocean, that’s where I was. I was by myself and I was sad and angry and alone. I felt trapped in an aquarium. That’s where that comes from. There’s the literal take on it and then there’s the metaphor. The aquarium is the world you don’t want to be in.

I don’t think there’s any animals that want to be in an aquarium, but that’s where their lives are. Your hitting the road with Wakrat in the summer with a couple of festival dates lined up, what made you select the European festival circuit as your first round of shows? It felt right. Europe has a different take on certain music, especially heavy music. I feel like Europeans are going to be able to identify with our music right away. That’s the same route that Rage took. It felt comfortable. I’m going to go out there and play some festivals for some people who have probably never heard our music and it’s going to be interesting. Its big crowds. I don’t even think they have what we call alternative rock. They just have rock. As heavy, furious, fast and punk as our music is, I see punk rock as the root of alternative music and I consider the music I am making right now, a contemporary take on punk rock. I actually think its alternative, more so than it is metal. *editors note, the European dates have just been canceled You mentioned, you finished up the record last week. Do you have a release date? We don’t have a release date yet.

I’m still in negotiations with a few labels so, I’m not even sure which label it will be on. The music is done though. It took a long time to do that and then I got really lucky in that Brendan O’Brien, who produced two Rage records, an Audioslave record and many other rock records, one of the greatest rock produces ever, he just mixed it. He really brought it to an amazing new level. He’s such an incredible person with such an incredible ear for music, I’m blown away that he was even willing to mix it. I always really loved our music, but I never realized how good it could sound. It just sounds so much better than it did, and it sounded great before to me. We then got it mastered by Ted Jensen, who’s sort of a legend of mastering. He too buffed it out to another level. It was a dream team of mixers and masters that got ahold of it. Our music will never sound like the music that’s out right now, it’s a whole different style from what’s popular right now.

Our music is always going to sound a little bit left of center, but at least the actual sound of instruments is hitting on a high level that is on par with the way music sounds today. We recorded it authentically. We were doing full takes of drums, bass, guitar and vocals, but not piecing it together, honestly recording the songs the way that they were supposed to be recorded. Will you have any US tours coming up? We will. There’s already amazing things in the works right now. I’m excited. I want to tour. I love the feeling of what we do. We rehearse every day. It’s an everyday labor of love. I’ve been telling the other guys that we need to play our set 1,000 times so that we can come into our next show feeling like we’ve played 1,000 shows.

Wakrat’s debut video for “Knucklehead” For tour info and more on the band visit their wakratband.com Tom Morello Explains Why Zack De La Rocha Isn't Involved With Prophets Of Rage Full Audio From Prophets Of Rage’s Debut Concert Has Emerged Morello went on to hint at why De La Rocha isn’t involved. “At this crucial historic moment [US election], you know Martin Luther King famously said: ‘There’s no hotter place in hell than for people who remain neutral during times of moral conflict.’ This is a time of great moral conflict and we just basically said, ‘Hey, we have to do this now. We have to play these songs, they speak to this moment in this time, we have to cause a ruckus, during our North American campaign this year.

Raise your hand if you’re in.’” Morello continued, saying, “The people that raised their hands were myself, Timmy C [the bassist], Brad Wilk from Rage Against the Machine, Chuck D and B-Real, so that’s our band – and DJ Lord from Public Enemy as well, who’s a DJ and a fantastic turntablist.” Assumedly, De La Rocha did not raise his hand, though Morello has made it clear in the past that he was invited to participate (and still is). The guitarist also spoke about the group’s interest in recording a few tracks before hitting the road. “We hope to do some recording and release music before we go out on tour… It definitely won’t be a full-length album, but we’ve got some… While the tour will be exploring, deeply, the catalogs of Rage, Public Enemy and Cypress Hill, we’ve got a new song or two that we want to record before we go out on the road.” Prophets of Rage’s tour proper starts on August 19th, and you can see their full schedule here .

Rage Against the Machine’s Biography — Free listening, videos, concerts, stats and photos at Last.fm Listeners Biography Rage Against the Machine is an American rap metal band, formed in 1991 in Los Angeles, California. The band's line-up comprises vocalist Zack de la Rocha , guitarist Tom Morello , bassist Tim Commerford and drummer Brad Wilk. Critics have noted Rage Against the Machine for its "fiercely polemical music, which brewed sloganeering leftist rants against corporate America, cultural imperialism, and government oppression into a Molotov cocktail of hardcore punk , hip hop , alternative metal , and funk ." Rage Against the Machine drew inspiration from early heavy metal instrumentation, as well as rap acts such as Afrika Bambaataa , Public Enemy and Beastie Boys . In 1992, the band released its self-titled debut album, which became a commercial success, leading to a slot in the 1993 Lollapalooza. The band did not release a follow-up record until 1996, with Evil Empire. The band's third album The Battle of Los Angeles was released in 1999.

During their initial nine year run, they became one of the most popular and influential political bands in contemporary music. Shortly after breaking up in 2000, the band released the cover album Renegades. De la Rocha & Morello both started low-key solo careers; the rest of the band formed the rock supergroup Audioslave with Chris Cornell , then-former frontman of Soundgarden , which disbanded in 2007, and in April of that year, Rage Against the Machine performed together for the first time in seven years at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. The band has continued to perform at many live venues and festivals around the world since 2007 but have not recorded any new studio material, as of yet. Due to a popular Facebook Campaign in 2009, the band managed to beat Joe McElderry , winner of the X Factor 2009, to the UK Christmas number one spot. This broke the chain of X Factor winners reaching the Christmas number one spot. To celebrate, Rage Against The Machine held a free gig to show their gratitude towards their fans.

Louder Than Bombs: What Really Happened When Zack de la Rocha Quit RATM? - TeamRock Join TeamRock+ ADMINISTRATORS APPOINTED – TEAM ROCK LIMITED - 19 DECEMBER 2016 Thomas Campbell MacLennan, Alexander Iain Fraser and Jason Daniel Baker of FRP Advisory LLP were appointed as Joint Administrators of Team Rock Limited (“the Company”) on 19 December 2016. The affairs, business and property of the Company are being managed by the Joint Administrators, who act as agents of the Company and without personal liability. The Company is being managed on a care and maintenance basis only whilst a buyer for the assets is sought. Accordingly, the TeamRock website will be unavailable for the foreseeable future. The administrators are assessing the position regarding publication of magazines. If you are a subscriber to the Company’s publications the administrators can be contacted via email at teamrock.subscribers@frpadvisory.com Louder Than Bombs: What Really Happened When Zack de la Rocha Quit RATM?

Features / 18 Oct 2016 / by Simon Young 0 shares Get everything Rage Against The Machine related here In October 2000, Zack de la Rocha walked out of Rage Against The Machine, the band he fronted for nine years. Just days after the news broke, guitarist Tom Morello talked to us about the truth behind the split, their Renegades covers albums and what he and his bandmates planned to do next... Tuesday September 12, 2000. The atmosphere inside LA’s Grand Olympic Auditorium is electric. Inside, thousands of people have gathered to witness local heroes Rage Against The Machine play the first of two sold-out shows, both of which are being recorded for a forthcoming live album. But there’s a strange feeling in the air too. Rumous abound that Rage are about to split, and that these gigs will be their last. And considering the widely reported internal tensions that frequently surrounded the band, the possibility that the word on the street was true simply can’t be ignored. Judging from their performance tonight, Rage don’t look like a band on the verge of imploding.

Guitarist Tom Morello, bassist Tim Commerford and drummer Brad Wilk crank out their razor-sharp backdrop to Zack de la Rocha’s seething polemic. At the end of the show, the band grin as they bid their farewells. Contrary to rumours, it looks as though everything is running smoothing in the Rage Against The Machine camp for the first time in years. Six weeks later, Zack de la Rocha drops a bombshell. On Wednesday October 18, the frontman issues a statement to the press announcing: “I feel that it is now necessary to leave Rage, because our decision making process has completely failed. It is no longer meeting the aspirations of all four of us collectively, as a band, and from my perspective has undermined our artistic and political ideal. “I am extremely proud of our work,” the statement continues. “Both as activists and musicians, as well as indebted and grateful to every person who has expressed solidarity and shared this incredible experience with us.” After months of speculation, the most groundbreaking, incendiary and politically-driven band of the past 10 years has finally ground to an inglorious halt.

“Rage Against The Machine has been a tremendously volatile rock rollercoaster for nine whole years,” laughs guitarist Tom Morello. “It actually comes as something as a surprise that the original line-up has remained intact all this time. It’s important to emphasise that Rage Against The Machine have not broken up. Zack has left the band. Tim, Brad and myself will continue to make groundbreaking music. Zack’s migration from the Rage ranks is untimely, to say the least. November 27 sees the release of Renegades, an album comprised of covers of revolutionary classics, including the MC5’s Kick Out The Jams, Minor Threat’s In My Eyes and the Rolling Stones’ Street Fighting Man. Recorded just weeks before de la Rocha’s exit, it doesn’t sound like the work of a band in turmoil. “Zack called me the morning that the press release was issued,” explains Tom. “One thing that might not be clearly understood is that we were in a period where he was planning to take 18 months to two years off. He wasn’t planning on writing another Rage song or playing another Rage show until 2003.

So, as far as it did come as a surprise, in our daily schedule it didn’t have a huge impact on the rest of us. I was disappointed that, come 2003, we wouldn’t be booking a world tour, but Tim, Brad and I were planning to continue to work together and make new music. Those plans will continue.” Was there any hostility expressed towards Zack in the aftermath of the shock revelation? “No, we parted company on good terms and we wish him well,” he states democratically. “There’s been some confusion over this record, since it coincides with Zack’s departure. It’s a studio album, with Zack as the vocalist. For Timmy, Brad and myself, we’re really proud of this record and want everyone to know about it.” There has been much speculation over the reasons behind de la Rocha’s sudden decision to leave the band he helped form in 1991. Some sources have pointed towards Tim Commerford’s bizarre antics at the MTV Video Music Awards in September, where the bassist chose to scale a 15-foot stage prop during Limp Bizkit’s award acceptance speech.

Commerford’s reluctance to come down angered the vocalist, who left the awards ceremony as a result, telling reporters he felt “humiliated” by his bandmate’s behaviour. Others attribute the departure to on-going internal tension within the band. “It’s not unique among rock bands to find the occasional dissension,” he said at the time. “But compared to music we make and the causes we pursue, it’s not so interesting.” Right now, Morello refuses to be drawn on the subject of why he thinks Zack quit. “You’d have to ask him,” he explains. “Let’s just say Rage Against The Machine’s forces made us burn brightly and burn quickly. There’s been a constant tension that’s been an enormous challenge for us all over the years. Zack did what he had to do.” Morello says that after the initial promotion for both Renegades and the subsequent live album – which is set for release next year – the remaining members will “figure out what the future holds for the band”. Will you carry on using the name Rage Against The Machine? It is, after all, taken from a song by Zack’s former band Inside Out. “Again, that’s something we’ve got to figure out,” he remarks.

“Right now, what we’re concentrating on is Renegades. We’ve got some great ideas for the band, but we’ve got to figure all that out in the coming months.” Naturally, Morello and co face the arduous task of finding a singer capable of filling de la Rocha’s boots. Various names have been bandied around, including Downset’s Rey Oropeza and Orange 9mm’s Chaka Malik. However, reports suggest that the remaining members of Rage have already approached Cypress Hill frontman B-Real – both parties have been seen out and about together in LA, and the rapper is rumoured to be joining the band in rehearsals shortly, with a view to hitting the road in support of the new records next year. However, Morello remains evasive on the subject of the replacement vocalist. “We don’t know,” he states. “I couldn’t tell you right now. I’m very optimistic about what the future holds, especially because it hold two Rage records with Zack. He’s a fantastic vocalist and I cannot wait for people to hear what we’ve done. It’s a very fortunate circumstance. “B-Real has done stuff in the past,” he continues.

“He’s on this new record, so I can see where these rumours may have sprung from. Not only is he a great MC, but he’s also a great friend too.” So is he in the frame? “Seriously, we have not made a decision,” says Morello. “We’ve got some great ideas on how to move forward, but we’ll see where everyone’s head is at and take it from there.” Continued below... Feature / 02 Aug 2016 Why did Rage Against The Machine stand naked onstage at Lollapalooza in 1993? What if, in the future, both parties decide that the best plan of action is to reform. Will the door still be open for Zack? “Well, we’ll have to see where we’re at as a band,” he replies. “He just quit the band a couple of weeks ago. We’re going to hold off a while before even announcing the reunion tour. We’ll see. It’s something I haven’t even considered yet.” Have you had any contact with your fans since the announcement? “Yeah,” he expounds. “The support has been incredible. There’s been a tremendous amount of love and solidarity shown through the years.

We’re not going to let our fans down. Our fans everywhere have been amazing. We’ve got a special relationship with our fans in Los Angeles. There’s nothing like it when we play a show there. The fact that those were the last shows with Zack, I’m glad they were in our home town. And we recorded them for our live record. It was a fitting parting shot.” Considering the current situation, it’s ironic that the band have two records ready for release: the aforementioned live album and, more immediately, Renegades. Did anyone in the band have an inkling that this would be the last time you would enter a studio together? “No, not at all,” says Morello. “Not while we were in the studio. It was done with spontaneity and light-heartedness. Actually it was done with the same spontaneity as we had experienced on the first record. We were having a great time, and I think Rick Rubin had a great time producing the record. He pushed us when we were in the studio. It works because we were able to let go of some of our conventions, and we pushed ourselves musically.” So how did the idea for an album of covers come about?

“This record grew out of the idea of doing a couple of bonus tracks for the live record we were working on,” he enthuses. “It was one of the most fertile creative periods since the band started. We lucked out, and those two songs became 12 songs. Still, we always just wanted to put out the live record but we sat down and listened to what we had recorded. It hit us that this is a record in itself. I love the idea of the concept. I don’t think there’s been another record like it where someone has recorded an album’s worth of revolutionary songs but classic hip-hop and rock bands.” What came out best in your opinion? “For a while, I had the idea if a band – a rock ‘n’ roll band – were to attempt to play like The Prodigy and do Street Fighting Man in honour of the Democratic National Convention here in Los Angeles or the WTO protest, it would work. We did it at the Reading Festival, but it was a very unformed version of it. I think Maggie’s Farm is a Sabbath-esque rendering of the Dylan classic. I love the reworking of Devo’s Beautiful World. We remixed Bruce Springsteen’s The Ghost Of Tom Joad too.

I always thought Jimi Hendrix’s version of All Along The Watchtower can’t even be really a cover song, because his reinterpretation of it makes it a completely new song. I think that kind of applies to Rage’s cover versions.” Despite the recent changes, Morello predicts the foreseeable future will be busy. He’s planning to finish a book on the lives of leading black activists he’s been sporadically working on over the past few years. But for now, his priority is Rage Against The Machine. “Obviously, we want everyone to know about these new albums,” he laughs. “But I’ve also been working with Crystal Method, co-producing and writing some tracks on their album.” His train of thought is momentarily distracted. “You know what?” he gasps. “I’m still getting over the new album. It was only recently that I actually sat down and listened to the whole thing, back to back.” Did it bring home a sense of closure to this chapter of the band’s life? “It had a poignancy,” he sighs. “I was at my mom’s house in Illinois and Rick sent me this CD. I just sat down and listened to it all the way through.

It struck me as being a really positive album amid the whole drama.” From the archive

Question: What band did Zack de la Rocha and Tom Morello play in?
Answer: Rage Against the Machine