Behind the Covers

Rage Against the Machine

2 album covers in our archive

Rage Against the Machine is featured in Behind the Covers' archive with 2 album covers from the 1990s. Released across Epic Records and Epic labels, the artwork sits in the rock, metal, hip-hop tradition. Each cover is documented in our archive with design notes covering graffiti, political, minimalist, controversial, journalism, protest. Below you'll find the full story behind each Rage Against the Machine cover — designers, photographers, label history, and the visual choices that defined the release.

The Battle of Los Angeles by Rage Against the Machine — album cover art

The Battle of Los Angeles (1999)

Revolutionary spray-painted graffiti silhouette by LA street artist Joey Krebs creates one of rap-metal's most iconic covers. The raised-fist figure embodies Rage's political defiance through raw urban art.

Label
Epic Records
Designer
Joey Krebs
Genre
Rock
Decade
1990s
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Rage Against the Machine by Rage Against the Machine — album cover art

Rage Against the Machine (1992)

The cover uses one of the most searing photographs in 20th-century journalism — the self-immolation of Buddhist monk Thich Quang Duc in 1963 Saigon — making an unambiguous political statement that aligns the band with the most extreme form of political protest.

Label
Epic
Genre
Rock, Metal, Hip-Hop
Decade
1990s
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