News: Rusty Shipp Surfaces with ‘Capsized Empire’
Nashville’s nautical rockers Rusty Shipp have emerged from the depths with Capsized Empire, a genre-blurring concept album released today that tackles heavy spiritual and philosophical themes head-on. Bold, bizarre, and soaked in saltwater symbolism, this new 17-track epic sees the band expanding their sound, and their vision , far beyond anything they’ve attempted before.
Frontman Russ T. Shipp leads the charge with a confident hand on the helm, steering the band into uncharted waters both musically and thematically. Capsized Empire builds on the world they began crafting in Dark Side of the Ocean (2022), but this time with a deeper dive into the Problem of Evil, systemic injustice, and what it truly means to live redemptively in a broken world.
The record opens with “All Aboard!” (after the short intro What the Tide Washed In), a rousing invitation to hope, community, and eternal purpose. But the voyage soon turns stormy. “Neck Breaker” explores judgment and eschatology with brutal honesty, while “On the Docks” wrestles with class struggle and survival, offering one of the album’s most cutting lines: “Show me something I need more than food and I’ll fish for that instead.”
Musically, the band draws from a wide net: grunge, surf rock, punk, swing, jazz, and even traditional folk. There’s a sea shanty (“Spanish Ladies”), a Beatles rarity cover (“1882”), and experimental narration interludes voiced by fans themselves. The result is part rock album, part theatrical odyssey, a sonic experience built like a ship, with ballast, buoyancy, and secret compartments.
The finale, “Sinners in the Hands,” reimagines the classic hellfire sermon as a hymn of mercy and divine compassion. Instead of dangling over the pit of judgment, the listener is caught in the hands of love, the same hands pierced for the very crimes committed against them.
With Capsized Empire, Rusty Shipp isn’t just trying to make another Christian rock album. They’re telling a story, one that spans oceans, centuries, and spiritual battlegrounds. It’s ambitious, messy, heartfelt, and unlike anything else in the current scene.
For fans of: King’s X, Muse, Foo Fighters, Switchfoot, or any band that combines deep theology with deep grooves.
Available now on all streaming platforms. Physical CDs come with expanded artwork, storyline, and liner notes for the full conceptual experience. Get it here!
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