A grand, smacking debut

Metal band Empire State Bastards consists of Simon Neil, Mike Vennart, Dave Lombardo and Naomi Macleod. Earlier this month, the band released their debut album Rivers of Heresy where each track is filled with vein jolting instrumentation and a killer vocal performance. Rivers of Heresy can surely satisfy people’s hunger for metal.

Kicking things off is the tune “Harvest.” Right off the bat, the heavy noise of Neil’s guitar playing can be heard shaking the background with wild and powerful riffs sure to cause listeners to head bang along while the music leaves their speakers.  Neil’s guitar playing on “Harvest” contributes to the endless insanity the rest of the band is performing.

“Moi?” is rather interesting because it shows how harmonic Empire State Bastards are with their music. What really shines is Lombardo using his drumming skills to create a catchy musical beat that blends in well with the rest of his band members. “Moi?” is a great example of how creative Empire State Bastards are as musicians.

“Stutter” is a heart-stopping track that has a face smacking vocal performance from Vennart. The best part is hearing Vennart screaming out the lyrics with pure passion before switching to a harmonic vocal tone. “Stutter” shows how Vennart is capable of dazzling people’s minds with his authoritative voice.

“Sold!” is an energetic piece that bleeds heavy bass guitar playing from Macleod. Throughout the whole composition, Macleod’s deep and vibrating riffs can be heard shaking the atmosphere with smashing noise while Macleod’s guitar playing shines brightly. 

Rivers of Heresy is a great start for Empire State Bastards, the instrumentation and vocal performance bringing back the style of hardcore metal. People who enjoy metal music are in for a treat.