Australia's New Empire get inflammatory in their "Relight The Fire" video.
You've really got to hand it to rock trio New Empire in terms of dedication. Their instruments are literally exploding into flames in the video for "Relight the Fire," but somehow they manage to finish the song anyway. That's professionalism right there. The band, who are stars on the rise in their native Australia, have just announced a return to the States on this summer's 2013 Warped Tour.
Watch New Empire's "Relight The Fire" video after the jump.
The trio of old friends -- Jeremy Fowler, Kyle Lane, and Kale Kneale -- who've been performing together since 2005, have put together an impressive résumé since the release of their debut, Come With Me Tonight, in 2008 and its follow-up, Symmetry, in 2011, including dates with Good Charlotte, Owl City, and Switchfoot. "Relight the Fire," New Empire's latest single, came out earlier this year, but, like the song itself, it's a slow-building epic that's a bit more dynamic than many of the songs on Symmetry, with its sensitive-guy piano-balladeering on songs like "Ghosts" and "Staircase." But strident, careening-guitar-forward tracks like this one and "Worth the Wait" make them seem like a natural fit on Warped Tour.
As if that all sounds, you know, a little too sensitive, the video dudes things up a bit -- this is Australia after all -- with some truly epic wood-chopping. Never have outdoor chores looked so appealing. As for the song's titular fire, we're pretty sure they're speaking metaphorically, but maybe next time don't let anyone dance around all that dry wood with road flares if you want to avoid another instrument inferno. That can't be cheap.