Bad Religion: The Empire Strikes First
Label: Epitaph
Release Date: 2004
Review Date: 2004
The eighties were a critical time for hardcore in the US. Well it’s 20 years later and the Regan / Bush legacy is back in power, and Bad Religion is still fighting the good fight. The Empire Strikes First is pretty much standard Bad Religion fare. The songs are tight and intelligent, and the unique vocals and backing vocal harmonies will stand out even if the material doesn’t. The band slows it down on occasion, but maintains it’s overall intensity. Maybe they are stretching a bit, but I can’t vouch for that since I haven’t bought any recent releases. The Overture intro and beginning track Sinister Rouge approaches an operatic heavy metal quality, which is a little bit of a departure. Let them Eat War is a song that could have been written for the Cold War era but is perfect for the events that engulf us now. Their press for the release makes a point of noting the band’s concern with writing timeless songs to tackle. Some other stand outs include the title track and Beyond Electric Dreams. If you still like Bad Religion you’ll enjoy this. Despite whether you agree with a band trying to grow, albeit, in a limited fashion, you can’t argue with the message. At this point, any sell out argument is tired and pointless.
Online Action: www.badreligion.com
Online Action: www.epitaph.com
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