The Empire Strikes First
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| The Empire Strikes First | ||
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| Studio album by Bad Religion | ||
| Released | June 8, 2004 | |
| Recorded | studio A at Sound City in Los Angeles from November 2003 to February 2004 | |
| Genre | Punk rock | |
| Length | 39:42 | |
| Label | Epitaph Records | |
| Producer(s) | Brett Gurewitz and Greg Graffin | |
| Professional reviews | ||
|---|---|---|
| Bad Religion chronology | ||
| Punk Rock Songs (2002) |
The Empire Strikes First (2004) |
Untitled Upcoming Release (2007) |
The Empire Strikes First is an album by Bad Religion released on June 8, 2004. The first single from the album, "Los Angeles Is Burning", reached #40 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. The album itself reached #40 on the Billboard 200. The title is a reference to the new Bush Doctrine of preventive war, and a play on the name of the popular Star Wars movie The Empire Strikes Back. Although most of the album is related to the Iraq war, the band also touches on familiar topics like religion, the environment, and the media on the hit song "Los Angeles Is Burning." The song "Boot Stamping On A Human Face Forever" references the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell. Many people consider this to be the second in a streak of good albums that began when Brett Gurewitz rejoined the band in 2002.
Contents |
[edit] Track listing
- "Overture" – 1:09 (Gurewitz)
- "Sinister Rouge" – 1:53 (Graffin)
- "Social Suicide" – 1:35 (Graffin)
- "Atheist Peace" – 1:57 (Graffin)
- "All There Is" – 2:57 (Gurewitz)
- "Los Angeles Is Burning" – 3:23 (Gurewitz)
- "Let Them Eat War" – 2:57 (Gurewitz, Francis, Wackerman, Baker, Bentley)
- "God's Love" – 2:32 (Graffin)
- "To Another Abyss" – 4:07 (Graffin)
- "The Quickening" – 2:19 (Gurewitz, Wollard, Wackerman)
- "The Empire Strikes First" – 3:23 (Gurewitz, Baker)
- "Beyond Electric Dreams" – 4:02 (Gurewitz, Wollard, Wackerman)
- "Boot Stamping On A Human Face Forever" – 3:49 (Gurewitz)
- "Live Again (The Fall Of Man)" – 3:35 (Graffin)
- "The Surface Of Me" [Japan bonus track] – 3:01 (Graffin)
[edit] Personnel
- Greg Graffin - vocals, producer
- Brett Gurewitz - guitar, backup vocals, producer
- Brian Baker - guitar
- Greg Hetson - guitar
- Jay Bentley - bass guitar, backup vocals
- Brooks Wackerman - drums, percussion
- David Bragger - violin on "Atheist Peace"
- Mike Campbell - guitar on "Los Angeles is Burning"
- Sage Francis - guest vocals on "Let Them Eat War"
- John Ginty - Hammond B-3 on "Los Angeles is Burning"
- Atticus Ross - programming
- Leopold Ross - Sonic Alienator on "Beyond Electric Dreams"
- Claude Sarne - goth choir soprano on "Sinister Rouge"
- Joe Barresi - engineer, mixing
- Tom Baker - mastering
- Pete Martinez - assistant engineer
- June Murakawa - assistant engineer
- Nick Pritchard - design
- Sean Murphy - photography
- Matt Rubin - photography
[edit] Charts
Album - Billboard (North America)
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | The Billboard 200 | 40 |
| 2004 | Top Independent Albums | 2 |
| 2004 | Top Internet Albums | 40 |
Singles - Billboard (North America)
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | "Los Angeles Is Burning" | Modern Rock Tracks | 40 |
[edit] External links
| Bad Religion |
| Greg Graffin | Brett Gurewitz | Jay Bentley | Greg Hetson | Brian Baker | Brooks Wackerman |
| Former members: Jay Ziskrout | Pete Finestone | Bobby Schayer |
| Discography |
|---|
| Studio albums: Bad Religion | Public Service | How Could Hell Be Any Worse? | Into the Unknown | Back to the Known | Suffer | No Control | Against the Grain | Generator | Recipe for Hate | Stranger Than Fiction | The Gray Race | No Substance | The New America | The Process of Belief | The Empire Strikes First | (Fourteenth Studio Album) Live and compilation albums: '80-'85 | All Ages | Tested | Punk Rock Songs |
