2016-05-19

The Prophets of Rage project is not a complete Rage Against the Machine reunion, although it does feature three former members: Guitarist Tom Morello, drummer Brad Wilk and bassist Tim Commerford. Cypress Hill’s B-Real and Public Enemy’s Chuck D will front the new group.

The site ProphetsofRage.com went online earlier in the week. After being shared by an apparently band-sanctioned fan Twitter account, it sent the internet into overdrive as fans speculated about a reunion.

No Rage Against the Machine reunion without Zack de la Rocha

Rage Against the Machine members Zack de la Rocha and Tom Morello.

Unfortunately it seems fiery frontman Zack de la Rocha will not be taking part. Both Rolling Stone and Billboard have cited unnamed sources that confirm Prophets of Rage features the line-up listed above though. The latter site suggests the band will make their live debut on June 3 at the Hollywood Palladium, with a show at the Whisky a Go Go in Los Angeles to follow. A 2016 summer tour is also a possibility. Posters have been sighted around LA stating “Clear the way for the Prophets of Rage. The Party’s Over. Summer 2016.” There’s no word on any possible studio work, although it would seem odd to launch a new band without any accompanying studio recordings.

Chuck D hints at project

Rage Against The Machine – Testify – Live At Finsbury Park, London / 2010 https://t.co/LwDMCBQ71t via @YouTube

— Chuck D (@MrChuckD) May 17, 2016

On Tuesday Chuck D posted a pair of Rage Against the Machine live videos – Testify and Bulls on Parade – to his Twitter account. The timing of the video posts, which occurred the day ProphetsofRage.com went online, strongly suggests he’s onboard with the project.

Prophets of Rage site crashes after news breaks

ProphetsofRage.com has a timer counting down to June 1, the hashtag #TakeThePowerBack and an invitation to sign up via email. So far there’s been no official word from any of the involved band members. The website crashed the day after it was launched due to the huge amount of traffic generated by the suggestion of a Rage Against the Machine reunion.

Chuck D would seem a natural choice to front such a politically-charged group of musicians. Public Enemy have combined politics with music right back from their start in 1982. Prophets of Rage is the title of the 15th track of Public Enemy’s 1988 album ‘It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back’.

B-Real previously collaborated with Rage

Rage Against the Machine previously covered Cypress Hill’s How I Could Just Kill a Man, and B-Real appeared on the live version of the song on the special edition of ‘Renegades’ (2000). Additionally, Cypress Hill and Rage Against the Machine both hail from Los Angeles.

Rage Against the Machine split in 2000 following disagreements about direction between Zack de la Rocha and the rest of the band. The band have not issued any studio work since the split. They performed live sporadically between 2007 and 2011, with their last show taking place at the [...]

The post Prophets of Rage not a full Rage Against the Machine reunion appeared first on SoundReview.

Show more