I can't believe it's taken me 12 years write this review but I'm glad I didn't write it sooner. When "Evil Empire" came out in '96, I - like many - was expecting a bombastic array of accessible riffage, heavy ranting and slick production similar to RATM's debut. What we got was a grimy, dark and sinister effort that demonstrated RATM's hiphop and punk influences. This was a shock. And it probably explains why it took me a while to get into. Now tho, this album deals out huge satisfaction. Everything about it is great: Zack de la Rocha's voice is so aggressive, so vitriolic and just so downright convincing; the guitars and bass (oh, the BASS!) are dialled in to just the right frequencies, so each is heard equally, even though they often play the same thing; and the drums - although not jaw dropping - add support and dynamics. The only thing I missed was Tom Morello's speedy guitar shenanigans - but even these aren't missed hugely because the tunes don't cry out for them like their first album did. Listening to this album on headphones, walking down the street is as close to what it must be like on heroin - makes you feel 10 foot tall and bullets will bounce off you. Together with Mr Bungle's "California" and Soundgarden's "Superunknown", I have my desert island discs (and a stellar slab of 1990's rock). "Evil Empire" is an essential purchase for rock connoisseurs everywhere.