Empire State Bastard’s Latest Single “Stutter” is a Nihilistic Kick to the Temple

They may be joining Chat Pile for a special show New York City show later this year, but Empire State Bastard also have their own thing going. This morning, they reminded the rest of the world of that fact with the release of their second single and its accompanying visualizer, “Stutter.”

From the get go, this song is 141 seconds of raw fury, from the riffs to the unhinged vocals to the undeniable pounding of the drums, Empire State Bastard have dropped a nihilistic gauntlet with this one.

For those that don’t know, Empire State Bastard is the pissed off baby of Biffy Clyro’s Simon Neil and Mike Vennart. Featuring a rhythm section comprised of bassist Naomi Macleod (Bitch Falcon) and motherfucking Dave Lombardo on drums, the foursome is a potent combination of talents that should do something interesting when their album Rivers of Heresy drops on September 1.

If the concept of the album was to draw on influences by “slamming hardcore in the vein of Siege; the frenetic, visceral thrash of Slayer; the claustrophobic sludge of Melvins; the freeform vocal dexterity of Mike Patton; and the gargantuan stoner riffs of Sleep,” then I’d say they’re on the right track with this one.

According to both Vennart and Neil, the band originally came to be while touring with Biffy Clyro roughly a decade ago. While hanging out on the tour bus, the duo would share weird and avant-garde music with each other, eventually deciding to make some of their own.

You can check out “Stutter” below, as well as the track list and album cover of Rivers of Heresy, which is available to pre-save or pre-order today. Empire State Bastard will play a show as support for Chat Pile at New York City’s Le Poisson Rouge on September 20.

Empire State Bastard, Rivers of Heresy tracklist:
1. Harvest
2. Blusher
3. Moi?
4. Tired, Aye?
5. Sons and Daughters
6. Stutter
7. Palms of Hands
8. Dusty
9. Sold!
10. The Looming