The rap and metal hybrid Rage Against the Machine certainly lives up to their moniker -- a band full of political rage playing with mechanical precision.

And that's about it.

On Rage Against the Machine, the band's self-titled debut album, the foursome from Los Angeles spout out 10 songs dealing solely with political oppression and the burden of the system. Although the album has a few moments of glorious noise, on the whole, the political nature of the music comes off as false -- they want to be street radicals but they have the dreamy mentality of suburbanites.

In one swift stroke, lead singer Zack de la Rocha becomes rock's angriest yet most annoying performer, bitching and moaning without offering any realistic solutions to the problems he's addressing.

There is nothing wrong with de la Rocha's nasal rapping, which is rather forceful in its delivery. But he comes off as nothing more than the musical equivalent of Rush Limbaugh -- a political poser who'll rant and rave for hours on end about the judicial system, politicians, inner city . . . you get the point. He may impress you with his attitude until you realize, in retrospect, he didn't say a thing.

Give the band credit for trying. Bassist Timmy C., guitarist Brad Wilk and drummer Tom Morello play with surefire intensity. There is nothing boring about the band's fast-paced mix of thunderous drum beats and funky string arrangements -- it's the perfect sound for the mosh-pit crowd.

Repetitiveness is another matter. The first three songs on the album, "Bombtrack," "Killing in the Name" and "Take the Power Back," seem to blend together in a mesh of rhythms inspired by the previous track. It doesn't help that all three songs are also lyrically connected by de la Rocha's underdog delusions. The new single, "Freedom,"also drags on, making listeners wish they were freed from their CD player.

Standing above the crowd, however, are "Wonderful Rebellion" and the beautifully structured "Bullet in the Head." Songs such as these prove that Rage is an able band, keeping de la Rocha in check with stirring riffs.

It's just a matter of taking de la Rocha off his almighty pulpit of preachiness that keeps Rage Against the Machine from being a record of the times, much like N.W.A.'s Straight Outta Compton. Focusing their anger should make a sophomore effort all the more powerful.