There’s a fair argument to be made that the former members of Rage Against The Machine have always been heavily influenced by their vocalist. Zack, with his fiery polemic, brought out the beast in the band, whereas Chris Cornell (during their stint as Audioslave) brought a more introspective tone to the music, the balls-out riffing of ‘Cochise’ proving to be rather more the exception than the rule. Thus, Prophets of Rage, which sees the core RATM trio of Tom Morello (guitars), Tim Commerford (bass) and Brad Wilk (drums) augmented by DJ Lord (Public Enemy), Chuck D (Public Enemy) and B-Real (Cypress Hill), were never likely to repeat the fire and fury of that debut, no matter how many RATM covers they chose to throw in to the live sets with which they launched themselves upon an unsuspecting public.
This self-titled debut certainly arrived amidst a strong dose of anticipation (a sure-fire project killer where super-groups are concerned), and this was arguably not helped by a series of superlative live performances that promised rather more fire and brimstone than this short, surprisingly radio-friendly album delivers. Featuring twelve tracks in just forty minutes, the band (aided by long-time collaborator Brendan O’Brian), deliver a slick album that is frequently enjoyable but which lacks the urgent fury that long-time RATM anticipated. A significant part of the problem lies with the fact that Zack De La Rocha was not (whisper it) a terribly good rapper. He had force and flow, but his success lay somewhere between his burning passion and the fact that the listener knew his rhymes would soon dissolve into murderous screams. In contrast both Chuck D (whose politico credentials need no bolstering) and B-Real can rap, with the result that Prophets of Rage treads far closer to the hip hop line than RATM ever did. It’s easy to understand why those seeking a more metallic effort might feel disappointed, but this album’s strengths lie elsewhere and, with time, it will come to be seen as a fine debut.
Kicking off with the relatively sedate ‘Radical Eyes’, it’s interesting to note that the vibe is closer to that of (legendary soundtrack) ‘Judgement Night’ than vintage rage, the band opting for a funky backdrop that is more tailored to Chuck D and B-Real’s smooth delivery. Tom Morello’s crazed guitar work remains a signature element, and the lyrics do an effective job of reflecting the turmoil into which America has been plunged in the wake of the Trump election, but it’s not until single ‘Unfuck the world’ detonates that a palpable sense of the anger that underpins the entire project comes to the fore. A folky element creeps into the intro for ‘Legalize me’ before the band head into a tough-as-nails blues-funk workout with a SoCal vibe quite unlike anything the band have tried before. An album highlight, ‘Living on the 110’ has an opening riff to die for, a bouncy, elastic groove that runs throughout the song, and both Chuck D and B-Real sound in their element as they tackle the thorny issue of homelessness. The two vocalists feed off each other with an almost telepathic sense of intuition and the result is both powerful and timely. The band shift into pure hip hop for the brief (and arguably pointless) ‘the counteroffensive’, but just as quickly redeem themselves with the blistering ‘hail to the chief’, another album highlight that relies on rapid-fire lyrics and Tim Commerford’s snaking basslines. It brings the first half of the album to a blistering close with its hard hitting chorus and it’s at moments like these that the full potential of Prophets of Rage is laid bare for all to see.
The band kick off the second half of the record with another surprise, this time in the form of a full-blown funk work out entitled ‘Take me higher’. Irresistible and infectious, it’s hard to imagine Rage Against The Machine offering up something so light of touch, but it fits into the eclectic framework of the record perfectly. Heading back into heavier territory, ‘Strength in numbers’ has a huge chorus and a guitar line that sounds like a hyperactive chicken (yeah, I know, but seriously…). It’s arguably here, where the RATM comparisons are unavoidable, that long-time fans are most likely to miss Zack’s hyperactive presence, but it’s a hard-hitting track nonetheless. Probably the album’s least essential track, ‘fired a shot’ kicks off with a classic rock riff that has more in common with Wolfmother than RATM, but the track as a whole is hamstrung by an endlessly repeated chorus. The album turns things up a notch with the brutal rhymin’ and stealin’ of ‘who owns who’, Chuck and B-Real both delivering knock out performances and that continues as they launch into the vital surge of ‘hands up’, a sure-fire mosh pit killer. The album comes to an end with the crunchy, RATM vibe of ‘smashit’, B Real taking the lead with Chuck D adding his formidable weight to the chorus. It’s a fine track, but it’s almost a shame the band felt the need to conclude with a track that sounds so traditional when material such as ‘hail to the chief’ and ‘take me higher’ sound so much more suited to their current line-up.
Prophets of Rage’s self-titled debut is a fine effort that appears to draw a line under RATM and offer a path forward where the focus is more firmly on hip hop than metal. Chuck D and B-Real have demonstrated time and again that they can handle the harder-edged material in the live environment, but on record it’s their show, and for the most part results are impressive. The album is arguably at its weakest when it slips into a more familiar RATM groove, but if the band can focus on those elements that are uniquely a result of the new line-up coming together, then there’s no question that Prophets of Rage can deliver on their promise of holding the elites to account. 7
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