Track Listing

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

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4517 in Music
• Released on: 2000-08-21
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Explicit Lyrics

Amazon.co.uk Review
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 favour 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 post-pubescent 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

CD Description
This long-awaited sophomore release from Rage Against The Machine does not disappoint. Its grinding, ferocious guitar twists Public Enemy-like riffs in and out of the rhythm section's metallic pummeling. But as usual, while Tom Morello's guitar sets the pace, Zach De La Rocha's lyrical attack steals the show.
It is, after all, the EVIL EMPIRE they're raging against. De La Rocha goes for the jugular with barbed lyircs, claiming in "Bulls On Parade" that "this microphone explodes, shattering the molds" in a world where "people ain'tseen a brown-skinned man since their grandparents bought one". The group's rap-like rhythmic savvy and hard-rock edge bring them to a new plane. In "Snake Charmer", De La Rocha speaks of "greed" with a delirious excitement. Evidently, RageAgainst The Machine will continue to rebel against the EVILEMPIRE.

Customer Reviews

A musical delight for many. A political sledgehammer for all
Evil Empire has been criticised by many as poor when compared with the supremely awesome debut album "Rage Against the Machine".I can see where these criticisms come from as EE is a totally different kettle of fish. Gone are the roars and power that formed the foundations of early rage music. Instead, Zack De La Rocha has gone back to his hip/hop roots mixing the rock/rap and funk into one unique sound. Okay, a lot of RATM fans don't want to hear this but a major part of Rages opinions and ideals is to accept your roots and be proud of them. In this album, Rage have produced a passionate, powerful and even more political record that boasts amazing songs such as "Bulls On Parade" and "Revolver". I saw Rage live at Reading this weekend and until you've seen the emotions and influences that drive this bands music forwards, you cannot appreciate this record as much as the guys wanted you to. On a musical level, I think this album is fantastic but the lyrical messages are a virtual smack in the face for the US government and other commitees that stand in the way of Rages quest for equality, liberty and freedom. Music brings people together and helps them fight for one cause.This album is capable of doing more than that.Brilliant!

Hits five stars, but if I could would not be six.
Being the follow up to the amazing Rage Against The Machine self titled, it was bound to be not as good. The first one was simply amazing, and this one could not live up to it. Besides those points, Evil Empire is still an album worth 5 stars, it has a mix of rock and Hip Hop to drool over. And De La Rocha's vocals and Morello's Guitar again hit heights. The thing I would say sets them apart is the fact that rage selftitled seems to be more flowing and almost perfect, where as Evil Empire is much more eratic and voletile. Still, a follow up well worth your money, may not apeal as widely as the first, but an absolute must for all Rage fans. Well worth a try for others too.

After their awesome start, Rage have lowered their standards
Rage Against The Machine's self-titled first album was quite simply one of the best ever. The guitar riffs were second to none, and Zack de la Rocha's style of vocals was fresh and interesting. However, they were always going to struggle to beat that epic debut, and sure enough, they did. My main problem with this album is that we don't hear enough of Tom Morello's massive talent on the guitar. It seems as though the CD is just a premise by which de la Rocha can rant and rave about political injustices. Fair enough, that's what happened a lot of the time on the first album, but at least we got to hear a lot of musicianship from the other members of the band. This album has some average riffs on it, but none of the quality of the former. Also, the fact that a lot of the rhythm of de la Rocha's singing is the same in different songs makes you think that maybe you're listening to the same song several times over in the album. This was never the case with the first album, where each track had an aura of elegance and finesse about it. This album feels to have too much anger and violence about it, and Rage seem to have forgotten that they should concentrate on the music and what they're good at.