The news that rap rock titans Rage Against the Machine are apparently finished, according to drummer Brad Wilk, is both unsurprising and disappointing. And despite this not being the first time Wilk, guitarist Tom Morello, frontman Zack de la Rocha and bassist Tim Commerford have broken up, there’s a distinct feeling of finality to this one.
“I know a lot of people are waiting for us to announce new tour dates for all the canceled RATM shows. I don’t want to string people or myself along any further,” Wilk posted on his official Instagram account Wednesday. “So while there has been some communication that this may be happening in the future…I want to let you know that RATM (Tim, Zack, Tom and I) will not be touring or playing live again. I’m sorry for those of you who have been waiting for this to happen. I really wish it was…”
Throughout their career, the groundbreaking outfit put on shows that created a powder keg sensation within the audience while blasting through hits like “Bulls on Parade,” “Testify” and “Killing in the Name.” Behing the scenes, inter-band relationships were just as fraught with unease, leading to multiple break ups and hiatuses over the years.
Formed in 1991, the California-based group exploded onto the scene with their eponymous debut the next year. Led by songs just as heavy with messages of social justice as they were musically, Rage put out four studio LPs. They broke up just weeks prior to the covers album Renegades being released in late 2000.
At the time, de la Rocha said he was leaving the group, “because our decision-making process has completely failed. It is no longer meeting the aspirations of all four of us collectively as a band, and from my perspective, has undermined our artistic and political ideal.”
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The rest of the band went on to form Audioslave with Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell in 2002, calling it a day five years later when Rage Against the Machine reunited at Coachella in 2007. They performed sporadically over the next few years at festivals and short tours, but after a single show in 2011, didn’t play together again until 2022.
During the third show of the “Public Service Announcement” tour, de la Rocha ruptured his Achillies tendon, but arguably lost none of his intensity as he sat on a road case at the front of the stage for the remaining 16 shows.
The run ended in August 2022 with a sold-out, five-night stand at Madison Square Garden in New York City. A European leg slated to kick off later that month had already been scuttled, ostensibly so de la Rocha could properly heal. Then in October, it was announced that the remaining dates on the docket – all of which were in North America – would be cancelled as well.
Though fans were holding out hope the concerts would be rescheduled, it began to look more and more like that might not happen. When Rage was finally inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this past November, Morello was the only member who showed up.
“Like most bands, we have differing perspectives on a lot of things, including being inducted into the Rock Hall,” he said during the acceptance speech, further confirming that two decades plus later, the bandmembers still weren’t seeing eye to eye.
Even though Rage Against the Machine hadn’t played regionally since breaking up the first time, some of their biggest moments were in the region, including a January 1993 gig at J.C. Dobbs on South Street just before they broke into the mainstream. It remains one of the most bootlegged of early performances with the full set capture on video.
That same summer, with de la Rocha having lost his voice, the four members of Rage took the stage where JFK Stadium was located in silent protest against the Parents Music Resource Center during their slot at the touring festival Lollapalooza. Except for the letters P-M-R-C painted on their chests and tape across their mouths, the four stood naked for nearly 20 minutes. The band returned in November to play a free makeup show at The Trocadero.
Then in December 1999, at the peak of nu metal and popularity of bands like Limp Bizkit and Korn – widely viewed as an unfortunate byproduct of their influence – Rage Against the Machine played a sold out First Union Spectrum that nearly got out of hand. Those in the bowl streamed to the floor seating by the dozens while chairs on said floor were cast aside or thrown into huge piles. Security from the Sixers game at the First Union Center were called over to assist, but luckily the night ended without major incident.
A version of this article appears in this week’s print and online editions of my syndicated Rock Music Menu column under the title “The sad demise of Rage Against the Machine.“
The Chronicles of Michael Christopher 
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