There was a steely, feisty drive to everything that Rage Against The Machine did when the LA quartet emerged with their coruscating blend of rock, rap, punk and funk in the early 90s. Despite the fact they were signed to a major label, everything about them seemed like a well-drilled DIY operation with no room for the opinions and meddling of record execs. It was an understandable approach given what had gone down with Tom Morello’s previous band, the LA metal crew Lock Up. The guitarist was determined not to get burnt again.
“We did one Lock Up album for Atlantic – Something Bitchin’ This Way Comes in 1989 – but were so screwed over by the music business that we quickly split up,” Morello once told Metal Hammer. Drummer Brad Wilk had just auditioned to be in the band before their split, so he and Morello stuck together and had the bit between their teeth. “We were determined to do something very radical.”
