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CRITIC REVIEWS
100
This is music made to agitate, not seduce, and at that it succeeds triumphantly.
90
They've become a great band that cuts through irony at the same time it piles up contradictions. It´s an achievement, one that will stand even if the biggest flames they ever get to fan are at a Woodstock bonfire.
80
De la Rocha is best when he has specific targets, but when he attempts to cover more general societal problems, he falters. If anything less than one of the most talented and fiery bands in the music world were backing him, The Battle of Los Angeles wouldn't be nearly as high-rated as it is.
80
Rage Against the Machine may never ignite the youth war they want to see. But at last, with The Battle of Los Angeles, they've managed to win a war within — one in which the band's notoriously feuding members have come together to produce a sound that's not quite louder than a bomb but that's definitely as loud as Led Zeppelin II.
70
If you ever mistook this for something a bunch of no-knob no-marks like Limp Bizkit could whack out then, I'm sorry, but you are fucking deaf, mad and probably from another (spectacularly shit) planet. Keep raging, mad Yank commies, your planet needs you.
With a few more miss steps and not much change to their overall sound, The Battle of Los Angeles lacks some of the punch that the other two records before was packed with. But there are still plenty of great tracks on here.
Every time I listen to this album, I like it less and less. The riffs just aren't all that great this time. The beats are also lacking in volume. But the real kicker is the lack of guitars. It's just not the same at all. With that being said, it's still Rage, so the writing and the rapping are still on point. Overall, it's just disappointing.
Best Tracks: Testify, Calm Like a Bomb, War Within a Breath
Worst Tracks: Voice Of The Voiceless
Best Tracks: Testify, Calm Like a Bomb, War Within a Breath
Worst Tracks: Voice Of The Voiceless
i think at this point, rage against the machine has lost its charm for me. unlike their first two albums, this one feels particularly formulaic and lacks any particular tracks that are true standouts. i see it as a failed attempt at re-capturing the magic of those albums, and yes, it's still enjoyable, but...i dunno. it's really not the same.
Battle of LA is probably the group's most refined project. While the cleaner production was a product of a nicer mix, it sometimes resulted in the group's most least urgent tracks. It has become clear that this band needs Tom Morello's guitar to obtain its strength. When Rage chooses percussion over guitar, it culminates in the mindless Guerilla Radio and the vapid Mic Check. Outside of some disappointing moments, Rage is still Rage on this album.
Lyrics & Themes: 8/10
Performance: ... read more
Lyrics & Themes: 8/10
Performance: ... read more
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END OF YEAR LISTS
| #2 | / | SPIN |
MISC LISTS
| #51 | / | Spin (1985-2009) |
| #74 | / | Rolling Stone (1990s) |
| #201 | / | SPIN (1985-2014) |
Track List
- Testify
- Guerrilla Radio
- Calm Like a Bomb
- Mic Check
- Sleep Now in the Fire
- Born of a Broken Man
- Born as Ghosts
- Maria
- Voice of the Voiceless
- New Millennium Homes
- Ashes in the Fall
- War Within a Breath
In Library (18)
Added on: May 13, 2013
