The Empire Strikes First

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

The Empire Strikes First is the thirteenth studio album by Bad Religion released on June 8, 2004. 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. 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. 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. The Empire Strikes First was released on June 8, 2004 and peaked at number 40 on the Billboard 200 album chart, the highest position the band had attained at the time. The album scored a minor radio hit with, "Los Angeles Is Burning", which also... less