I was looking at some of the shows happening this weekend and I noticed that my bros from Audio Empire were ironically performing with a band called Empire Fallen on Saturday night (12/21) at Dingbatz in Clifton, NJ for the Lane Six Christmas Party. I had to check these guys out since they were from Belleville and I’ve never heard of them before. After listening to them, I am a little surprised that I’ve never heard of them before. They weren’t bad at all. The production on the songs that I listened to like “Not Coming Home (Salty),” “D.B.” and my favorite track, “Angel…Devil,” could have been better, but listening through the production, these guys had some talent. They wrote great riffs, the drumming was pretty powerful and singer Bobby Z was pretty dynamic.
Empire Fallen formed back in 2007 out of the gutters of Belleville, NJ. They are a five-piece modern rock band with a self-proclaimed set of balls. Each member of Empire Fallen has their own style and brings their own flavor to the table with every song and lyric they produce. They’ve nailed down the technique of the tuned down guitars and heavy bass and drum grooves to create an explosive sound that they can call their own. If you listen closely, you can hear the different influences from each member in each song that blasts through your speakers from bone-crushing riffs to chest-pounding hip-hop infused beats. Empire Fallen are made up of a bunch of seasoned musicians from the North Jersey scene, but for some reason, only go by their first names like singer Bobby Z, guitarists Turk and Archie, bassist Rob and a drummer named Hansel.
The boys of Empire Fallen have released quite a few EPs since forming in 2007. They are currently putting the finishing touches on their first full-length, which they were supposed to have up for download on iTunes this past November. Looks like we’ll just have to wait a little bit longer! For now, check Empire Fallen out live this Saturday night at Dingbatz or give them a listen at reverbnation.com/empirefallennj.
NORTH JERSEY NOTES UPDATES:
The guys from Pralaya recently released a new song called “Dansa” by way of soundcloud.com. The song is pretty trippy yet so dynamic! I think it sounds great! Pralaya have even tried to lure in more fans to listen to their new song “Dansa” by making their song “Cycle” available for free download. Give “Dansa” a listen now and get your free download of “Cycle” at soundcloud.com/pralayaband.
Speaking of new music, my bros from Apathy will be releasing their first single ever. The song is called “Broken Bones, Bloody Noses” off of the band’s long-awaited upcoming CD, Hell Is All We Have, which according to singer Pete Wells, will be out this spring, but we’ll see about that! Check Apathy out at apathy-nj.com.
And finally, my bros Tim McMurtrie and Eddie Night with their Murder League All-Stars have done it again with a new music video that they recently released on YouTube for their song “Bounce.” The song is catchy as hell and the hook, which simply states, “Just bounce!” sticks in your head for days! If that rap and metal stuff comes back strong, my bros from Murder League All-Stars will definitely be at the top of the heap. Catch Murder League All-Stars live this Saturday night (12/21) at Santos House Party in NYC with the Cro-Mags or check out their new video for “Bounce” on YouTube at youtu.be/1GoN7HJejlk.
That’s all for now! If your band is from North Jersey, and you want some exposure, send your press kits to Arts Weekly, c/o Tim Louie P.O. Box 1140, Little Falls, NJ 07424, or you can email me at tim@theaquarian.com, where you can also let me know where you’re performing next!
Just remember….We’re all in the same boat, so every little bit of exposure counts!
Tim Louie is the Author of S**t Happens.
NJN Concert Calendar:
12/19—Cycle Of Pain/Black Water Rising/Lower The Veil/Gaggle Of Cocks—The Legendary Dobbs, Philadelphia, PA
12/20—Lower The Veil/Vextion/Ropetree—The Brighton Bar, Long Branch, NJ
12/20—Cycle Of Pain/Black Water Rising/Gaggle Of Cocks/Gun4Gun/DJ Alex Kayne—Tammany Hall, NYC
12/20—Steve Brown and Terry Farley—Valley Stables, Oakland, NJ
12/20—Betalord/Pralaya/Shift—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
12/21—Audio Empire/BoundAlive/Lethal Affection/Jolly/Ascending From Ashes/Empire Fallen/Brand Of Julez—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
12/21—The Dirty Pearls—Irving Plaza, NYC
12/21—Sundown Conspiracy—Loop Lounge, Passaic Park, NJ
12/21—Kosmic Daydream—Fuller Roadhouse, Albany, NY
12/22—Statik Silence/Atomic Dog/Murder Smile—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
12/26—Steve Brown and Friends—Prospect Tavern, Madison, NJ
12/27—Kosmic Daydream—Hat City Kitchen, Orange, NJ
12/27—Steve Brown and the Fallout—Willie McBride’s, Branchburg, NJ
12/28—Steve Brown and the Fallout—Grasshopper Off the Green, Morristown, NJ
1/3—Cycle Of Pain/Black Water Rising/BlackOcean/Sekond Skyn/New Theory—Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ
1/3—Steve Brown—D’Jeet at The Grove, Shrewsbury, NJ
1/6—Born A New/Revelations/Footage Of A Yeti/Sirens And Sailors/Shai Hulud/This Or The Apocalypse—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
1/11—Natural Born Losers/Bluesfield Drive/Useless—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
1/16—A Pale Horse Named Death/Borgo Pass—The Studio at Webster Hall, NYC
1/17—Eric Martin (voice of Mr. Big)—Dingbatz, Clifton, NJ
1/18—Syka/In This Moment/Butcher Babies—Webster Theater, Hartford, CT
1/18—That Metal Show Live (Eric Martin/Metal Mike/Station/Xero Gravity/Ixion Lux)—Mexicali Live, Teaneck, NJ
1/25—Kosmic Daydream/Jaded Past—The Cup Complex, Linden, NJ
