Vinyl drops August 29 | Streaming everywhere September 5 | Pre-orders begin August 1
Digital release party set for Sept. 5 at 4th Horseman in Long Beach

Long Beach, CA--Southern California punk outfit EMPIRED is charging full steam ahead with their highly anticipated sophomore album, Strikes Back, out via HEY!FEVER RECORDS this fall. Pre-orders go live August 1 at heyfeverrecords.com, with limited vinyl bundles featuring a shirt designed by Chris Shary (Descendents, ALL). Vinyl officially hits shelves August 29, with the digital version landing everywhere on September 5.

To celebrate the streaming release, the band will host a FREE listening party on September 5 at The 4th Horseman in Long Beach, CA—featuring exclusive merch, charity auctions, prizes, and more in collaboration with Punk Rock Gives Back and Paws of the Night animal rescue.

When it came time to record Strikes Back, EMPIRED faced a familiar dilemma: pour their budget into a pro studio—or hit the road? The answer: do both.

“Empired had a brand new batch of tunes but ran into a dilemma… do they spend the money on going into a pro studio to record it? Or, do they spend that money on touring the planet?” says guitarist/vocalist Bruce Zebal.
“After much debate, we decided to roll up our sleeves and record it ourselves. Thankfully, we had a killer engineer in the band, Cameron Mosavian.”

With makeshift studios built out of band members’ homes and guidance from both Cam and Bruce, the record took shape organically. Mastering on select tracks was handled by Paul Miner (Thrice, Death By Stereo), and the band brought in John Carey Jr. at Under the Oaks Studio to lend a hand on vocal arrangements for the song “Iron River.”

The result: a 10-song collection (including a vinyl-exclusive live cut of “KGWe”) that captures the raw, high-energy spirit of EMPIRED’s live show with the heart and soul of true DIY grit.

Formed in May 2023, EMPIRED was born from the collaboration between Jai Hansel (bass/vocals), Danny Baeza (drums), Bruce Zebal (guitar/vocals) and Ben Harrison (keyboards). Their debut LP, Finding Calm in the Chaos, introduced a band with unshakable chemistry and a relentless drive. With the addition of guitarist/engineer Cameron Mosavian, the group leveled up fast—earning them a place on the roster at HEY!FEVER RECORDS and a growing tour resume across the West Coast.

Album Release Event – Sept 5

EMPIRED “Strikes Back” Listening Party
The 4th Horseman, Long Beach, CA
7:00PM | FREE | 21+
With support from Punk Rock Gives Back and HEY!FEVER RECORDS
Exclusive show merch
Raffle prizes & auctions
Charity donations benefitting Paws of the Night animal rescue
Special guests TBA!

Pre-Order Details

August 1 – Pre-orders open at heyfeverrecords.com
August 29 – Vinyl in stores
September 5 – Streaming everywhere

Limited edition bundles include a shirt designed by the iconic Chris Shary and are expected to go fast.

Cover Photo: Josh Roush

Photo: Joush Roush

Empired will also be hitting the road in Europe with Heartwells from Nov 13–24—tour booked by City Rat Booking.