The Empire Strikes First


The Empire Strikes First is the thirteenth studio album by Bad Religion, released on June 8, 2004. The album is heavily influenced by the then-current Iraq War and also has some nods to George Orwell's novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, the latter most likely inspired by the PATRIOT Act.
The song "Social Suicide" Appears in Both Tony Hawk Project 8 and MX vs ATV Untamed.

Release

"Los Angeles Is Burning" was released to radio on April 27, 2004. The Empire Strikes First was released on June 8, 2004. In October, the band went on a tour of the US with Rise Against.

Reception

It 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 reached No. 40 on the Billboard modern rock tracks chart.

Track listing

Personnel

Bad Religion

Musicians

Charts

Singles - Billboard