USATODAY.com - Bad Religion, The Empire Strikes First (Music Review)

USATODAY.com - Nothing's gonna stop Terror Squad, Scissor Sisters: "Bad Religion, The Empire Strikes First (* * *) In its 24th year, the veteran California punk band hasn't lost its venom, its muscle or its backbone. Empire opens with Overture, a menacing instrumental that sets the stage for a wave of vitriolic assaults. Many of these forceful anthems would dovetail nicely with vignettes in Fahrenheit 9/11, and none of them will be on the sound system at the Republican convention. Singer Greg Graffin unleashes outrage and indignation as he rails against the Bush administration in Let Them Eat War and other teeth-gnashing, guitar-grinding tunes on this seething manifesto. Urgent and timely, Empire also addresses environmental misuse (Los Angeles Is Burning), predatory priests (Sinister Rouge) and science/religion tensions (Atheist Peace), rendering the whines of skateboarder punks feeble and self-involved. The band doesn't leave melody and hooks out of the equation, making Empire one of the year's meatiest punk efforts. - Gundersen"




Bad Religion (See Los Angeles Is Burning Video, Hear Let Them Eat War MP3 - Click Image)