They’ve Altered the Battle Plan

At a time when few rock bands are capable of a creativity level that would once have been regarded as even average, it’s especially rewarding when an already outstanding group gets even better--which is what this splendid Los Angeles quartet does with its third album.

In its self-titled 1992 debut, Rage introduced a primal sonic attack that was reminiscent of the punk-metal fury of Black Flag, the great L.A. underground outfit of the ‘70s and ‘80s.

The whole thing was even more compelling live, where the relentlessly aggressive soundscapes of guitarist Tom Morello, bassist Tim Commerford and drummer Brad Wilk were matched note for note by charismatic rapper-singer Zack de la Rocha’s high-bounding energy, which made his social justice battle cries seem all the more urgent.

While Rage’s fist-in-your-face style worked again in the band’s second album, 1996’s “Evil Empire,” things began feeling too one-dimensional in its subsequent live shows. Even when the group tried to expand live by doing its own interpretation of Bruce Springsteen’s folk-style “The Ghost of Tom Joad,” the result sounded like everything else Rage had done--another straight-ahead punch.

The breakthrough in “Battle” (due in stores Tuesday) is that Rage finally begins to add some surprise left jabs and right hooks to its arsenal, giving us music that is both richer texturally and, in some places, warmer and more convincing. The changes range from subtle touches in the more aggressive songs to a near-ballad (“Maria”) to a melodic grace that recalls U2’s early optimism (“War Within a Breath”).

But the changes don’t represent any easing of the social commentary that gives the band its name. As a writer, De la Rocha remains closer to the activist orator tradition of the Clash than the formal songwriting manner of Bob Dylan. Whether he’s pointing a finger at media passivity (“Testify”) or urging the troops to action (“Guerrilla Radio”), he sounds like a man addressing a rally.

In “The Battle of Los Angeles,” Rage not only captures the supercharged spirit of that rally better than it ever has on record, but also demonstrates the hollowness of most of the other rap-rock acts that have tried to follow in its path.

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Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent). The albums are already released unless otherwise noted.

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