The Empire Strikes First
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The Empire Strikes First | |||||
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Studio album by Bad Religion | |||||
Released | June 7, 2004 June 7, 2004 June 8, 2004 |
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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) |
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Label | Epitaph | ||||
Producer | Brett Gurewitz and Greg Graffin | ||||
Professional reviews | |||||
Bad Religion chronology | |||||
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The Empire Strikes First is the thirteenth studio album by Bad Religion released on June 8, 2004.
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[edit] Title inspiration
Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. |
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
Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. |
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
Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. |
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
- "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)
[edit] Japanese Bonus Tracks
- "The Surface of Me"– 3:01 (Graffin)
[edit] Personnel
- Greg Graffin - vocals, producer
- Brett Gurewitz - guitar, backup vocals, producer
- Brian Baker - guitar, backup vocals
- 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 |
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2004 | The Billboard 200 | 40 |
2004 | Top Independent Albums | 2 |
2004 | Top Internet Albums | 40 |
Singles - Billboard (North America)
Year | Single | Chart | Position |
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2004 | "Los Angeles Is Burning" | Modern Rock Tracks | 40 |
[edit] References
- ^ The Empire Strikes First's entry at Billboard.com. Billboard.com. Retrieved on 2007-11-06.
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