Rage Against The Machine

Live At the Grand Olympic Auditorium presents 70 minutes of live footage culled from Rage Against The Machine's last two performances. While it's impossible to capture the full visceral intensity of a RATM concert, director Jeff Richter makes a worthy attempt at documenting all the sweaty, fist-pumping action with a vast array of camera angles, visual effects and MTV-style editing. At times, the viewer is given the impression of almost being there, save perhaps the untranslatable and very intimate experience of receiving a combat boot to the back of one's skull. This trip down memory lane isn't all poops and laughs, however. Watching an army of angry white males give the middle finger salute with Nazi-like zeal during "Killing In The Name" recalls a period when the song inadvertently became the anthem of choice for pissed-off teenagers everywhere instead of the rallying nonconformist battle cry it was originally intended as. Still, that Zack de la Rocha's lyrics remain as powerful and relevant as ever speaks not only of the continued wrongdoings of the "evil empire" but also of the need for more dissenting voices in music today. Highlights include guest appearances by Cypress Hill's B. Real and Sen Dog during "How I Could Just Kill A Man," and plenty of sonic sculpting courtesy of Tom Morello, arguably the only truly original guitarist of the '90s. Of course, it's nothing fans haven't heard mixed better in studio versions, but this DVD at least provides something to chew on until de la Rocha's much delayed solo album finally drops. Besides, it sure as hell beats listening to Audioslave. Plus: featurette and videos. (Epic/Sony)