Rage Against The Machine "Demo 1991"

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. 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. When the band began performing live shows they sold the tape for $5, eventually selling approximately 5,000 copies.

Shortly thereafter, the band was signed to a record deal with Epic Records on the strength of the demo's success. 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. 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.