10 Rock Bands Who Never Topped Their First Album
6. Rage Against The Machine - Rage Against The Machine (1992)
Though Rage Against The Machine are often lumped in as one of the nu-metal/rap rock acts of the '90s, they are anything but; something their self-titled debut album proves in spades.
The record features 10 politically-charged tracks, each expressing a different musical approach, with experimental structures driven by Tom Morello's effects-laden guitar work, Zack de la Rocha's rage-fuelled vocals, and a fist-tight rhythm section in Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk. Pack this all in with album artwork featuring the self-immolation of Buddhist monk Thích Quảng Đức, and this was sure to be remembered as one of the all-time greats in rock and metal.
Rage remained revolutionary and provocative on their journey though four albums in eight short years before dissolving into various solo and side projects. While they remain the last word in musical activism, each album offering a new take on the US and geopolitical situation of the time, none of their subsequent discography has the same shock factor -- or, indeed, the same musical originality -- as their first record.
But, if you create a new genre of rock music, you can hardly be expected to create three more. Right?