Rage Against the Machine Announce Breakup, Cancellation of Their Upcoming Tour

Stacey Ritzen
·2 min read
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Rage Against the Machine have canceled their upcoming tour and seemingly broken up again for the third time. The nu-metal band, who were recently inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, previously split in 2000 after vocalist Zack de la Rocha left, and again in 2011 after reuniting in 2007.

The band's drummer Brad Wilk announced the news on Instagram on Wednesday, addressing fans who had been waiting on new tour dates.

"I know a lot of people are waiting for us to announce new tour dates for all of the canceled RATM shows. I don't want to string people or myself along any further," Wilk wrote. "So while there has 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."

"I'm sorry for those of you who have been waiting for this to happen. I really wish it were," he added.

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A post shared by Brad Wilk (@bradwilk)

Rage Against the Machine had previously planned a worldwide tour which was supposed to have taken place in 2020, but had to postpone due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Then in 2022, after playing just a handful of tour dates in July and August, De la Rocha injured his Achilles just four songs into a tour stop in Chicago, and the rest of the remaining tour dates were canceled.

In an October 2022 message on the band's website, De la Rocha confirmed that the North American leg of their 2023 tour had been canceled due to his injury.

"It’s been almost three months since Chicago and I still look down at my leg in disbelief," De la Rocha wrote. "Two years of waiting through the pandemic, 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 shows into it and my tendon tears. Felt like a sick joke the universe played on me. As I write this I remind myself it’s just bad circumstance."

"I have a severe tear in my left Achilles tendon and only 8 percent of my tendon was left intact," he continued. "And even that portion was severely compromised. It’s not simply a question of being able to perform again, but extends to basic functionality going forward."

It's unclear whether De la Rocha's injury was the reason for canceling future tour dates, as neither Wilk nor any of his former bandmates have elaborated further.