The Empire Strikes First

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The Empire Strikes First
The Empire Strikes First cover
Studio album by Bad Religion
Released Flag of the United Kingdom June 7, 2004
Flag of World June 7, 2004
Flag of the United States June 8, 2004
Recorded November 2003-February 2004 at Sound City in Los Angeles, California
Genre Punk rock
Length 39:42 (U.S. version)
42:43 (Japanese version)
Label Epitaph
Producer Brett Gurewitz and Greg Graffin
Professional reviews
Bad Religion chronology
Punk Rock Songs
(2002)
The Empire Strikes First
(2004)
New Maps of Hell
(2007)

The Empire Strikes First is the thirteenth studio album by Bad Religion released on June 8, 2004.

Contents

[edit] Title inspiration

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.

[edit] Production and marketing

Like its predecessor, The Process of Belief, the album was recorded at Sound City in Los Angeles, California. Recording lasted from November 2003 to February 2004.

[edit] Reception

The Empire Strikes First was released on June 8, 2004 and peaked at number 40 on the Billboard 200 album chart,[1] the highest position the band had attained at the time. The album scored a radio hit with, "Los Angeles Is Burning", which also reached #40 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.

Although some 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." Throughout the album, and especially in the song "Boot Stamping On A Human Face Forever," are references to the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell.

[edit] Track listing

  1. "Overture" – 1:09 (Gurewitz)
  2. "Sinister Rouge" – 1:53 (Graffin)
  3. "Social Suicide" – 1:35 (Graffin)
  4. "Atheist Peace" – 1:57 (Graffin)
  5. "All There Is" – 2:57 (Gurewitz)
  6. "Los Angeles Is Burning" – 3:23 (Gurewitz)
  7. "Let Them Eat War" – 2:57 (Gurewitz, Francis, Wackerman, Baker, Bentley)
  8. "God's Love" – 2:32 (Graffin)
  9. "To Another Abyss" – 4:07 (Graffin)
  10. "The Quickening" – 2:19 (Gurewitz, Wollard, Wackerman)
  11. "The Empire Strikes First" – 3:23 (Gurewitz, Baker)
  12. "Beyond Electric Dreams" – 4:02 (Gurewitz, Wollard, Wackerman)
  13. "Boot Stamping On A Human Face Forever" – 3:49 (Gurewitz)
  14. "Live Again (The Fall of Man)" – 3:35 (Graffin)

[edit] Japanese Bonus Tracks

  1. "The Surface of Me"– 3:01 (Graffin)

[edit] Personnel

  • 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] References