If you're looking to escape the nauseating glow of homogenized music (a la Britney or N'Sync), or if you're just searching for an awesome band to sample, turn your ears' attention to Rage Against the Machine. Whether you like it or not, I guarantee that you've never heard anything like it.

The members of RATM are pioneers in the fusion of rap and rock. The riffs by guitarist Tom Morello leave you wondering how it's possible to generate such a range in sound, on only one guitar. In combination with the bone-rattling bass play, RATM offers some of the best, if not the best, rock music I have ever heard. Just listen to songs such as Fistful of Steel, Wake Up and Tire Me.

But it doesn't stop there. Sure there are bands with great guitar players, but RATM remains a cut above due to its powerful and proactive lyrics, masterminded by Zack de la Rocha. Zack's rap lyrics seem somehow inseparable from the rock riffs; the style and the issues dealt with in RATM's songs could only work if presented with a rap-rock format.

But what's this, you might ask, a rap-rock band that actually sings about something? Yes, it's true. RATM's songs have always had a deeply political and self-empowering undertone. Zack sings against racism, rightenousness, slavery, and political propaganda, all with the strength and fury to ignite the activist in every one of the band's listeners. To those who don't listen to the lyrics, it may seem like a lot of yelling and screaming. But I urge you to read the lyrics and listen to the song. They will no doubt make you stop and think.

In short, Rage Against the Machine delivers everything I could ever want in music: musical jams that are awe-inspiring and rapid fire lyrics that mean something. One last thing; I don't claim to be a music critic. I'm a new fan to RATM and I can't claim to have been there 'when it all started' or to be at the forefront of musical trends. But I know what I like, and from the first time I heard their music, Rage Against the Machine certainly caught my attention, and hasn't let go.