Empire State Bastard have announced details of their debut album ‘Rivers Of Heresy’.
This new project is the work of Biffy Clyro frontman Simon Neil and touring guitarist and former Oceansize musician Mike Vennart, who formally introduced the band with the release of their debut single ‘Harvest’ back in March.
The pair are now gearing up to release their debut album ‘Rivers Of Heresy’ on September 1, which, in a press release, has been described as “pure sonic annihilation”.
“I set about making the most fucking poisonous vile music I possibly could, just unabridged hatred in musical form,” Vennart is quoted as saying about the record, while Neil added: “Lyrically, it’s as misanthropic and nihilistic as I’ve ever written.”
The new record features drumming by Slayer, Testament and Dead Cross drummer Dave Lombardo. Pre-order of ‘Rivers Of Heresy’ is available here, with the album set to be released digitally, on CD (with an exclusive 24-page fanzine), poison green vinyl, red/black marble vinyl and cassette.
You can see the artwork and tracklist for Empire State Bastard’s ‘Rivers Of Heresy’ below.
- ‘Harvest’
- ‘Blusher’
- ‘Moi?’
- ‘Tired, Aye?’
- ‘Sons and Daughters’
- ‘Stutter’
- ‘Palms of Hands’
- ‘Dusty’
- ‘Sold!’
- ‘The Looming’
You can see Empire State Bastard’s upcoming tour dates below.
JUNE
9 – Download Festival, Donington Park
15 – Brudenell Social Club, Leeds
16 – Mash, Cambridge
18 – Hellfest, Clisson, France
21-25 – Earache Takeover, Glastonbury Festival
JULY
7 – 2000trees Festival, Gloucestershire
21 – Malakoff, Malakoffparken, Norway
AUGUST
2-5 – Wacken Open Air, Wacken, Germany
17 – ArcTanGent, Bristol
SEPTEMBER
15-17 – Riot Fest, Chicago, USA
Speaking to NME recently, Simon Neil said that he and Vennart are “going for extremity at all costs” with this project, “even if it’s not brutality – it’s got to be extremely weird”.
“Because we play together in Biffy, there’s no point in us doing another project that doesn’t feel miles apart,” continued. “That’s a pet hate of mine, when people leave their full-time band to do another thing and it’s just a slightly different version of what they’re doing anyway. What’s the fucking point?”