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

Nicole Alexis

Mirrors & Smoke
Independent (2026)

There’s a fine line between stripped down music and so stripped back that is sounds empty. On Mirrors and Smoke, Nicole Alexis lands comfortably on the right side of that line, delivering a debut EP that leans into simplicity without losing its emotional weight. Built around acoustic arrangements and minimal production, the EP feels intentionally close. It feels like these … Read more

The Remote Controls

Too Tough
Fail Harmonic Records, Mom’s Basement Records (2025)

There’s a certain kind of punk band that doesn’t overthink things. No reinvention, no genre-bending manifesto, just fast songs, big hooks, and enough attitude to carry it all. Indianapolis’ The Remote Controls lean hard into that tradition on Too Tough, a record that feels less like a statement and more like a well-earned victory lap. Built on a steady diet … Read more

Sahan Jayasuriya

Don’t Say Please: The Oral History of Die Kreuzen
Feral House (2026)

For those of us who spent the mid-to-late 1980s navigating basement community halls, churches, and loveable, armpit-smelling dive bars, the name Die Kreuzen was a permanent fixture on the punk rock radar. They were the sound of the Midwest underground --too fast for the goths to do their spooky Bela Lugosi "shoo the bats away" interpretive dance, too technical for … Read more