Since rage appeared in 1992, conventional wisdom says that the “machine” is oppressive capitalism and evil corporations that want to control society. And given rage’s political stance, that makes all the sense in the world. However, there may be an alternative explanation.
Frontman Zach De La Roch once told a story about a 1979 Chevy that was always breaking down. “I can’t tell you how many times that van broke down back in 1991 when we were starting out, and how many gigs we lost because it would quit working. We called that monstrosity every name you can think of and even invented a few new words. When we finally made enough money to buy a new van to house our equipment, the first thing we all did was take sledgehammers and beat the crap out of that thing.”
So is the “machine” actually a ’79 Chevy van? Maybe…
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