Liar
““Liar’s Hell””
(Alveran Records)
“Liar’s Hell” serves up eight gnarl tracks of uber-heavy thrash from one of Europe’s premiere metalcore bands. Liar is not just another Slayer-wannabe though, as they place a decided emphasis upon animal rights, earth-liberation, and a bunch of other pro-social messages that most metal bands wouldn’’t touch with a ten-foot pole. Musically, Liar incorporates a relentlessly aggressive dual guitar assault, full of enough hooks to satisfy even the most hessian listener. Hans’ (why must there always be a “Hans” in every German band) vocals are asphalt rough and avoid being overly growl-ish, allowing his political and social sentiments to be easily heard and understood. While never straying too far from the same heavy, grinding formula, Liar nevertheless keeps things exciting by varying the songs just enough to keep things interesting. Even more interesting, however, is that apparently Liar has hired my nine-year-old sister to write their press release, as so many grammatical and spelling mistakes abound it could only have been penned by a product of the public education system of California. A minor quibble, but a band full of such energy and passion deserves a bit better.
