Empire is the second EP by American metalcore band The Word Alive. It was released on July 21, 2009, through Fearless Records. The EP was produced by Andrew Wade and charted at number 15 on Billboard's Top Heatseekers.[1] After this EP, founding drummer Tony Aguilera was fired from the band, it is however, the first release with lead vocalist Tyler Smith.
Smith, who mostly worked as a bass player or clean singer in other groups before joining the band, was pressured to learn how to properly scream in just a matter of few days in preparation for the EP's recording.[2] Some additional screamed vocals are also provided by guitarist, Zack Hansen.
The song "Casanova Rodeo" was originally a part of the unreleased The Word Alive EP. After the release of Empire, the track "Battle Royale" became one of The Word Alive's most known and notable songs and was re-recorded for the band's debut full-length album, Deceiver.
