Evil Empire

Editorial Reviews
Album Description
Japanese limited edition remastered reissue of 1996 albumpackaged in a digipak. CBS. 2003.

Evil Empire
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • "Don't mothers make good fathers?"
  • Raging With the Metal?
  • best Rage album
  • DUDE its RAge
  • Exactly What a Great Album Should Be
 Evil Empire
Rage Against the Machine
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000029D9
Release Date: 1996-04-16

Tracks:

  1. People Of The Sun
  2. Bulls On Parade
  3. Vietnow
  4. Revolver
  5. Snakecharmer
  6. Tire Me
  7. Down Rodeo
  8. Without A Face
  9. Wind Below
  10. Roll Right
  11. Year Of Tha Boomerang

Amazon.com

As the vitriol spewed from Evil Empire, Rage Against the Machine's long-awaited follow up to their 1993 debut owes much to Chuck D.'s polemic fury and rapid-fire urgency--though as always the band rages without hip-hop machinery in favor of the heavy-duty power tools of rock. But no matter if Rage against the Machine amounts to revolutionary rap, protest metal, or a combination of the two, the band's command of sonic rage makes Evil Empire a powerful assault in any musical language.

But wait, there's more to the name. Raging against the machine, like yelling at the TV, is woefully misdirected. Lyricist Zack de la Rocha is clearly someone with strong political views--particularly when it comes to the plight of fellow Mexicans on both sides of the border. He vents his indignation sharply at times ("Vietnow," "Without a Face"), rather clumsily and artlessly most others. Music this angry should be aimed at something more specific than an entire race or nation or government, or else it risks sounding like the empty rants of confused postpubescent rebellion. If only Rage against the Machine's raw musical muscles were grinding over a focused message, lord knows how potent they could be. --Roni Sarig

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars "Don't mothers make good fathers?".......2007-06-13

Inspired for the most part by the mobilization of the anti-globalisation, anti-neoliberalism, anti-imperialist Ejército Zapatista de Liberación Naçional (EZLN) on January 1st 1994, Rage Against the Machine's second album deploys the impoverished Mexican state of Chiapas as the spiritual locale of vocalist Zack de la Rocha's tirade against contemporary America.

Given the frontman's Chicano heritage it is valid to identify Evil Empire as de la Rocha's most personal work, no mean feat for an artist not known for keeping his emotions bottled-up.

The album opens with 'People of the Sun', a spiky number documenting the hardships of the Mexican people and their oppression throughout history at the hands of colonial powers, corruption and bureaucracy, and their neighbour to the north.

Fundamentally connected to the opener are the staccato 'Vietnow' and 'Without a Face', the former condemning the bellicose ideology of right-wing neoconservatism and the expansionist maxim prevailing in Occidental discourse, and the latter detailing individual small-scale delinquency as a simile for larger-scale dissidence and insurgency (as in the case of the Zapatista movement) engendered by colonial signification eroding indigenous identity.

Elaborating on the theme of colonial subjugation, Evil Empire's hit 'Bulls on Parade' underlines the machinations of dominant capitalism, pointing an accusatory finger at the US administration's military-industrial complex whilst disparaging of a governmental inability to identify any correlation between arms production and violent crime.

Musically, Evil Empire is informed more by hip-hop modes than the band's other two original works (1992's Rage Against the Machine and 1999's The Battle of Los Angeles), with the stop-start aesthetic allowing more scope for Tom Morello's typically innovative, often atonal guitar. Bassist Timmy C and drummer Brad Wilk (both of whom went on to become members of Audioslave, along with Morello) are the key players on Evil Empire's propulsive instrumentals however, combining to thunderous effect on 'Revolver' and 'Tire Me' in particular.

Evil Empire is de la Rocha's story though, and despite the polemic subject matter, he delivers each line with a cohesion and clarity superseding Rage's other work.

In these troubled times a lot of people need Rage Against the Machine to lend a voice to their discontent, we can only hope that new material follows their much-vaunted reunion shows. If ever there was a time for Rage to reclaim their vacant mantle of Most Imporant Band in the World, unfilled since they disbanded in 2000, it is surely now.

3 out of 5 stars Raging With the Metal?.......2007-03-04

Released in 1995, funk-metal's Rage Against the Machine released their second album "Evil Empire" after a three year wait (supposedly due to rapper Zack de la Rocha's perfectionist tendencies, as the next album would take four years). The only album that I feel I can fairly make comparisons to is Rage Against the Machine's self-titled, so bear with me. I understand that following up such a classic is impossible, but there are several aspects they failed to capture that made the first album a classic.

Many people have claimed that this album sounds similar to or follows the same formula as 1992's self-titled album, but I disagree; it sounds very different, much slower and darker. There were significant changes in how it was mixed; Zack de la Rocha's vocals are distant, not as clear or up-front as before; Brad Wilk's drums are louder and more expansive, as he tries out different rhythms; Tim Commerford's bass is higher and more frequently distorted in the mix, and isn't nearly as funky or bright, making each song darker; Tom Morello's guitar is almost always heavily distorted, making it sound more like a machine than a string instrument. In fact, this sounds more like a rap-metal album than a funk-metal album. There's pretty much no melody here. Each of the instruments, including the vocals, sound almost audibly equal in volume, blending together into a mush of sound, while their self-titled was careful in making each instrument distinct and bright. The pace has also been slowed significantly and, subsequently, most of the energy has been sucked from this album. This is a bleak listen, and it isn't nearly as colorful or fun as their previous effort. Surprisingly, the only thing different here is producer Brendan O'Brien, with Andy Wallace still behind the mixing tables, so it's possible that the band wanted it this way.

I must give Tom Morello some mention, of course, since his solos are interesting and innovative as always. The highlight here is "Bulls on Parade", where his solo sounds like a DJ scratching a turntable; the fact alone that the man has to duplicate this live is insane. He also adds another dimension to their sound with his electronic playing, creating very unique metallic textures, but it doesn't sound soulful or organic. At times it simply sounds a machine, plowing through the music.

The lyrics were great, and the subjects have become more varied; social commentary seems to share as much of the lyric sheet as the anti-government sentiment. However, Zack's slogans aren't nearly as catchy or energizing as in the debut, maybe because it's so hard to hear them. The biggest problem here would be the vocals; they aren't clean or clear, and they're actually brought down in the mix to the levels of the instrumentation. Zack's vocals add power to the band's sound, but because they seem to blend right in, they don't stand out as much. When he screams, the rhythm section drowns him out, making each scream pointless. Why scream if you can rap normally at the same volume?

This isn't packed with instant rock classics like in their self-titled, with the whole CD feeling more like a rap-oriented metal album, and some of the tracks are a real drag (I struggled to get through "Wind Below" without switching tracks; the whole carnival guitar effect is sweet, but listening to it trudge on is so damn borning). If you're a first-timer, I advise you get their self-titled debut if you want to see the band at their prime. If you're a fan, I definitely recommend this, although I suggest you keep your mind open and brace yourself. There are some moments where this album really shines, like "Bulls on Parade", "Revolver", and "Snakecharmer", but other times I found songs to be bland (especially "People of the Sun" and "Vietnow"). Don't get me wrong, I love this band and I tried like hell to get into this CD, but "Evil Empire" just doesn't do it for me. Thankfully, they recapture their sound on their next album, "The Battle of Los Angeles".

People of the Sun (6/10)
Bulls on Parade (10/10*)
Vietnow (6/10)
Revolver (8/10)
Snakecharmer (9/10)
Tire Me (8/10)
Down Rodeo (8/10)
Without a Face (7/10)
Wind Below (5/10)
Roll Right (5/10)
Year of tha Boomerang (7/10)

* Favorite track

5 out of 5 stars best Rage album.......2007-02-23

This is one of the best Rage Against the Machine albums ever. If your a Rage fan or not you should know the words to almost all the songs on this album.

5 out of 5 stars DUDE its RAge.......2007-02-19

Evil Empire Is One of the best albums of all time without a doubt

5 out of 5 stars Exactly What a Great Album Should Be.......2006-11-02

Four years after releasing their debut album (which spawned two hits "Bombtrack"
& "Killing in the Name"), Rage Against the Machine released their sophomore album "Evil Empire." Sophomore albums are usually albums made in a euphoria and the work rushed, so they're usually not that good. This album has it's lows, but there's not a "bad" song on the album. A good portion of the album is solid, a few songs are less-than-spectacular; But the album is definitely an improvement over their already great first album. Singer/Rapper Zack de la Rocha is in full political-f**k the system glory here. His lyrics are powerful, intelligent, and sound great when sang. Tom Morello's guitar solos are spectacular, this guy is one of the most underrated guitarists around; Tim Commerford has a lot of chances on the album to show off his heavy basslines, and there's Brad Wilk of course filling out the rhythm section nicely. The song arrangement is great on the album, but what amazes me the most is this...The biggest hit off this album was Bulls on Parade, even though the song Tire Me won the band a Grammy. I think the song Down Rodeo is the best song on here, you can't beat his chorus (Can't waste a day when the night brings a hearse. So make a move and plead the fifth, cuz you can't plead the first. So now I'm rolling down rodeo with a shotgun these people ain't seen a brown skin man since their grandparents bought one). Even though the band didn't make it past 4 albums (and the best, I think, is their 3rd "The Battle of Los Angeles) this is still a strong and spectacular album that you can easily jam too as you're rolling down Rodeo. Sorry for that lame joke, but, anyway, here's the tracks and some in depth opinions:

1. People of the Sun-5/5-The lyrics are awesome, the song is catchy, the guitar is infectious, the basslines are great; A great, great, song.
2. Bulls on Parade-5/5-This song took a while to grow on me. I love the beat, lyrics are intelligent. It's a very good song.
3. Vietnow-5/5-Some people may find this song annoying, I love it. Extremely catchy; It got stuck in my head for a long time.
4. Revolver-5/5-This song is a love it or hate it song. Zack screams a little too much on this song, but it's pretty good.
5. Snakecharmer-5/5-This song has vocals that are barely there, but it works well enough with the music that it...Works.
6. Tire Me-4/5-This song won Rage a Grammy, but I think it's kind of a weak song. The basslines are superb, but the song can be kind of annoying at times.
7. Down Rodeo-5/5-I think is the best song on the album; It's got one of the best lines ("Rolling down rodeo with a shotgun, these people ain't seen a brown-skin man since their grandparents bought one") and is really catchy; The beat is one of their best.
8. Without a Face-5/5-Very cool song.
9. Wind Below-4/5-This song has it's high points and its low points. Mostly the latter.
10. Roll Right-5/5
11. Year of tha Boomerang-5/5-This is a great song, one of the best on the album.

GRADE: A-
Rage Against the Machine/Evil Empire
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Bring them back!!
 Rage Against the Machine/Evil Empire
Rage Against the Machine
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0000DIMWN
Release Date: 2005-11-22

Album Description

2 CD set that contains their 1992 self titled album along with Evil Empire (1996). Sony. 2005.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Bring them back!!.......2007-01-29

Always a great band, and the combination of the two cd's is a great value
Black Empire
Average customer rating: Not rated
    		Black Empire
    Force of Evil
    Manufacturer: Escapi
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

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    ASIN: B000G1R4C0
    Release Date: 2006-07-18

    Tracks:

    1. Black Empire
    2. Back To Hell
    3. Cabrini Green
    4. Death Comes Crawling
    5. The Sinister Show
    6. Days Of Damien
    7. Disciples Of The King
    8. Beyond The Gates
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    Black Empire
    Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
    • Best metal album in 2005 so far!!!
    • To Be As Fair As Possible....
    • High quality metal that reminds me the old days. GREAT!
    • denner and shermann shine
    		 Black Empire
    Force of Evil
    Manufacturer: Escapi
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

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    ASIN: B0007VF278
    Release Date: 2005-03-29

    Tracks:

    1. Black Empire
    2. Back to Hell
    3. Cabrini Green
    4. Death Comes Crawling
    5. Sinister Show
    6. Days of Damien
    7. Disciples of the King
    8. Beyond the Gates
    9. Hobbs End
    10. Dead in Texas
    11. Vorhees Revenge
    12. S.O.S.

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Best metal album in 2005 so far!!!.......2005-06-28

    The guys fom Mercyful Fate still got it! Black Empire is a pure delight. And what about Martin Steene?! Man, can that guy sing or what?! As much as I loved their first album, this one is definitly a huge step up. More darker & heavier with lyrics based on classic horror movies (Friday the 13th, In the mouth of madness, Texas chainsaw massacre...) this album also includes a tribute to the master of horror himself, Stephen King, with the song Disciples of the King. But, Instead of wasting reading this review, buy Black Empire right now. If you're a metal fan, you won't regret it

    4 out of 5 stars To Be As Fair As Possible...........2005-05-17

    For those of you who follow my reviews, you know that King Diamond is one of my all time favorites. It would probably be most fair to rate this record with no thoughts of King Diamond. But in all honesty, it just isn't going to happen. (Not with 4 former members of King Diamond / MF.) And without King Diamond to front these excellent musicians, it's not going to be the same. Well, that said, this record is an improvement over their 1st. Interestingly, the vocals on 'Black Empire' are more varied. (Perhaps an attempt to add a King Diamond element.) Hank Shermann, Mike Denner, Hal Patino, and Bjarne T. Holm are in excellent form. Steene does a better job this time at keeping his vocals from being drowned in music. The record is not as solid as King Diamond's works tended to be, but in all fairness to Force of Evil, how many times do people slap one or two hits on an album and then just use filler for the rest of the record? While not quite on par with King Diamond, the consistency of Force of Evil's "Black Empire" is well above average. Some standouts include 'Death Comes Crawling,' 'Days of Damien,' Disciples of the King,' 'Beyond the Gates,' and 'Vorhee's Revenge.' Probably the best thing I can say about this record is that these 4 were some of King Diamond's greatest players. And while they mastered the art of heavy and intense, they also knew that there were times to be more on a classical note. As I said on my review of their last record, if you are a fan of King Diamond, you can't buy this and expect it to be the same. If like me, you are interested in 'Force of Evil,' because you are a King Diamond fan, you will appreciate the record the most if you accept that these 4 musicians (Shermann, Denner, Patino, and Holm) are still in fine form. And yes, this is a great Gothic Metal record with the 80s feel. BUT THE VOCALS ARE DIFFERENT. If this is a problem for you, don't bother. If it is NOT a problem, then by all means, pick this record up and enjoy.

    5 out of 5 stars High quality metal that reminds me the old days. GREAT!.......2005-04-15

    This is take-no-prisoners in-your-face metal, period. Killer vocals, killer riffs, killer guitar solos and killer everything. If you are into early Fates Warning, this was made specially for you. From a stylish point of view, it belongs to another époque -- that is, to those old good times when bands such as Queensryche, Watchtower and Crimson Glory (plus, again, Fates Warning) were exploring new metal trends and raising eyebrows. Force of Evil is simply darker, but it belongs to that class. Just a warning to the crowd of Mercyful Fate fans: Martin Steene (the vocalist) has few (if something) to do with King Diamond, ok? So, this is not Mercyful Fate Part II, in spite of Shermann and Denner twin axe attack, Bjarne T. Holm power drumming, and of course King Diamond's circa Hal Patino on the bass duties. This is just a new, more melodic, band heading to be one of the bests around, so keep that in your mind: Mercyful Fate's soul is there, but it is not the same band at all.

    Back to the album, Force of Evil's Black Empire would have been a classic if recorded in the middle Eighties. It's even far better than their first self-titled release. The production is top notch, and I think this time Steene completely demonstrated that he can pair to the bests vocalists in the genre. Hats off to him! He has the presence, the range, the power and the emotion to become one of the greatest ever -- though Geoff Tate's influence is somewhat too much evident (mostly in "Days of Damien"), but still Steene shines on his own rights.

    The rest of the band's performance is tight and heavy, aggressive, with a lot of attitude. I sincerely LOVE this album. If there's something to criticize perhaps is that it maintains the same mood all along, so at a given moment it starts to sound "the same". It is not a revolutionary or "groundbreaking" album neither. But don't be fooled. Its quality is amongst the highest you can find in metal; and also there are on it many layers to discover, many choirs, many small details, a riff here and there... It IS a powerful and brilliant piece of work, no doubt about that. I even dare to confess that I would have liked to record something close to this!

    I give then to "Black Empire" four stars and a half -- so I vote five stars to raise the average, to compensate for the other reviewers' votes. If you like any type of good metal, this is for you. This is indeed TRUE metal, the one YOU were expecting since nu-metallers took control of the genre. So, go for it NOW and contribute to the raise of a new metal star! You won't regret it!

    4 out of 5 stars denner and shermann shine.......2005-04-06

    This album is better than the debut by far. It seems like they had more time with this one. Debut speeking, they did not gel, but now the six string harmony's are recalling days back to the mercyful fate days. At first listen, it can be quite overwhelming (like Rush's masterpiece Vapor Trails) not an audiophile rip, but for anyone who appreciates great music, after a few listens, it is bound to be a classic!
    Evil: Live
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      		Evil: Live
      Lynch Mob
      Manufacturer: Rock Empire
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

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      Album Details

      Asian exclusive release.
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