Review / 200 Words Or Less
Burning Empires
Burning Empires

Fuck City (2009) Jon E.

Burning Empires – Burning Empires cover artwork
Burning Empires – Burning Empires — Fuck City, 2009

I was admittedly pretty psyched about this as it marks Andy Hurley's (Fall Out Boy) return to hardcore. Unfortunately this ends up sounding like Misery Signals and Darkest Hour joined together to make something incredibly tepid. The musicianship is definitely top notch but the songs don't seem to go anywhere, ever. The riffs are catchy but not anything special. As I've said, nothing sticks out here. Sadly Hurley's return to hardcore is boring and hopefully improves as all the members are quite good at their instruments.

5.7 / 10Jon E. • December 10, 2009

Burning Empires – Burning Empires cover artwork
Burning Empires – Burning Empires — Fuck City, 2009

Related news

Burning Empires Post Another New Song

Posted in MP3s on December 9, 2009

Burning Empires Preps 7" EP

Posted in Records on November 3, 2009

Recently-posted album reviews

Opus Kink

The Sweet Goodbye
So Recordings (2026)

ALBUM HIGHLIGHTS – “Come Over, Do Me Wrong”, “The Sweet Goodbye”, “I Have to Shine My Sunday Shoes”, “Crucify!” Opus Kink sound like nobody else. To call them “jazz punk” is to massively oversimplify it. In fact, there’s not much traditionally “punk” about them. If anything, it’s “noise rock”, but with traces of almost every other genre you could name. … Read more

Sludgeworth

Second Time Around
Red Scare Industries (2026)

I never got very into Screeching Weasel and the extended family tree. Ignoring the politics of the matter, the music never really hit that sweet spot for me either. But Sludgeworth were an exception. The band released just one album, that I discovered at least 10years after its release, but seemingly disappeared -- only to resurface after a 2022 reissue … Read more

Social Distortion

Born to Kill
Epitaph (2026)

Rating: 🍸🍸🍸🍸🍸🍸🍸🍸🚬 / 10 (8 Tipped Martini Glasses and a Cigarette) Remember that movie Fantastic Voyage, where a miniaturized submarine gets inserted into a person's bloodstream on a mission to clear a blood clot in the brain? Well, consider yourself in luck: I’m infiltrating your brain with my own fantastic journey with Social Distortion, which goes all the way back … Read more