Rage Against The Machine – The Battle Of Los Angeles

Agreed its got a bit of a noise floor this one. Easy fix - turn that sh!t up.
I have a ratty but listenable '99 Epic cut and this stands up to it on a very revealing setup. There is really not much that separates them. Feel the funk blast.
The cover art on this is a bit darker with more of a blue hue than the original. Inner sleeve print is identical to the original.

decent amount of surface noise on my copy but thankfully the music sounds loud and good enough that you don't notice a lot of the time

This version sounds like a fucking hammer amazing, really really good mastering per vinyl. Rumanian version here. Falling in love!!!

Sounds good to me…. Don’t understand the complaints….. maybe I have a better system….. didn’t even have to adjust bass or treble

Suena tremendo, esta muy bien grabado y producido. Cualquier version que compres sonara bien.

I don’t know how any of the other ones sound but mine sounds kinda thin and has a very noticeable offset. I bought it in-store and didn’t get a receipt so I guess I’ll just sell it to a friend or something. (It was like 25 bucks, I’m not too upset) I’m sure there are some decent U.S. pressings, but if you’re really looking for quality go for the Music On Vinyl pressings or (if you really wanna pay a ) the original 1999 first pressings. I’m not sure if even that one sounds halfway decent.

Power. Crashes from your speakers and gets better as you turn the volume control upwards! I have the MOV repress and a 2019 reissue and they both suck all the energy from the mix. My original CD was my “go to” version…until now! Solid EQ and strong low end but vocals rise above due to vibrant midrange. Loud and aggressive with nice balance, which was lacking in the aforementioned pressings. Get this one!

This pressing has a very shrill and unpleasant sound quality. It sounds squished, and poorly EQ'd. There is hardly any bass, and the upper frequencies just rip your ears out at a high volume. It's a shame, RATM are one of the biggest bands to not have full, proper "audiophile" grade reissues. It would be great it someone could cut this from the uncompressed masters. Until then, stick with the original CD over this. (The original EU & MOV pressings sounds quite good, by the way...)

This is the best sounding version of this album but by no means this is a great sounding record.

Compared to the 2018 reissue:

1. This has a wider soundstage. I would say 20% wider (just to give an idea).

2. The drum sounds less harsh and more dynamic but still buried/muffled.

3. Guitar has more body and bite but still seriously lacks the “sizzling” top end you hear on the S/T album.

4. Bass sounds more defined.

It’s still a compressed record and nothing to hunt down if you have the 2018 reissue and if you are a casual fan.

This is my favorite RATM album. Front to back - filled with bangers.

Sonically, this is a bit of disappointment. Recording and mixing was done by Brendon O’Brien. He is one of the best in the industry. However, the mastering was done to brickwall everything. There is little to no room for the instruments and vocal to breathe in the mix.

If you crank it up, it’s a great background music to listen to. If you try to sit through for a front to back listening, you will for sure suffer from ear fatigue.