Rage Against The Machine's best album yet. This album flirts with subjects like anguish, torture, trauma and oppression. Expressing political ideas that if spoken in many countries would land you behind bars. I guess that's why when Zack De La Rocha speaks, many of us listen. Following the disappointing Evil Empire, this release is far more than I expected. It seems that Rage's sound has matured to a new level. This album comes right out with explosive guitar, reminiscent of early Black Sabbath riffs, then Zach lays on the lyrics. This man has an amazing grasp on language, history, literature, and songwriting. He can spread the politics on thick, yet you don't feel like you've just sat through a 70 minute, 400 level, political science lecture at Harvard. The lyrics have toned down quite a bit, profanity has been replaced with lyrical ingenuity, much like what you would expect to hear on a Bad Religion album.

It seems like an oxymoron that a band as antiestablishment as Rage is on a major record label that produces corporate rock and generic music garbage. But, when you think about it, how much more effectively can you get controversial and strong political messages out, than by having a record label burn a million CDs for you. So in the end, I guess that it is the best expressway for anti-government sentiment. If you want lyrics that have a serious meaning, and music that really makes you feel, do not pass this one up. Besides, these guys are serious about what they do; politically, they are forcing our nations youth to pay attention, just as Beastie Boys have done for Tibet.