The Empire Strikes First

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The Empire Strikes First
Studio album by Bad Religion
Released	June 7, 2004 (2004-06-07) (See release history)
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)
Label	Epitaph
Producer	Brett Gurewitz and Greg Graffin
Professional reviews
Allmusic link IGN link Robert Christgau link RTÉ link Rolling Stone link
Bad Religion chronology
Punk Rock Songs (2002) The Empire Strikes First (2004) New Maps of Hell (2007)

The Empire Strikes First is the thirteenth studio album by Bad Religion released on June 8, 2004.

Contents 1 Title inspiration 2 Lyrics 3 Production and marketing 4 Reception 5 Track listing 5.1 Japan bonus track 6 Personnel 6.1 Bad Religion 6.2 Additional Personnel 6.2.1 Musicians 6.2.2 Other 7 Release history 8 Charts 9 References

[edit] Title inspiration

This section requires 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] Lyrics

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] Production and marketing

This section requires 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

This section requires 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 minor radio hit with, "Los Angeles Is Burning", which also reached #40 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.

[edit] Track listing

1. "Overture" (Gurewitz) – 1:09
2. "Sinister Rouge" (Graffin) – 1:53
3. "Social Suicide" (Graffin) – 1:35
4. "Atheist Peace"(Graffin) – 1:57
5. "All There Is" (Gurewitz) – 2:57
6. "Los Angeles Is Burning" (Gurewitz) – 3:23
7. "Let Them Eat War" (Gurewitz, Francis, Wackerman, Baker, Bentley) – 2:57
8. "God's Love" (Graffin) – 2:32
9. "To Another Abyss" (Graffin) – 4:07
10. "The Quickening" (Gurewitz, Wollard, Wackerman) – 2:19
11. "The Empire Strikes First" (Gurewitz, Baker) – 3:23
12. "Beyond Electric Dreams" (Gurewitz, Wollard, Wackerman) – 4:02
13. "Boot Stamping on a Human Face Forever" (Gurewitz) – 3:49
14. "Live Again (The Fall of Man)" (Graffin) – 3:35

[edit] Japan bonus track

15. "The Surface of Me" (Graffin) – 3:01

[edit] Personnel

[edit] Bad Religion

• Greg Graffin – lead vocals, producer
• Greg Hetson – guitar
• Brian Baker – guitar
• Brett Gurewitz – guitar, backup vocals, producer
• Jay Bentley – bass guitar, backup vocals
• Brooks Wackerman – drums, percussion

[edit] Additional Personnel

[edit] Musicians

• 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"
• Leopold Ross – Sonic Alienator on "Beyond Electric Dreams"
• Claude Sarne – goth choir soprano on "Sinister Rouge"

[edit] Other

• Atticus Ross – programming
• 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] Release history

Country	Release Date
United Kingdom	June 7, 2004 (2004-06-07)
Worldwide
United States	June 8, 2004 (2004-06-08)

[edit] Charts

Album - Billboard (North America)

Year	Chart	Position
2004	The Billboard 200	40
	Top Independent Albums	2
	Top Internet Albums	40

Singles - Billboard (North America)

Year	Single	Chart	Position
2004	"Los Angeles Is Burning"	Modern Rock Tracks	40

[edit] References

v • d • e Bad Religion Greg Graffin • Brett Gurewitz • Greg Hetson • Brian Baker • Jay Bentley • Brooks Wackerman Paul Dedona • Tim Gallegos • Jay Ziskrout • Davy Goldman • John Albert • Lucky Lehrer • Pete Finestone • Bobby Schayer Studio albums How Could Hell Be Any Worse? • Into the Unknown • Suffer • No Control • Against the Grain • Generator • Recipe for Hate • Stranger than Fiction • The Gray Race • No Substance • The New America • The Process of Belief • The Empire Strikes First • New Maps of Hell EPs Bad Religion • Back to the Known Other releases 80-85 • All Ages • Tested • Punk Rock Songs Videos and DVDs Along the Way • Live at the Palladium Singles "Atomic Garden" • "American Jesus" • "Struck a Nerve" • "21st Century (Digital Boy)" • "Infected" • "Stranger Than Fiction" • "Incomplete" • "A Walk" • "Punk Rock Song" • "Dream of Unity" • "Raise Your Voice" • "Shades of Truth" • "The New America" • "Broken" • "Sorrow" • "The Defense" • "Los Angeles Is Burning" • "The Empire Strikes First" • "Honest Goodbye" • "New Dark Ages" Related articles Discography • List of Bad Religion band members • List of Bad Religion concert tours • Epitaph Records • Punk rock in California • Hardcore punk • Warped Tour Side projects American Lesion • Black President • Circle Jerks • Cold as the Clay • Daredevils • Dag Nasty • Error • Government Issue • Minor Threat • Wasted Youth