''Empire'' is the second EP by American
metalcore band
The Word Alive
The Word Alive is an American metalcore band formed in Phoenix, Arizona, in 2008. The band was signed to Fearless Records since their formation. In 2022, they changed their label and signed to Thriller Records. The band currently consists of ...
. It was released on July 21, 2009 through
Fearless Records. The EP was produced by
Andrew Wade
Andrew Robert Wade (born August 4, 1984) is an American recording engineer and music producer.
Early years and A Wish for Marilynne (2002–2006)
In August 2002, Wade started playing guitar and singing lead vocals in Christian rock/ emo band ...
and charted at number 15 on ''
Billboard''s
Top Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers are "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. The Heatseekers Albums and the Heatseekers Songs charts were introduced by ''Billboard'' in 1991 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new an ...
. After this EP, founding drummer Tony Aguilera was fired from the band, it is however, the first release with lead vocalist
Tyler Smith.
Smith, who mostly worked as a bass player in other groups before joining the band, was pressured to learn how to
scream
Scream may refer to:
*Screaming, a loud vocalization
Amusement rides
* Scream (Heide Park), a gyro drop tower in Soltau, Germany
* Scream! (ride), a tower ride at Six Flags Fiesta Texas and Six Flags New England
* Scream! (roller coaster), at ...
in just a matter of few days in preparation for the EP's recording, as he did not know how to properly do it prior.
Some additional screamed vocals are also provided by guitarist, Zack Hansen.
Re-recordings
The song "Casanova Rodeo" was originally a part of the unreleased ''The Word Alive'' EP. After the release of ''Empire'', the track "Battle Royale" became one of The Word Alive's
most known and notable songs and was re-recorded for the band's debut full-length album, ''
Deceiver''.
Track listing
Personnel
;The Word Alive
*
Tyler Smith –
lead vocals
* Zack Hansen –
guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected strin ...
s,
backing vocals
A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are ...
, additional vocals on "How to Build an Empire"
* Tony Pizzuti – guitars, backing vocals
* Nick Urlacher –
bass
* Tony Aguilera –
drums,
percussion
A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Ex ...
, photography
* Dusty Riach –
keyboards
Keyboard may refer to:
Text input
* Keyboard, part of a typewriter
* Computer keyboard
** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping
** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware
Music
* Musi ...
,
programming
;Additional musicians
*
Craig Mabbitt
Craig Edward Mabbitt (born April 9, 1987) is an American singer-songwriter and recording artist. He is the lead vocalist for American rock band Escape the Fate. He was formerly the lead vocalist for the bands Blessthefall and The Word Alive. He ...
– additional writing on "Casanova Rodeo"
;Additional personnel
*
Andrew Wade
Andrew Robert Wade (born August 4, 1984) is an American recording engineer and music producer.
Early years and A Wish for Marilynne (2002–2006)
In August 2002, Wade started playing guitar and singing lead vocals in Christian rock/ emo band ...
– engineering, mastering, mixing, production
* Jerry Clubb – management
Chart
References
{{Authority control
2009 debut EPs
The Word Alive albums
Fearless Records EPs
Albums produced by Andrew Wade