Hard Vision

Rage Against the Machine

Live At The Grand Olympic Auditorium
Epic / DVD
123 Minutes
by Star

Love 'em or hate 'em, there is little denying the fact that Rage Against The Machine were a band that changed the face of music. This group was the first to successfully create a hybrid of Rap and Metal on a large scale and was no doubt, a primary influence to many of today's Nu Metal acts. On Live At The Grand Olympic Auditorium, fans of the band are treated to a look at RATM's final performance of September 13th, 2000.

Rage delivers a stripped down live performance where the primary focus is upon the music and their message, not theatrics and effects. During the Grand Olympic segment, you'll find seventeen of the band's best including "Bulls On Parade", "Guerrilla Radio" and "Killing In The Name Of" ­ each song delivered with the same raw, edgy intensity that the group perfected over the course of their career. Guitarist Tom Morello shines with his brilliant axe work on each song, executing his signature guitar solos with precision and finesse. Drummer Brad Wilk and Bassist Tim Commerford prove here why they were one of the most underrate rhythm sections of that era, laying down thick, powerful grooves that are the perfect compliment to Zack De La Rocha's venomous vocal delivery. Of particular note is the emotionally charged "Freedom", the group's plea for the release of Mumia Abu Jamal. Its blunt force and sheer anger ended the group's performance (and ironically, their carrier as RATM) on a remarkably aggressive note.

There's plenty of extra footage here including RATM's controversial performance at the 2000 Democratic National Convention. With police state style agents lining the outer barricades and inciting the onlookers, Zach feeds the fire by taunting the cops harshly and effectively. RATM's lyrical message and band focus was always extremely political, and at this event they really took their politics to center stage. The six DNC clips are a killer bonus for die hard RATM devotees.

Also included are video clips for Rage's cover of Cypress Hill's "How I Could Just Kill A Man" and a newly refurbished version of one of their signature songs, "Bombtrack", from the group's debut effort. With solid production by musical guru Rick Rubin and captivating performances throughout the course of this 123 minute disc, this is a great addition to any music fan's video collection.