You awaken in a cold, damp basement. A single, dusty lightbulb swings like a pendulum above you, as you clear your eyes of sleep. The four cinderblock walls around you ooze a translucent, sticky gruel, and the concrete slab upon which you sit is like ice. You see a figure standing in front of you, he crouches down to meet your gaze, and holds a cracked mirror to your face. Inside it you see not yourself, but the face of God, and it is weeping.

Let The Empire Burn is a dreary, macabre soundtrack to a coming apocalypse. Reminiscent of Nick Cave or post-reformation Swans, Big Bill & The Bigots use deep, visceral instrumentation paired with a gravelly, drawling vocal to evoke the feeling of being in a cholera-stricken town in the old west – one of dread and unease. You peer from the window of your stagecoach as it rolls through the center of town and see the melancholy on all the townsfolk’s faces, wondering which of their many burdens weighs heaviest upon their shoulders.

Each track on this EP is filled with chugging guitar riffs, feverish drumming and thought-provoking lyricism. Big Bill is a raconteur of high calibre, and across these five tracks he delivers a snarling critique of the poisonous culture that still permeates the minds of our citizens. The production quality is superb, and repeated plays reward the listener with something new to appreciate each time. Humble beginnings, to be sure, but absolutely brimming with effervescence and potential. If this is just the first helping of what Big Bill has in store, you would be remiss to cast your eye elsewhere and miss watching the sight of this new crimson flower coming into bloom. Let Big Bill take your hand and lead you down the spiral staircase into hell, where you will be cleansed by the flames and from the ashes, born anew.

This EP is available on Bandcamp and Spotify. Check out the video for ‘Sunday Mourning’ here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mB6DxXZjXeE