Empire (EP)
{{Infobox album
| name = Empire
| type = EP
| artist = The Word Alive
| cover = Empire EP.jpg
| alt =
| released = July 21, 2009
| recorded =
| venue =
| studio = Wade Studios, Ocala, Florida, U.S.
| genre = Metalcore
| length = 23:00
| label = Fearless
| producer = Andrew Wade
| prev_title = The Word Alive
| prev_year = 2008
| next_title = Deceiver
| next_year = 2010
}}
Empire is the second EP by American metalcore band The Word Alive. It was released on July 21, 2009, through Fearless Records. The EP was produced by Andrew Wade and charted at number 15 on Billboard{{'}}s Top Heatseekers.{{cite web|title=The Word Alive debut #15 on Billboard Heatseekers! |url=http://www.indiestar.tv/grafwall/2009/07/word-alive-debut-15-on-billboard.html |publisher=indiestar.tv |accessdate=15 September 2010 |date=29 July 2009 |url-status=usurped |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111007224504/http://www.indiestar.tv/grafwall/2009/07/word-alive-debut-15-on-billboard.html |archivedate=7 October 2011 }} 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 or clean singer in other groups before joining the band, was pressured to learn how to properly scream in just a matter of few days in preparation for the EP's recording.{{cite web|url=https://soundcloud.com/leadsingersyndrome/episode14#targetText=Episode%2014%20-%20Telle%20Smith%20(The,SoundCloud%20-%20Hear%20the%20world's%20sounds|title=The Word Alive - Empire EP|publisher= SoundCloud|accessdate=January 16, 2020}} 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.
{{Album ratings
| rev1 = AbsolutePunk
| rev1Score = (81%)[http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=1265592 Empire review] AbsolutePunk}}
Track listing
{{tracklist
| title1 = Battle Royale
| lyrics1 = Tyler Smith
| music1 = The Word Alive
| length1 = 3:55
| title2 = Quit While You're Ahead
| lyrics2 = Smith
| music2 = The Word Alive
| length2 = 3:44
| title3 = Casanova Rodeo
| note3 = re-recorded version; original version from The Word Alive
| lyrics3 = Craig Mabbitt
| music3 = The Word Alive, Mabbitt
| length3 = 3:36
| title4 = The Only Rule Is That There Are No Rules
| lyrics4 = Smith
| length4 = 3:52
| music4 = The Word Alive
| title5 = Inviting Eyes
| length5 = 3:21
| lyrics5 = Smith
| music5 = The Word Alive
| title6 = How to Build an Empire
| lyrics6 = Smith
| music6 = The Word Alive
| length6 = 4:31
| total_length = 23:00
}}
Personnel
;The Word Alive
- Tyler Smith – lead vocals
- Zack Hansen – guitars, backing vocals, additional vocals on "How to Build an Empire"
- Tony Pizzuti – guitars, backing vocals
- Nick Urlacher – bass
- Tony Aguilera – drums, percussion, photography
- Dusty Riach – keyboards, programming
;Additional musicians
- Craig Mabbitt – additional writing on "Casanova Rodeo"
;Additional personnel
- Andrew Wade – engineering, mastering, mixing, production
- Jerry Clubb – management
Chart
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
! Chart (2009) ! Peak |
| {{album chart|BillboardHeatseekers|15|artist=The Word Alive|accessdate=May 25, 2018}} |