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Bad Religion - The Empire Strikes First Audio CD

A fair review of the Bad Religion "The Empire Strikes First" Audio CD. Please note that the below review is the views of the authors, and authors only. You can get a complete list of all Bad Religion reviews here, or go back to the Bad Religion tabs.

Bad Religion Band: Bad Religion
Title: The Empire Strikes First
Rating:
Release Date: 2004-06-08
Media: Audio CD

Tracks: 1: Overture 2: Sinister Rouge 3: Social Suicide 4: Atheist Peace 5: All There Is 6: Angeles Is Burning 7: Let Them Eat War 8: God's Love 9: To Another Abyss 10: Quickening 11: Empire Strikes First 12: Beyond Electric Dreams 13: Boot Stamping on a Human Face Forever 14: Live Again (The Fall of Man)

Not bad
But of course it doesn't match up to most if any of their 80s or early 90s albums. It seemed to me like Bad Religion was getting worse and worse with every cd in recent years but this cd shows they still are capable of coming out with good music.


Best Bad Religion CD
I don't remember what song stuck out that made me buy this CD about a year ago or why I chose to get into this band, I think it was 'cause they were playing 2007's warped tour. And I will admit that I am biased because this is the first CD by this band that I bought. Now, I didn't get to see them at Warped Tour because it rained out horrible, but I did still get into them in the process.

Considering most of their better CDs came from the late 80's and early 90's, this CD is somewhat out of place in 2004 because it's SO AMAZING! This is a different kind of excellence than the older CDs, because it's cleaner and more produced, but it is definitely the greatest thing they've ever put out and this came just in time considering how hard it is to find inspiring music anymore.

All the guitars on this CD, mainly Brett, shred. This dude pulls solos out of his pocket like it's no big deal, there are so many of them that sometimes they're hard to remember and then you're surprised all over again when you hear them, even if you've listened to the song multiple times before. Graffin's voice is the best in punk today. Period. There is really no comparison, and with 25+ years of experience it's no surprise. Jay's bass is underutilized like on all the other CDs (I have 'em all now) but hey. . . I guess you can't have it all. The harmonies from the backup vocals add a touch of something new to a sometimes generic genre of music, even if it sounds weird when you hear it live. The lyrics are deep and inspiring, but not preachy, since that would kind of contradict the idea that preaching is not right. Lastly, the guitar opener to "Let Them Eat War" will leave you stunner, not for its complexity, but just 'cause it's SO CATCHY!

Highlight tracks: "Sinister Rouge" "Social Suicide" "Los Angelos is Burning" "Let Them Eat War".


Keeping True Punk Alive
Bad Religion knows exactly what punkers want and thats to keep making music that we all remember from back in the Suffer, Generator days. The first time i heard this album, I was very skeptical about what i was gonna expect from hearing that first track, only to be swept away on how it lead to the next song, "Sinister Rouge", I knew that from this point there wasn't going to be a song that would dissapoint me or make me ask myself what the hell is this. I give this one 5 stars.


Would you give it all up to live again?
The band had been in a bit of musical doldrums in the late 90's, and had shaken that off with a fast, melodic comeback record that is every bit as good as the reviews will have you believe. Expectations were very high after The Process of Belief.

The Empire Strikes First plays like an album by a band that is starting to settle into a new era. The songs are catchy yet abbrasive, the playing is tight and professional, and the vocals are as good as any other punk album you care to mention.

Some people may be a bit put off by things like rapper Sage Francis being highlighted in one song, or the Heartbreaker's Mike Campbell taking a solo in "Los Angeles is Burning," but with preconceptions aside, Empire achieves everything it intends to. Imagine how many people were playing "Let Them Eat War" when they pulled up to the polls to vote in 2004. A sense of hope, a message of unity, and an attitude of discontent go a long way to raising spirits.

It's time to turn the tides indeed. .


Another Great Album By Bad Religion...
Many had left them for dead after two straight disappointing releases in the late 90's (no substance, new america). This album continues the career resurgence for this band which began with The Process of Belief. However, BR came back with a vengeance with The Process of Belief. This album proves that Bad Religion has A LOT left in the tank. It has all of the fast paced, politically motivated anger that you'd expect from a Bad Religion. It also includes a few interesting changes of pace with songs like "Boot Stamping. . . " and "Beyond Electric Dreams". This is truly a welcome addition to the Bad Religion catalog and I'd reccomend it to anyone who loves good old fashioned punk rock!.


You can see a complete list of all Bad Religion discography, or go back to the Bad Religion tabs. There is also a good guide on how to read guitar tabs here.

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