Evil Empire | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | April 16, 1996 | |||
Recorded | November–December 1995 [1] | |||
Studio | Cole Rehearsal (Los Angeles) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 46:37 | |||
Label | Epic | |||
Producer | Brendan O'Brien | |||
Rage Against the Machine chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Evil Empire | ||||
|
Evil Empire is the second studio album by the American rock band Rage Against the Machine, released on April 16, 1996, by Epic Records. It debuted at number 1 on the US Billboard 200 chart with first week sales of 249,000 copies, and the song "Tire Me" won a 1996 Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance; "Bulls on Parade" and "People of the Sun" were nominated for Grammys for Best Hard Rock Performance. On May 24, 2000, the album was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. [5]
The album's title is a reference to a term used in the early 1980s by President Ronald Reagan and many American conservatives to describe the Soviet Union. [6]
According to MTV News, "The title 'Evil Empire' is taken from what Rage Against The Machine see as Ronald Reagan's slander of the Soviet Union in the eighties, which the band feels could just as easily apply to the United States." [7]
The title actually came from a speech by Ronald Reagan in the 1980s, and he addressed the Soviet Union as the "evil empire". If you look at the atrocities committed by the U.S. in the latter half of the 20th century, we feel that tag could be easily used to describe the U.S.
Before the May 27, 1996, performance of "Without a Face" that is featured on the band's 1998 Live & Rare album, Zack de la Rocha said: "It seems as if soon as the... the wall in Germany fell, that the US government was busy building another one on the border between the US and Mexico. Since 1986, as a result of a lot of the hate talk and hysteria that the government of the United States has been speaking, 1,500 bodies have been found on the border. We wrote this song in response to it."
"Year of tha Boomerang" had previously been included in the film Higher Learning , though its title was written as "Year of the Boomerang" on the packaging of the film's soundtrack, as well as that of the song's promotional single.
The image of the second record was a little more ironic, you know? Considering if you look very closely at the boy's face, he symbolizes the power structure in the U.S.—and if you look at him, he's smiling as if he's in control—but if you look deeper into his face, you see that he's afraid, because he knows what's coming. He knows that poor people in the U.S. are not going to suffer in the way that they are suffering without taking action.
The cover of the album features an altered version of a painting of the 1940s–1950s comic book hero Crimebuster done by Mel Ramos, with the emblem on the boy's costume changed from a "c" to a lowercase "e", the caption "Crime Buster" changed to the album's title, and the color of the star in the background changed. The boy on the cover was author and businessman Ari Meisel when he was 11 years old. Meisel told Kerrang! that the original painting was a birthday present from Ramos. [10] [11] Additional artwork for the album was created by Barbara Kruger, some of which appears in the video for "Bulls on Parade".
The album's CD booklet includes a picture of a pile of various political and philosophical books, which include: [12]
In 1995, the band sent a free 7″ record to everyone who signed up for the fan club promoted in the liner notes of their debut. Doubling as an apology to those who had received nothing and a promotion for the upcoming album, it came in a plain cardboard-colored fold-out with a black-and-white American flag on the cover alongside the band's name and "Evil Empire" in capital letters. On the back cover was a UPC with marker scribble on the barcode. The A-side was a reissue of the Evening Session -version of "Bombtrack" first broadcast on June 7, 1993 (listed as "Bombtrack (Live on the BBC)"), and the B-side was a then-unreleased cover of N.W.A's "Fuck tha Police" that was recorded live on August 13, 1995, at a benefit concert for Mumia Abu-Jamal at the Capitol Ballroom in Washington, D.C. [ citation needed ]
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (April 2019) |
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [13] |
Chicago Tribune | [14] |
Entertainment Weekly | A− [15] |
Houston Chronicle | [16] |
Los Angeles Times | [17] |
NME | 5/10 [18] |
Pitchfork | 6.1/10 [19] |
Rolling Stone | [20] |
Spin | 8/10 [21] |
The Village Voice | A− [22] |
Rolling Stone said that "This music isn't supposed to be fun," and continued: "Rage Against the Machine have jacked up the sociopolitical siege mentality in their metallic hip – hop to such a dogmatic degree – and honed their sound to such maniacally shrill perfection – that the band and the roaring joys of its harangue 'n' roll seem virtually sexless." [23]
The album was said to have cemented Rage Against the Machine as "an important force in the rap-rock style. [24]
All lyrics are written by Zack de la Rocha; all music is composed by Rage Against the Machine
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "People of the Sun" | 2:30 |
2. | "Bulls on Parade" | 3:49 |
3. | "Vietnow" | 4:39 |
4. | "Revolver" | 5:30 |
5. | "Snakecharmer" | 3:56 |
6. | "Tire Me" | 3:00 |
7. | "Down Rodeo" | 5:20 |
8. | "Without a Face" | 3:36 |
9. | "Wind Below" | 5:50 |
10. | "Roll Right" | 4:22 |
11. | "Year of tha Boomerang" | 4:02 |
Total length: | 46:34 |
Rage Against the Machine
Technical
Artwork and design
Chart (1996) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (ARIA) [25] | 2 |
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [26] | 2 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [27] | 6 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [28] | 2 |
Danish Albums (Hitlisten) [29] | 4 |
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [30] | 4 |
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista) [31] | 5 |
French Albums (SNEP) [32] | 26 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [33] | 2 |
Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ) [34] | 37 |
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [35] | 3 |
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) [36] | 2 |
Scottish Albums (OCC) [37] | 10 |
Spanish Albums (AFYVE) [38] | 10 |
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [39] | 1 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [40] | 4 |
UK Albums (OCC) [41] | 4 |
UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC) [42] | 1 |
US Billboard 200 [43] | 1 |
Chart (1996) | Position |
---|---|
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [44] | 41 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Australia (ARIA) [45] | Gold | 35,000^ |
Austria (IFPI Austria) [46] | Gold | 25,000* |
Belgium (BEA) [47] | Gold | 25,000* |
Canada (Music Canada) [48] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
France (SNEP) [49] | Gold | 100,000* |
New Zealand (RMNZ) [50] | Gold | 7,500^ |
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [51] | Gold | 50,000^ |
Sweden (GLF) [52] | Gold | 50,000^ |
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) [53] | Gold | 25,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [54] | Gold | 100,000^ |
United States (RIAA) [55] | 3× Platinum | 3,000,000^ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. |
Garage Inc. is a compilation album of cover songs by American heavy metal band, Metallica. It was released on November 24, 1998, through Elektra Records. It includes cover songs, B-side covers, and The $5.98 E.P. - Garage Days Re-Revisited, which had gone out of print since its original release in 1987. The title is a combination of Garage Days Revisited and Metallica's song "Damage, Inc.", from Master of Puppets. The album's graphical cover draws heavily from the 1987 EP. The album features songs by artists that have influenced Metallica, including many bands from new wave of British heavy metal, hardcore punk bands and popular songs.
Rage Against the Machine was an American rock band formed in 1991 in Los Angeles, California. The band consisted of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello, and drummer Brad Wilk. They melded heavy metal and rap music, punk rock and funk with anti-authoritarian and revolutionary lyrics. As of 2010, they had sold over 16 million records worldwide. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2023.
Meteora is the second studio album by American rock band Linkin Park, released on March 25, 2003, through Warner Bros. Records, following Reanimation, a collaboration album which featured remixes of songs included on their 2000 debut studio album Hybrid Theory. The album was produced by the band alongside Don Gilmore. The title Meteora is taken from the Greek Orthodox monasteries originally bearing the name. Meteora has a similar sound to Hybrid Theory, as described by critics, and the album took almost a year to be recorded. It is the first Linkin Park studio album to feature bassist Dave "Phoenix" Farrell after he rejoined the band in 2000 following his temporary touring with other bands.
MTV Unplugged in New York is the first live album by the American rock band Nirvana, released by DGC Records on November 1, 1994, nearly seven months following the suicide of Kurt Cobain. It was part of the cable television series MTV Unplugged and features a mostly acoustic performance. It was recorded at Sony Music Studios in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan, on November 18, 1993.
Rage Against the Machine is the debut studio album by American rock band Rage Against the Machine. It was released on November 3, 1992, by Epic Records, one day after the release of the album's first single, "Killing in the Name". The album was based largely on the band's first commercial demo tape of the same name, completed 11 months prior to the album's release. The tape contained earlier recordings of seven of the ten songs.
Issues is the fourth studio album by American nu metal band Korn. It was released on November 16, 1999, through Immortal Records. The album was promoted throughout 2000 by the band's highly successful Sick and Twisted Tour.
Mutter is the third studio album by German Neue Deutsche Härte band Rammstein. It was released on 2 April 2001 through Motor and Universal Music. The album's cover image is a photograph of a dead fetus, which was taken by Daniel & Geo Fuchs. The album has yielded six singles which, to date, are the most released from any Rammstein album.
Renegades is the fourth and final studio album by the American rock band Rage Against the Machine, released on December 5, 2000, by Epic Records. It consists of covers of songs by Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Afrika Bambaataa, Minor Threat, Eric B. & Rakim, the Stooges, MC5, the Rolling Stones, Cypress Hill, Devo and others. The cover is a take on Robert Indiana's Love artwork series.
The Corrs Unplugged is the third album by Irish band The Corrs, filmed and released in the fall of 1999. The album is part of the iconic MTV Unplugged series, which features musicians performing in a more acoustic, “stripped-down” concert setting. Initially, the album was released internationally, albeit not in the United States until a year later, after the band had experienced further success with their single “Breathless” and their fourth album In Blue, with both releases earning them their highest chart positions to-date in the US.
Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium is the second live album by the American rock band Rage Against the Machine, released on November 25, 2003, by Epic Records. It is a recording of two shows Rage played at the Grand Olympic Auditorium in their hometown of Los Angeles on September 12 and 13, 2000. The album was originally planned to be released in November 2000, but was delayed due to the break-up of the band shortly after the September concerts. It was then slated for release a year later, but was again delayed due to the formation of Audioslave by the remaining three members of Rage with vocalist Chris Cornell. The album was released amid mixed reviews in November 2003, mainly due to poor mixing rather than musical performance, where on the other hand the DVD version was praised by fans and critics alike.
Nine Lives is the twelfth studio album by American rock band Aerosmith, released on March 18, 1997. The album was produced by Aerosmith and Kevin Shirley, and was the band's first studio album released by Columbia Records since 1982's Rock in a Hard Place. In the United States, it peaked at number one on the Billboard 200 and sold over two million copies. One of the album's singles, "Pink", won a Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. Until Music from Another Dimension!, Nine Lives was their longest album, at 63 minutes.
Mezmerize is the fourth studio album by the American heavy metal band System of a Down, released on May 17, 2005, by American Recordings and Columbia Records. Upon its release, the album received acclaim from critics. The album sold over 450,000 copies in its first week, and immediately topped the Billboard 200.
Backstreet's Back is the second studio album by American boy band Backstreet Boys, released internationally on August 11, 1997, by Jive Records and Trans Continental Records, with the exception of United States. It serves as a follow-up to their successful self-titled debut album, which came out a year prior. A day after its release, a United States-exclusive reissue of their debut was released with a revised track list and additional songs from Backstreet's Back.
Revelations is the third and final studio album by American rock supergroup Audioslave, released on September 4, 2006 internationally and a day later in the United States through Epic Records and Interscope Records. Chris Cornell quit the band in February 2007 and the remaining members disbanded Audioslave rather than looking for a new vocalist since they were busy with a reunion of Rage Against the Machine.
Backstreet Boys is the debut studio album by American boy band Backstreet Boys, released on May 6, 1996, by Jive Records. It contains some of the band's most successful singles. The album was reissued in 1997 under the same name and released as their debut in the United States. The reissue also includes songs from the band's second international release Backstreet's Back (1997).
Blue is the sixth studio album by British band Simply Red. It was released by East West Records on 19 May 1998 in the United Kingdom. Initially conceived as a cover album, it features production from lead singer Mick Hucknall as well as Andy Wright, Gota Yashiki, Stevie J, and Joe "Jake" Carter. Hucknall, Wright, and Yashiki are the only musicians featured in the Blue CD booklet's photography; this is a first for a Simply Red album, as all prior albums featured photos of the various band members credited.
The discography of Rage Against the Machine, an American rock band, consists of four studio albums, two live albums, one compilation album, one demo album, 17 singles, four video albums and 15 music videos. Formed in Los Angeles, California in 1991 by vocalist Zack de la Rocha, guitarist Tom Morello, bassist Tim Commerford and drummer Brad Wilk, the band signed to Epic Records and released its self-titled debut album in 1992. The album reached number 45 on the United States Billboard 200 and was certified three times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for sales in excess of three million units. Rage Against the Machine singles "Killing in the Name", "Bullet in the Head" and "Bombtrack" charted in the United Kingdom and several other regions.
William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet: Music from the Motion Picture is the soundtrack to the 1996 film of the same name. The soundtrack contained two separate releases: the first containing popular music from the film and the second containing the score to the film composed by Nellee Hooper, Craig Armstrong and Marius de Vries.
Tarzan: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack is the soundtrack for the 1999 Disney animated feature film Tarzan. The songs on the soundtrack were composed by Phil Collins and the instrumental score was composed by Mark Mancina. The song "You'll Be in My Heart" won both the Academy Award for Best Original Song and the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song and received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media, while the soundtrack album won a Grammy Award for Best Soundtrack Album. For his contribution to the soundtrack, Collins received an American Music Award for Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist.
The Battle of Los Angeles is the third studio album by American rock band Rage Against the Machine, released by Epic Records on November 2, 1999. At the 43rd Annual Grammy Awards, it was nominated for Best Rock Album, and the song "Guerrilla Radio" won the award for Best Hard Rock Performance. In their year-end lists, Time and Rolling Stone magazines both named the album the best of 1999.