Rage Against the Machine - Demo 1991 2LP

Rage Against the Machine (also known as American Composite) is the original demo tape by American rock band Rage Against the Machine, released in December 1991.^[1] The 12-track tape was recorded at Sunburst Studio in Los Angeles after drummer Brad Wilk joined the band but before they had played their first live show.^[2] When the band began performing live shows they sold the tape for $5, eventually selling approximately 5,000 copies.^[2][3] Shortly thereafter, the band was signed to a record deal with Epic Records on the strength of the demo's success.^[4]

As well as being sold at early live shows, the demo tape was sent to a number of record companies to showcase the band. Atlantic Records was sent one and produced a number of copies which the label sold under its own name. The band later discovered this but decided not to take action.^[5] The Atlantic Records issued cassette tape features an entirely different cover than the band's self-released tape, with an artistic rendering of a man with a distorted and zippered face and the band's Rage Against the Machine moniker made apparently of lettering taken from different newspaper headlines.^[1] -Wikipedia