If Rage Against the Machine (RATM) drummer Brad Wilk had his way, the infamous, always-controversial band would be back together by now, whether touring, making new music, or maybe even both. The key, evidently, is to get the energetic and enigmatic Zack de la Rocha back on board, and Wilk believes it can actually happen.
Wilk clarified his thoughts on the Let There Be Talk podcast, telling Dean Delray, “Nothing would make me happier than to be able to fuck shit up right now with Rage Against The Machine.” The Portland, Oregon native believes that the reunion is “just really a matter of getting us all on the same page.”
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However, Wilk did admit that he doesn’t really know for sure if his much-hoped-for reunion would, indeed, materialise. But he nonetheless expressed his optimism, pointing out that he and the rest of the band — de la Rocha included — “are amicable and can talk to each other, and actually even go hang out on occasion.”
When asked by Delray why RATM hasn’t reunited since 2011, Wilk claimed that something always crops up whenever talks of a possible reunion start surfacing. “It’s always been something different,” said the 49-year-old drummer. Coincidentally, Wilk plays drums for the super group Prophets of Rage, whose other members include two more RATM alums in guitarist Tom Morello and bassist Tim Commerford. Morello, like de la Rocha, is known for his outspoken ways, even blasting then U.S. vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan with some choice words that we at Rock-Zone happily quoted.
But until proven otherwise, Wilk seems to be singing an old tune, as previous talks of an RATM reunion have remained all talk. An explosive reunion, possibly a tour with Public Enemy, was purportedly in the works in 2016. The signs were there, with posters that started popping up in Los Angeles featuring a raised fist alongside Prophets of Rage’s website address. Fans took this as a sign of a joint tour, but nothing materialised. Last year, another possible reunion surfaced with Commerford boasting that his relationship with de la Rocha is “the best it’s been in a long time.” He further fanned the flames, telling fans, “RATM is not broken up, we never broke up. Keep your fingers crossed.” But again, neither a reunion nor a tour happened.
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Despite these reunions remaining rumours, RATM fans are no doubt still hopeful that their beloved band will reunite sometime soon. A tour would be awesome, of course, but an album will definitely be better. After all, it’s about time RATM added to their already impressive catalogue of hits, which include the all-time classic “Killing in the Name.” Described by Lottoland as one of the most influential rock songs in history, “Killing in the Name” was the lead single of RATM’s self-titled debut album released in 1992 and is by and large the band’s signature song. It is also included in Radio X’s greatest protest songs list as it openly criticised institutional racism. Given RATM’s history and notoriety for making songs with a social pulse, now might just be the perfect time for the band to get back together. The U.S., sadly, seems to be in need of another “Killing in the Name,” and who better to make such a song than RATM themselves.
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