Empire State Bastard

News

Royal Blood’s new album is at Number One in the UK midweek charts

Happy days! Royal Blood’s Back To The Water Below could be the band’s fourth consecutive Number One, while Empire State Bastard’s debut is also in the Top 10.

Find us on

Features

Empire State Bastard’s track-by-track guide to Rivers Of Heresy

Empire State Bastard – the crushing project from Biffy Clyro men Simon Neil and Mike Vennart – sound like the end of the world. But as the duo reveal, there’s more to debut album Rivers Of Heresy than that. There’s also “some rumba here, some surf rock there…”

Reviews

Album review: Empire State Bastard – Rivers Of Heresy

Biffy’s Simon Neil and Mike Vennart melt ears and riverbanks on Empire State Bastard’s scorching debut.

Reviews

The big review: ArcTanGent 2023

Heilung, Converge, Devin Townsend and many more hit Fernhill Farm for four days of artistic celebration and musical madness at ArcTanGent Festival…

News

Empire State Bastard announce UK/European headline tour

Joined by legendary Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo, and bassist Naomi Macleod, Empire State Bastard are hitting the road in November in support of their debut Rivers Of Heresy.

News

Empire State Bastard have unleashed an epic new single, The Looming

With debut album Rivers Of Heresy on the horizon, Empire State Bastard – the heavy side-project of Biffy Clyro’s Simon Neil and Mike Vennart – have shared closing track The Looming.

Reviews

The big review: Glastonbury 2023

Now in its 51st year, Glastonbury is still championing spaces for all the best rock and metal. We checked out some of the most exciting bands at Worthy Farm for those who like things louder…

News

Listen to Empire State Bastard’s crushing new single, Stutter

The next single from Empire State Bastard’s debut album Rivers Of Heresy is here – listen to Stutter now.

The Cover Story

Empire State Bastard: “I’ve been needing to make a record like this for a long time”

You might know them as the frontman and live guitarist for Biffy Clyro, but together, the duo of Simon Neil and Mike Vennart make a much heavier, angrier beast known only as Empire State Bastard. Upon the announcement of their debut LP, we meet the metal-loving pair to find out why this is more than just a side-project…

News

Empire State Bastard have released a killer live video for Harvest

Watch the Biffy Clyro / Slayer / Oceansize supergroup tear it up at their UK shows last last month...

Features

In pictures: Empire State Bastard’s crushingly heavy first London show

Biffy Clyro side-project Empire State Bastard made their debut in the capital last night, and they were joined onstage by legendary drummer Dave Lombardo and Bitch Falcon bassist Naomi Macleod…

News

Biffy Clyro side-project Empire State Bastard drop intense debut single Harvest

Listen to Harvest, the incredible first single from Simon Neil and Mike Vennart’s Empire State Bastard project (featuring Dave Lombardo on drums!).

News

Empire State Bastard announce debut shows, with Dave Lombardo

Simon Neil and Mike Vennart’s new band Empire State Bastard will be playing their first-ever shows this month – and they’ll be joined by Dave Lombardo on drums, and Naomi Macleod on bass.

News

Simon Neil and Mike Vennart’s new band share first music teaser

The first teaser of new music from Simon Neil and Mike Vennart’s Empire State Bastard is here… and it’s heavy, obvs.

News

Download add 44 bands to line-up including Alter Bridge, Halestorm, Neck Deep and Bob Vylan

Alter Bridge, Halestorm, Neck Deep, Bob Vylan, Hot Milk, Palaye Royale, Jinjer and more join this year’s Download Festival.

News

Skindred, Kid Kapichi, Mimi Barks and loads more added to 2000trees

2000trees have added so, soooo many more bands to their 2023 line-up – from Skindred and Deaf Havana to Kid Kapichi and Mimi Barks.

News

Simon Neil’s new side-project Empire State Bastard announce first show

Biffy Clyro frontman Simon Neil and guitarist buddy Mike Vennart will make their live debut as Empire State Bastard at Hellfest this summer.

BackNext

Royal Blood’s new album is at Number One in the UK midweek charts

Empire State Bastard’s track-by-track guide to Rivers Of Heresy

Album review: Empire State Bastard – Rivers Of Heresy

The big review: ArcTanGent 2023

Empire State Bastard announce UK/European headline tour

Empire State Bastard have unleashed an epic new single, The Looming

The big review: Glastonbury 2023

Listen to Empire State Bastard’s crushing new single, Stutter

Empire State Bastard: “I’ve been needing to make a record like this for a long time”

Empire State Bastard have released a killer live video for Harvest

In pictures: Empire State Bastard’s crushingly heavy first London show

Biffy Clyro side-project Empire State Bastard drop intense debut single Harvest

Empire State Bastard announce debut shows, with Dave Lombardo

Simon Neil and Mike Vennart’s new band share first music teaser

Download add 44 bands to line-up including Alter Bridge, Halestorm, Neck Deep and Bob Vylan

Skindred, Kid Kapichi, Mimi Barks and loads more added to 2000trees

Simon Neil’s new side-project Empire State Bastard announce first show

The best of Kerrang! delivered straight to your inbox three times a week. What are you waiting for?