It’s official, Rage Against the Machine fans, the bandmates of the rock band have parted ways just three years after finally getting back together.
Drummer Brad Wilk took to Instagram to announce that the band has disbanded for the third time. “I know a lot of people are waiting for us to announce new tour dates for all the canceled RATM shows,” he explained. “I don’t want to string people or myself along any further.”
“So while there have been some communication that this may be happening in the future… I want to let you know that RATM (Tim, Zack, Tom, and I) will not be touring or playing live again.”
Formed in the early ‘90s, Rage Against the Machine consisted of Wilk, Zack de la Rocha, Tim Commerford, and Tom Morello. Following the band’s quick rise to stardom, Rocha decided to leave the group as the “decision-making process” had completely failed. The remaining bandmates formed Audioslave with Chris Cornell, who ended up leaving that band in 2007.
Variety reports that after Cornell’s Audioslave departure, the Rage Against the Machine bandmates reunited once again at the 2007 Coachella. They ended up touring for a few more years before playing their final show at the L.A. Rising in 2011.
In 2019, it was reported that Rage Against the Machine bandmates got back together and were reuniting for their first shows in the spring of 2020. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the band was forced to postpone the entire reunion tour to the summer of 2021.
In November 2023, the band was officially inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by Ice-T. Although all four members were inducted, Morello was the only bandmate to attend the ceremony.
Rage Against the Machine Originally Postponed 2023 North American Leg of Their Tour Due to De La Rocha’s Achilles Tendon Rupture
The North American leg of Rage Against the Machine’s 2023 tour came to a halt after Zack de la Rocha had an Achilles tendon rupture
Variety reported in 2022 that during the band’s reunion show in Chicago, de la Rocha injured his leg. After being escorted off stage by crew members, the bandmate returned to the stage. But he was forced to perform sitting down during the rest of the show. “I can crawl across this stage,” he stated. “We’re gonna play for you all tonight.”
Months after the incident, de la Rocha released a statement about what happened. He said he sustained a “severe tear” in his left Achilles tendon. He noted that 8% of his tendon is still intact. “Even that portion was severely compromised,” he stated. “It’s been almost three months since Chicago and I still look down at my leg in disbelief.”
de la Rocha struggled to understand what happened, especially since he was excited to finally get back on tour. “Two years of waiting through the pandemic,” he continued. “Hoping we would have an opening to be a band again and continue the work we started 30-some-odd years ago. Rehearsing, training, reconciling, working our way back to form. Then one and a half into it and my tendon tears.”
The vocalist said it felt like a sick joke the universe played on him. “As I write this, I remind myself it’s just bad circumstances. Just a f— up moment.”