The Empire Strikes First - Bad Religion

The empires strikes first was released in 2004 by bad religion. It was their 13th studio album which is quite a lot for a band to make and you would think that they would have run out of songs by now. The first track of the album is called overture, now usually bad religion do a really short but fast paced song at the beginning of their albums making you want to hear more of the album and giving you a taste of what to expect. However this isn't the case with this one, its slow, its dull and it has no singing and to be honest it sounds like the background track to some kind of spooky film rather than a punk song so I don't know why they did this at ...  Read the complete review

Unlucky for some, 'The Empire Strikes First' is the thirteenth studio album from Bad Religion. The album was released through the Epitaph record label in 2004 and consists of a grand total of fourteen tracks. The album clocks in at just under the forty minute mark and with this release Bad Religion continues to show its excellence as a band through releasing an album which comes complete with a large number of exceptional tracks. The album was produced by Bad Religion's lead vocalist Greg Graffin and rhythm guitarist Brett Gurewitz also; a well put across construction of music from the excellent American punk rock band that is Bad Religion. The album begins ...  Read the complete review

Punk rock had a satisfying ambitious surge in 2004, with Green Day's celebrated rock opera 'American Idiot' being provided a more traditional So-Cal punk companion in the form of 'The Empire Strikes First,' Bad Religion's not-quite-concept album that sees the band continuing to improve now that Brett Gurewitz is back in the fold. With its heated political edge, even more prominent than in the band's past works, the lyrics are more compelling than ever, and despite a couple of missteps this is one of the best punk albums of recent years and proof that Bad Religion can still cut it alongside the newer acts. All of these songs are surprisingly satisfying even ...  Read the complete review