Vinyl reissue of a game-changer. When Rage Against the Machine dropped their self-titled debut in November 1992, it hit like a Molotov cocktail — a furious collision of rap, metal, and revolution. The record climbed to No.1 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart and cracked the Top 50 of the Billboard 200, cementing the band as a force from day one.

From the opening blasts of ‘Bombtrack’ through anthems like ‘Killing in the Name’ and ‘Know Your Enemy,’ the album remains a manifesto of resistance. On ‘Know Your Enemy,’ Tool’s Maynard James Keenan adds venomous backing vocals while Jane’s Addiction drummer Stephen Perkins pounds on trashcan percussion — a detail as raw and unfiltered as the music itself.

The cover art, featuring the harrowing self-immolation of Thích Quảng Đức in 1963, became as iconic as the music within: a stark statement of protest to match the fury inside. Guitar World ranked it No.5 on their list of 1992’s greatest guitar albums — but the riffs, grooves, and rage still feel untouchable decades later.

File under: rap metal / protest music / essential debuts.

TRACKS:

SIDE A

1. Bombtrack

2. Killing In The Name

3. Take The Power Back

4. Settle For Nothing

5. Bullet In The Head

SIDE B

1. Know Your Enemy

2. Wake Up

3. Fistful Of Steel