It's partially true that they broke up. Because of their almost-immediate signing with Epic and the subsequent touring, they didn't really know each other as well as they would have liked. So, they rented a house and one car in Atlanta to live together for a while to get ready for the next album, and they just about went crazy. They talked about breaking up, but decided that wouldn't be right and didn't.
April 1996, the second album, Evil Empire was released. Evil Empire was an expression that the former US president Ronald Reagan used, when he was talking about U.S.S.R, in a speech 1982. Inside the album-cover, there’s a picture with some books on. Those are books that RATM recommend to their fans. RATM’s political opinions has been attentioned a lot, and since they started to play they’ve used communistic messages in their music. Besides they often use Che Guevara as their symbol. All 4 of them are well educated in politics, Tom has a nice diploma from the political education at Harvard.
ZACH DE LA ROCHA
Zack was born in Long Beach, California 1970. His parents had a divorce when he was five years old, and he lived with his mother in Irving. His father, Beto de la Rocha was a member of Chicanos art collective, Los four. After a total breakdown 1983, Beto and Zack ruined half of his paintings. Beto also became very religious and when Zack came to visit, he had to be to. When Zack grew older, he got interested of politics. Zack is the one who writes the lyrics in RATM. His first band was called Insideout, and after that he played the guitar in a band called Hardstance. He’s a member of the Zapatistas, among many other organisations.
TOM MORELLO
Tom was born in Harlem, New York, 1964. His father is from Kenya and he was a member of the Mau Mau guerrilla, who released Kenya from Great Britain. His mother is half Irish and half Italian. She started an anti-censur organisation called "parents for rock and rap". Toms first band was called Electric Sheep. The singer, Maynard James Keenan, sang in "killing in the name" on the first record. Tom uses: Gitarr: Blå Strat-style guitarbody with a sticker where it stands 'Arm the homeless' and a small communistic logo. The guitar was bought cheap at a pawn-shop. Extra backup: a yellow Stock Fender American Standard Telecaster. Effects: Dunlop Crybaby, Digitech Whammy, Ibanez (custom) Delay, DOD EQ Delay, Ibanez Flanger. Amplifier: Stock 50-watt Marshall JCM 800 2205 Head
BRAD WILK
Brad was born 1968 in Portland, Oregon. He lived in Chicago, before he settled down in California. He has toured in Europe with Pearl Jam. He’s the RATM member who’s least interested in politics. He’s in the band because of the music, and it was Tom who asked him to join RATM. His father died before they where going to perform at Lolla Palooza, and he’s still working with the sorrow. Brad uses: Drums: Pork Pie Cymbals: Zildjian
TIM COMMERFORD
Tims father works at NASA, and his mother was a math professor before she died. His parents had a divorce when he was a little boy, and his father got a new wife. Like Tom and Zack, Tim is also very interested in politics, and he doesn’t like the police. He paints, and writes poetry to express his feelings. On the first record, he was called Timmy C, but on EvilEmpire, he had changed name to Timbob. The explanation is that he’s going to change name after every album. . Tim uses : Bas-guitar: Changed Fender Jazz Bass, Rickenbacker 8-string Amplifier: 2 Ampeg SVT-II Pro heads, Ampeg SVT 8x10" cabinet
Most facts taken from Daniel Horns page and The Bombtrack page