12 Hard Rock Bands That Quit In Their Prime

Rage Against the Machine were the cure for many adolescents'fury in the early 90's. For metalheads who weren't as down with the grunge fashions and angst-filled tunes from Seattle, these guys sprouted from California and grabbed you by the throat with crushing power chords and some of rock's most pointed political topics.

However, as the band kept getting tighter and tighter as a unit, their personal ideologies started to disconnect further and further. Though the band were always on the same page when discussing the political climate in their songs, the way in which they implemented it into their music was always a contentious subject among the band members. As the band disclosed later, any creative discussion from musical structure to branding their material would often erupt into shouting matches.

As the band let off steam with the covers album Renegades, the band announced their departure a few years after, with the band members folding into Audioslave and Zack de la Rocha retreating into the shadows. While it's a shame that Rage cut things off when they did, hope has been brewing with the band reuniting for shows next year. Given the more contentious times, it seems that the militant power of Rage's music is needed now more than ever.