Evil Empire

Evil Empire
Studio album by Rage Against the Machine
Released	April 16, 1996 (1996-04-16)
Recorded	July, 1995 – February, 1996 at Cole Rehearsal Studios, Hollywood, California; Kiss Music Studios, Melbourne, Australia
Genre	Rap metal, alternative metal, funk metal
Length	46:57
Label	Epic
Producer	Brendan O'Brien
Professional reviews
Allmusic link Rolling Stone link Robert Christgau (A-) link Sputnikmusic link Yahoo! Music: Janiss Garza (favorable) link Yahoo! Music: John Kordosh (mixed) link
Rage Against the Machine chronology
Rage Against the Machine (1992) Evil Empire (1996) The Battle of Los Angeles (1999)
Singles from Evil Empire
"Bulls on Parade" Released: 1996 (1996) "People of the Sun" Released: 1996 (1996) "Tire Me" Released: 1996 (1996) "Down Rodeo" Released: 1997 (1997) "Vietnow" Released: 1997 (1997)

Evil Empire is the second album by American rap metal band Rage Against the Machine. It was released on April 16, 1996, almost four years after the band's first, self-titled album.

Album background

The album's title is taken from the phrase "evil empire," which was used by former U.S. President Ronald Reagan and many conservatives in describing the former Soviet Union.^[1]

The track "Bulls on Parade" became the first single and, as with their debut, five singles were released in total.

Evil Empire debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200. The song "Tire Me" won the 1996 Grammy award for Best Metal Performance. The tracks "Bulls on Parade" and "People of the Sun" were both nominated for Grammy's for Best Hard Rock Performance in separate years.

On May 24, 2000 the album went Triple Platinum.^[2]

Promotional 7"

In 1995 the band sent a free 7" record to promote the upcoming album to everyone who signed up for the Rage Against the Machine fan club promoted in the liner notes of the debut CD as an apology for never having received anything. It came in a plain cardboard colored fold-out with a black-and-white American flag on the cover and the title "Evil Empire" and the band's name all in capitals. On the back was a UPC with marker scribble on the barcode. The A-side was the then-unreleased cover of NWA's "F*** Tha Police" and the b-side was a reissue of the "Evening Session" version of "Bombtrack" listed as "Bombtrack (Live on the BBC)".

1. A Fuck Tha Police
2. B Bombtrack (Live on the BBC)

Track listing

All songs written and arranged by Rage Against the Machine and all lyrics by Zack de la Rocha.

1. "People of the Sun" – 2:30
2. "Bulls on Parade" – 3:51
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" – 3:59

Personnel - "Guilty Parties"

• Rage Against the Machine – producer, art direction

• Zack de la Rocha – vocals, lyricist
• Tom Morello – guitar
• Tim Commerford – bass (credited as "tim bob")
• Brad Wilk – drums

• Aimee Macauley – Art Director
• Nick DiDia – engineer, recording technician
• Clay Harper – assistant engineer
• Lisa Johnson – photography
• Paul Kosky – recording technician
• Bob Ludwig – mastering
• Brendan O'Brien – producer
• Andy Wallace – mixing
• Caram Costanzo – second engineer
• Dave Rat – recording technician

Chart positions

Album

Singles

Awards

• 1996 Grammy Award - Best Metal Performance for "Tire Me"

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Rage Against the Machine

• Official Website
• Axis of Justice Tom Morello and Serj Tankian's Activist Website "Axis Of Justice"
• Vietnow.org Rage Against The Machine news resource and forum
• Evil Empire (album) at Allmusic