Rage Against The Machine  by Rage Against The Machine

The debut of the Americans Rage Against The Machine in 1992 is one of those albums that appear out of nowhere and change the landscape of pop/rock music. Although the coexistence of metal and rap had started in the mid-80s, the Californians would show the exact way rap metal should be played with their album Rage Against The Machine.

Apart from the album's music, which was certainly something fresh for its time, the lyrics of the songs also come into play, addressing the injustices of the era. The then 22-year-old Zack de la Rocha seems to literally "spit" every lyric he utters full of rage, while Tom Morello with his guitar opens new guitar pathways as he accompanies the band's singer and the other members. The fact that it went triple platinum in Great Britain with the 900,000 sales it achieved, speaks volumes about the album's dynamism.

The next shocking aspect is the cover, which features the real photo of a Vietnamese Buddhist monk who self-immolated on June 11, 1963, to protest against the persecution the monks faced from the South Vietnamese government. Thích Quảng Đức lost his life that day.