Renegades

Seemingly due to the hasty departure of vocalist Zach De La Rocha, what had originally been intended as a second disc complementing a live set finds its solo release in RENEGADES. Originally born in the lighthearted spirit of cover albums such as Metallica's GARAGE DAYS series, RENEGADES is an assembly of interpretations of protest songs that spans many musical styles. mais...

From the funk treatment of the obscure "Pistol Grip Pump" (originally recorded by Volume 10), to the slowed-down, stomping groove of the MC5's "Kick Out the Jams", there is seemingly no song the band can't transform and make their own. Identifying closely with Rage Against The Machine's political ideals are Afrika Bambaataa's "Renegades of Funk", and the previously single-only cover of Bruce Springsteen's "The Ghost of Tom Joad". In what fans might optimistically interpret as a hint of what is to follow, two hidden live tracks round out RENEGADES' 60-plus minute assault.

Rolling Stone (12/21/00, p.170)
- 4 stars out of 5 - "...Not only do Rage understand the sweep of rock and rap history, but they have bold and unusual ways of tearing that history up....executing each song with the roaring, fearless spirit that's been missing in action since these songs were new."

Spin (2/01, p.106)
- 7 out of 10 - "...[These] songs air the frustration behind the band's united front....acknowledging the pissing-in-the-prevailing-wind nature of their critique..."

Q (1/01, p.108)
- 3 out of 5 stars - "...Steely energy and stifling seriousness....Those lying closest to their own unsubtle oeuvre, i.e. the Minor Threat and Cypress Hill tracks, are as crunching as die-hards could hope for..."

NME (11/25/00, p.33)
- 8 stars out of 10 - "...At once brilliant archaeology; a final rewrite of the rage manifesto...revealing the foundation on which they stood: hip-hop and punk, anger and beats..."

Melody Maker (12/5/00, p.56)
- 3.5 stars out of 5 - "...The electric crackle of real rage will still Frankenstein your spine and make you quiver with that strange combo of elation and self-disgust..."