Evil Empire (album)

Evil Empire
cover illustration derived from "Crimebuster"
Studio album by Rage Against the Machine
Released April 16, 1996 (1996-04-16)
Recorded March 1995–February 1996
Studio Cole Rehearsal Studios, Los Angeles, California
Genre Rap metal[1]
Length 46:37
Label Epic
Producer Brendan O'Brien
Rage Against the Machine chronology
Rage Against the Machine
(1992)		 Evil Empire
(1996)		 The Battle of Los Angeles
(1999)
Singles from Evil Empire
  1. "Year of tha Boomerang"
    Released: December 17, 1994
  2. "Bulls on Parade"
    Released: February 9, 1996
  3. "People of the Sun"
    Released: August 22, 1996
  4. "Down Rodeo"
    Released: November 16, 1996
  5. "Vietnow"
    Released: October 10, 1997
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Chicago Tribune[3]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[4]
Entertainment WeeklyA−[5]
Los Angeles Times[6]
NME5/10[7]
Q[8]
Rolling Stone[9]
Spin8/10[10]
The Village VoiceA−[11]

Evil Empire is the second studio album by American rock band Rage Against the Machine, released on April 16, 1996 by Epic Records. Its title refers to a term used in the early 1980s by President Ronald Reagan and many American conservatives to describe the former Soviet Union.[12]

Evil Empire debuted at number 1 on the US Billboard 200, and their song "Tire Me" won a 1996 Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance; "Bulls on Parade" and "People of the Sun" were also nominated for Grammys for Best Hard Rock Performance. The album was certified 3x platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America on May 24, 2000.[13]

Background

De la Rocha expands further on the UK CD single release of "Bulls on Parade" explaining how America (the U.S.), is building a wall between itself and Mexico.

The cover is an altered version of "Crime Buster" by Mel Ramos.[15] The caption "EVIL EMPIRE" and letter "e" on the boy's costume were originally "c" and "CRIME BUSTER".[16] Additional themes for the album were created by Barbara Kruger, and some of her artwork appears in the video clip for "Bulls on Parade", which became the second single for the album. As with their debut, five singles were released in total.

The inside of the CD booklet shows a picture of a pile of various political and philosophical books including A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn, Capital, Volume I by Karl Marx, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce, and The Anarchist Cookbook by William Powell.[17]

Promotion

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 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 a reissue of the "Evening Session" version of "Bombtrack", listed as "Bombtrack (Live on the BBC)". The B-side was a then unreleased cover of N.W.A's "Fuck tha Police", recorded live on August 13, 1995 at a benefit concert for Mumia Abu-Jamal at the Capitol Ballroom in Washington, D.C.

Track listing

All lyrics written by Zack de la Rocha; all music composed by Rage Against the Machine.

No.TitleLength
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

Personnel

Rage Against the Machine

Technical

Artwork and design

  • Rage Against the Machine – art direction
  • Aimée Macauley – art direction
  • Lisa Johnson – photography

Recording locations

Reception

"This music isn't supposed to be fun," noted Rolling Stone. "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."[18]

Charts

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/Sales
Belgium (BEA)[49] Gold 25,000*
Canada (Music Canada)[50] Platinum 100,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[51] Gold 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[52] 3× Platinum 3,000,000^

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

Awards

See also

References

  1. ↑ Lipkin, Gregg (November 18, 2009). "Masters of the Form: Rage Against the Machine 1996 - Evil Empire". PopMatters. Retrieved August 13, 2016.
  2. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Evil Empire – Rage Against the Machine". AllMusic. Retrieved February 15, 2012.
  3. ↑ Kot, Greg (April 25, 1996). "Saved By a Guitar". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved August 13, 2016.
  4. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2011). "Rage Against the Machine". The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 0-85712-595-8.
  5. ↑ Sinclair, Tom (April 19, 1996). "Evil Empire". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 15, 2012.
  6. ↑ Cromelin, Richard (April 14, 1996). "Rage Against the Machine 'Evil Empire' Epic". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 13, 2016.
  7. ↑ Cigarettes, Johnny (April 13, 1996). "Rage Against the Machine – Evil Empire". NME. Archived from the original on August 17, 2000. Retrieved January 16, 2017.
  8. ↑ "Rage Against the Machine: Evil Empire". Q (170): 130. November 2000.
  9. ↑ Wiederhorn, Jon (April 18, 1996). "Evil Empire". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 7, 2012.
  10. ↑ Gold, Jonathan (May 1996). "Rage Against the Machine: Evil Empire". Spin. 12 (2): 103. Retrieved March 7, 2012.
  11. ↑ Christgau, Robert (July 23, 1996). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved August 13, 2016.
  12. ↑ Staff report (May 3, 1996). Rage Builds "Evil Empire" MTV
  13. ↑ RIAA RIAA Certification search results Archived June 26, 2007, at the Wayback Machine. Note: type “Evil Empire” (without quotation marks) in field "Title:"
  14. ↑ de la Rocha, Zacarías Manuel "Zack" (May 3, 1996). "Rage Builds "Evil Empire"". MTV. MTV.com. Retrieved 7 April 2013. 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. Rage is currently finishing up a European tour but they'll be back on our evil U.S. soil for a tour in late July.
  15. ↑ Rage Against The Machine “Evil Empire” Album Cover Art Was Originally Called “Crime Buster”.
  16. ↑ Mark Malazarte Crime Buster by Mel Ramos 1993
  17. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-11-17. Retrieved 2011-11-19.
  18. ↑ Rolling Stone Yearbook, 26 December 1996–9 January 1997
  19. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – Rage Against the Machine – Evil Empire". Hung Medien.
  20. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Rage Against the Machine – Evil Empire" (in German). Hung Medien.
  21. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Rage Against the Machine – Evil Empire" (in Dutch). Hung Medien.
  22. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Rage Against the Machine – Evil Empire" (in French). Hung Medien.
  23. ↑ "Listen - Danmarks Officielle Hitliste - Udarbejdet af AIM Nielsen for IFPI Danmark - Uge 16". Ekstra Bladet (in Danish). Copenhagen. 1996-04-21.
  24. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Rage Against the Machine – Evil Empire" (in Dutch). Hung Medien.
  25. ↑ "Rage Against the Machine: Evil Empire" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland.
  26. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Rage Against the Machine – Evil Empire". Hung Medien.
  27. ↑ http://www.infodisc.fr/Album_ChartRuns_Liste.php
  28. ↑ "Longplay-Chartverfolgung at Musicline" (in German). Musicline.de. Phononet GmbH.
  29. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Rage Against the Machine – Evil Empire". Hung Medien.
  30. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Rage Against the Machine – Evil Empire". Hung Medien.
  31. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Rage Against the Machine – Evil Empire". Hung Medien.
  32. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Rage Against the Machine – Evil Empire". Hung Medien.
  33. ↑ "Rage Against the Machine | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart.
  34. ↑ "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company.
  35. ↑ "Rage Against the Machine Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
  36. ↑ "Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
  37. ↑ "Australian-charts.com – Rage Against the Machine – Bulls on Parade". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  38. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Rage Against the Machine – Bulls on Parade" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  39. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Rage Against the Machine – Bulls on Parade" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  40. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Rage Against the Machine – Bulls on Parade" (in French). Les classement single.
  41. ↑ "Charts.nz – Rage Against the Machine – Bulls on Parade". Top 40 Singles.
  42. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Rage Against the Machine – Bulls on Parade". VG-lista.
  43. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Rage Against the Machine – Bulls on Parade". Singles Top 100.
  44. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  45. ↑ "Rage Against the Machine Chart History (Alternative Songs)". Billboard.
  46. ↑ "Rage Against the Machine Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard.
  47. ↑ "Rage Against the Machine Chart History (Radio Songs)". Billboard.
  48. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  49. ↑ "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – albums 1996". Ultratop. Hung Medien.
  50. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Rage Against the Machine – Evil Empire". Music Canada.
  51. ↑ "British album certifications – Rage Against the Machine – Evil Empire". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type Evil Empire in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  52. ↑ "American album certifications – Rage Against the Machine – Evil Empire". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. 
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