Rage Against The Machine is one of the most influential rock bands that have called it quits more than once, leaving many wondering what led to their decisions. Formed in 1991, the band consisted of Zack de la Rocha as the vocalist, Tim Commerford as the bassist and backing vocalist, guitarist Tom Morello, and drummer Brad Wilk. Since their inception, Rage Against The Machine has embodied everything a great American rock band should be. In an era where alternative rock and grunge music were on the rise, Rage Against the Machine quickly became one of the most influential bands in the world.

From their powerful lyrics to amazing guitar riffs thanks to Morello and a long list of awards, including the Billboard Awards and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, there are only a few other bands that can go head-to-head with Rage Against the Machine. However, the band has faced its fair share of issues, including a couple of breakups, with the most recent happening in January 2024. Here are more details on why this keeps happening.

Why Zack De La Rocha Quit Rage Against The Machine In 2000

It's Fair To Say That The Band Had Different Aspirations

Following a decade of success, Rage Against The Machine initially broke up in 2000. It was Zack De La Rocha who broke the news, stating in part that the band was no longer meeting their individual aspirations. There were tensions within the group, and the lead singer felt like his voice was diminishing. Additionally, De La Rocha was heavily involved in activism, which had resulted in the band's protest performance outside the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in 2000, which led to police violence and could have also contributed to the band's trajectory. He revealed the reason for the band's split in a statement:

"It is now necessary to leave Rage because our decision-making process has completely failed. It is no longer meeting the aspirations of all four of us collectively as a band, and from my perspective, has undermined our artistic and political ideal."

Rage Against The Machine's political involvement was always a fundamental part of their make-up, but it seems like the 2000 break-up happened because they were fighting over pretty much everything. While speaking of the band's initial split on Lars Ulrich’s Beats 1 show, Tom stated that the lack of "emotional maturity" within Rage Against The Machine made it difficult for them to deal with one another (via Apple Music).

"It was a lack of emotional maturity in being able to deal with each other as people. We had political vision and the shows never suffered, but we just couldn’t agree on stuff and that unearthed feelings that made it hard to make records. I think there were competing visions for what it was, should be, and competing feelings about what it was like to be in the band that we didn’t deal with."

Rage ended as a group upon De La Rocha's departure, but the other three band went on to form Audioslave with Chris Cornell in as singer. Thankfully, there were no long-lasting hard feelings, and Rage Against The Machine reunited in 2007. Intriguingly, though, during his interview with Lars Ulrich’s Beats 1 show, Morello also revealed that it was almost impossible for the band to release an album after reuniting in 2007.

What Happened After Rage Against The Machine's First Reunion

The Band Toured And Then Briefly Separated Again

Rage Against The Machine reunited for Coachella in 2007, ing the list of rock bands that had previously broken up and reunited, and marking their first performance together since disbanding in 2000. For the next 11 years, Rage toured together on and off with the question of a new album hanging over them constantly.

Despite promising to make new music, Rage Against The Machine's promises never came to fruition. Instead, Morello, their lead guitarist, started focusing on his solo career, and eventually, he, along with RATM Tom Morello, Tim Commerford, and Brad Wilk, formed Prophets of Rage, ing forces with Cypress Hill MC B Real and Public Enemy's Chuck D and DJ Lord.

The band released an EP and hit the road with the Make America Rage Again tour, before a self-titled debut album followed in 2017. Eventually, Prophets of Rage broke up after Rage Against The Machine was confirmed to perform at Coachella in 2020. Sadly, the COVID-19 pandemic happened, thus delaying their reunion, and the band only got to play a couple of shows together in 2022 before De La Rocha tore his Achilles tendons, thus postponing touring indefinitely.

Why Rage Against The Machine Broke Up Again In 2024

Rage Against The Machine Has Failed To Find Common Ground

Rage Against The Machine disbanded again in early January 2024. In a statement shared by the band's drummer, Brad Wilk, on his Instagram page, he confirmed that the team would no longer be playing live again. Wilk also added that they did not want to string people along any further, which encouraged them to make the announcement. It was evident that the band was experiencing some issues after they failed to show up for their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2023 induction.

Morello was the only member there to receive the award, and he hinted at the ongoing tensions within the group that even extended to their induction. Since their initial split, Rage Against The Machine has never quite lived up to what their fans hoped for. It appears like the band's long-standing feuds, particularly between De La Rocha and the other of Rage Against The Machine, might have led to their recent breakup.

Source: Apple Music/YouTube