The Battle Of Los Angeles
The Battle Of Los Angeles gets to the point quickly. Rage Against the Machine use their familiar combination of rap, funk and heavy guitars with particular purpose here. The songs provide clear points of connection, the rhythms move firmly forward and the band leave little doubt about their intent.
Testify opens with a guitar sound that immediately demands attention. Tom Morello continues finding new possibilities in his instrument without weakening the direct appeal of the riffs. Guerrilla Radio makes that balance seem natural. The song is easy to follow yet contains enough unusual sounds to remain unmistakably theirs. Invention strengthens the writing rather than making it harder to understand.
Mic Check brings the hip-hop side forward. The instruments leave room for Zack de la Rocha while the groove keeps everything connected. Calm Like a Bomb finds more tension in the interaction between the parts. Brad Wilk and Tim Commerford are essential to the album's force too. Without their rhythmic foundation, Morello's departures would have much less impact.
The politics remain prominent. De la Rocha sounds strongest when his anger has a specific target; broader criticisms sometimes lack the same distinction. His delivery also stays fairly constant in intensity. Listeners who struggle with that style of rapping will still find parts of the record difficult to connect with.
The familiar approach works extremely well for the band as a whole. A complete change of direction is unnecessary for this music to retain its edge. Compact songs, strong grooves and unusual guitar parts make The Battle Of Los Angeles a particularly convincing development of the style. The music gives the message enough force to register without requiring every detail of its background.
