By: Gary Graff
11/15/2012
Despite sporadic shows over the past five years and the upcoming release to commemorate the 20th anniversary of its new album, Rage Against The Machine is staying on the back burner these days.
Guitarist Tom Morello tells us that "Rage Against The Machine -- XX," a two-CD/two-DVD set that comes out November 27, is the inactive band's sole focus at the moment:
"[I"m] psyched to be putting out this for the fans...I think that in the history of rock music that we are blessed with having perhaps the most passionate fans to ever listen to a bootlegged recording or mosh at a show, so I want to really kind of give them a mother lode of Rage Against The Machine History, past and present. There's no plans beyond that right now."
Rage broke up in 2000 after releasing four studio albums and winning two Grammy Awards. The reunited for the 2007 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and has played select shows and short tours since; the "XX" set includes a DVD of the quartet's June 6, 2010 show at Finsbury Park in London.
Both frontman Zack de la Rocha and bassist Tim Commerford have intimated the group will record a new album, but no firm details have surfaced yet.
"XX" also includes RATM's original demo tape, promotional videos, live performance footage from 1996-97 and a home video of the group's first public performance during 1991 at a Halfway House in North Ridge, California.
As to whether RATM's other albums will be treated in the same way, Morello says:
"One at a time, man! The good news is that we've got time to think about it; I think the next one ('Evil Empire') came out in '96. There's four years to decide on that."
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