If sheer, balls-to-the-wall ferocity is your thing, then buckle up for a trip down the Rivers of Heresy with Empire State Bastard. The alternative metal band released their debut record, Rivers of Heresy, last month via Roadrunner Records. Led by Simon Neil of Biffy Clyro and Mike Vennart of Oceansize, this record will absolutely floor you. The intention was to create the most visceral, scathing music they could produce. As you hear on these ten new tracks, it’s a surefire success. Vennart described the approach as generating unabridged “hatred in musical form.” Bassist Naomi Macleod and the highly regarded Dave Lombardo on drums round out Empire State Bastard. Neil and Vennart first came up with the idea for Empire State Bastard while on tour with Biffy Clyro. When they had some time off,...