The Empire Strikes First by Bad Religion (CD, Oct-2004, Epitaph Records USA)

I ve got a mad headache. It s so killer that I don t know how the hell I m gonna write this gosh-darn review. Why does my head hurt, you ask? Ever since I bought Bad Religion s newest album, The Empire Strikes First the day it came out (June 8th) I ve been listening to it at insane volumes every single day with my buddies. Now, a couple weeks later, I m not sick of the record, but my head hurts. Aside from taking some aspirin, I thought it would be a wise idea to write a review on the CD while the pain is still fresh in my memory. I wanted to hold off on reviewing this record until it fully...

The shabby state of punk rock isn't just limited to the MTV crop of fake skaters and boy bands with guitars. Take a closer look and you might find out that even bands within the punk community are helping to try and destroy punk rock from the inside. As of late, the quality of punk music coming out has been seriously downgraded, especially in the category of political punk. What was once a genre which included a myriad bands that could craft a hard hitting and clever attack on the government has been reduced to a bunch of conspirators, cheap jokers, and kids who talk about issues they don't...

If the kids aren't going to take a stand, at least the old dudes are still fighting the good fight. While the youngsters of punk may like singing whiny, self-absorbed pop songs, at least one band of veterans has the courage to continue standing up for their beliefs. Bad Religion has once again released an album that takes a look at the state of the world and says, "This is just not right." Their cleverly titled The Empire Strikes First lashes out against government, religion, and modern society in general in usual BR fashion, giving us an album that, while fun, makes us think. Almost...

Two years separated from the CD that showcased the reentry of Brett Gurewitz to the band "The Process of Belief", Bad Religion has released "The Empire Strikes First". A politically charged album that showcases great music, lyrics, and ideas. Bad Religion is: Greg Graffin: Vocals Brett Gurewitz: Guitars/Back up vocals Jay Bentley: Bass/Back up vocals Brian Baker: Guitar/Back up vocals Greg Hetson: Guitars Brooks Wackerman: Drums The songs themselves are of typical Bad Religion fashion: Guitar and bass driven anthems of political and religious wrong-doings; only this time, the lyrics are...