Empire State Bastard is the new project from two of British music’s most imperious figures. Biffy Clyro’s Simon Neil and Mike Vennart, known for his work with Oceansize and Vennart, have been building up to this band for a while. Joined by the legendary Dave Lombardo on drums and Naomi Macleod on bass, their dreams have become a reality. And now they are head fierce and fast toward their debut album Rivers Of Heresy. To whet the appetite, they have shared what will be the record’s closing track, and it is something else.
Titled “The Looming“, it is groove-riddled sludge at its most calculated and callous. Steel toe-capped riffs batter and bruise the ear from all angles, with Simon crooning and crackling like his life depended on it. It’s seven minutes of brain-bending noise, crafted by the sort of magicians who want you to feel the pain they are inflicting.
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The band have summed up the track in one powerfully simple sentence:
“The end is nigh! The end is looming! F*ck what they told ya!”
Rivers Of Heresey by Empire State Bastard will be released on September 01.
It will also feature the previously released “Harvest”, which feels like a plague of locusts ripping and tearing at your skin:
The band will be playing a couple of shows in the US later this year. One at Riot Fest and one as support for Chat Pile. Here they are:
- Sept 17 – Chicago, IL @ Riot Fest at Douglass Park
- Sept 20 – New York, NY @ Le Poisson Rouge
