Photo by: Glen Bollard Photography
Info: After an impressive first year in 2018, North Dublin rockers LIERS have just released their first EP. 'Elixir' is also the name of their third single which accompanies the release, loaded with their trademark intense and uncompromising raw grunge rock with sultry yet shattering vocals. The EP also features previous hit singles 'Host' and 'Universal Female', which gained much acclaim and helped the secure a slot at last year’s sold-out Electric Picnic.
For all of the many genres sprawling around us these days, the influence of grunge-rock is as rare as hens teeth for some reason, that early 90's period producing some of the best rock albums ever written. Dublin's LIERS seek to redress this paucity on debut EP Elixir, unapologetic about their influences, although some are far more subtle than you might imagine.
Beginning with latest single and title-track 'Elixir', the modus operandi is moody, and darkly emotive, if you were to throw a dart at the grunge map it might land on Soundgarden or perhaps Chris Cornell's earlier band Temple of the Dog, go forward a few more years and Bush's underrated Razorblade Suitcase waves from the searing chorus.
Back in April in my review of 'Universal Female' I acknowledged the undoubted Foo Fighters thread, but on its quieter moments, and in hindsight Sugar's Copper Blue is touching verse and pre-chorus plenty. Okay, enough about influences already, more than a mere homage to the past, where LIERS excel from the very beginning of Elixir is the execution of the smash and grab, exemplified with aplomb here at the 2:36 mark, chugging bass and guitars crunch the end of an almost 20 second light percussion / vocal duet.
The nostalgia-filled 'Can't Go Back' is most enjoyable, the vacuumed guitar effect rolling us up in a blanket of warm post-grunge glow. The most rustic moment on the EP comes via 'Realise', a game of two halves, literal 'in the garage' rock leads to a second half of rising drum crescendos and a pained vocal release courtesy of Liz Seaver. Final track 'Host' will have fans of the genre licking their lips, there's a sense of youthful naivety and angst curled up tightly together, it's very Foo.
Elixir is an honest collection of tracks, each of which pay their respects dutifully to the band's influences. The most challenging obstacle for LIERS now is to ascertain how they can break through via a rebooted genre that has not quite taken off locally just yet in comparison to other guitar-based styles. Either way, I dig what they're doing and then some.
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