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Critic Reviews
100
So come now fans of insidious and wily (yet cerebral) rock, Liars have delivered just what you need...even if you don't realize it yet.
15y
100
The disc may be too weird for people who like their music categorically cut and dried, but adventurous listeners will want to bang Liars' Drum often.
9y
90
With their third album, Liars have succeeded in creating the near-impossible; a conceptual work that speaks to the emotions and the intellect simultaneously. What's more, they've managed it on their own terms, and the end result is an album that crosses into the 'essential' category effortlessly.
15y
90
Succeeding rather than regressing or retreating, Liars have had the last laugh: Drum's Not Dead is a majestic victory lap, and on all levels, a total fucking triumph.
15y
90
I hope I'm making it clear that though I get off on all this craziness, it's certainly not for everybody, and your mind probably needs to be open to an almost dangerous degree to allow the Liars to seep in.
10y
83
There's a subtle beauty amid the madness.
10y
81
Perhaps it took a grueling creative journey and a battle with self-doubt to get there, but the end result is a band that has retained its brash experimental flare while discovering its heart.
11y
80
Drum is a challenging listen ... But as the songs flow one into the next, a powerful tension builds, released finally by the gorgeous closing ballad.
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2y
80
Drum's Not Dead is undeniably interesting, but somehow unsatisfying; arguably the best thing about it is how it shows Liars are willing to keep pushing themselves into unknown creative territory, even if the results aren't always consistently great.
15y
80
Admittedly, the tracks take multiple listens to truly grasp beyond their primal appeal.
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2y
80
Every minute of the album demands patience and something resembling concentration.
11y
80
The trio's chanting, loops and metal-bashing framework is now fleshed out by some beautiful ambient-noise balladry.
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3y
70
Out there, sure--but this is the sort of experimentalism Radiohead scoop plaudits for.
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3y
70
Drum's Not Dead takes the dark industrial textures of They Were Wrong, fuses them with the post-punk art funk of the band's early days and comes up with something totally unexpected and original.
10y
70
It is clear that Liars are, just now, coming into their own musically, making music that ebbs and flows and might actually invite emotion as much as it does analysis.
15y
70
It's true that many of these tracks are not for the casual listener, but that's also not the point.
7y
70
At times itโs dangerously close to going far up its rectal passage, yet to have the guts to create something so demanding and unusual, Liars should be commended.
6y
67
Kraut-rock drones run together into one long, thudding hum.
10y
60
It seems the group have ditched their purposefully disturbing sound for something at once more experimental and listenable.
10y
60
Much of Drum's Not Dead suggests a Ligeti score for The Blair Witch Project as played by The Residents.
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3y
40
Primal, often atonal and with drums beating out a single motif rather than yer standard rock ‘beat’, Drum’s Not Dead sets out to challenge rather than comfort the listener. Which means you won’t always enjoy it – unless you enjoy the challenge of listening to deliberately ‘difficult’ music.
10y
40
The dual-drumkit, tribal incantations and ominous drones have a pleasing menace but when you factor in the "concept" ... patience starts to wane.
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3y
This album came out right after I moved to Vermont. Listening to it constantly made me fairly certain there was witchcraft going on at night in the Green Mountains and I wanted to be a part of it.
After searching ebay for months and months I finally got this on vinyl
Not what I expected AT ALL but this is a super tight experimental album. I love the emphasis on the drums (hence the title) and the way its complimented with the raw electronics. If you are into The Microphones or Xiu Xiu I would definitely recommend this.
I really like the vibe of this album, initially I liked the other side of mt heart attack only. However after a couple listens I liked the entire album. My favorite is it fit when I was a kid, I really like his breathy and lighter vocals, both songs where he uses them and at the end is just his voice are my favorite two songs on the album. As for lyrics I really don't fully understand what is happening and the music videos don't really help me understand. Other than it fit when I was ... read more
used to love this record more now the performance are admittedly sloppy but there’s also a human element to it i guess
make sure to listen to this as a whole spiritual kraut noise ritualistic theater
And yet another band influenced by Velvet Underground in a way
More Post-Rock than any of their contemporaries, save The Necks. While groups around this time- This Will Destroy You, Sigur Ros, MONO, Explosions in the Sky- focus on large scale, guitar driven crescendos, Liars focuses on experimenting with grooves and electronic sounds. It is so much more faithful to the early acts of Post-Rock like Cul de Sac and Moonshake. Quite an excellent album
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Track List
| 1 | Be Quiet Mt. Heart Attack! 3:28 | 89 |
| 2 | Let's Not Wrestle Mt. Heart Attack 4:31 | 91 |
| 3 | A Visit From Drum 4:19 | 90 |
| 4 | Drum Gets a Glimpse 4:14 | 86 |
| 5 | It Fit When I Was a Kid 4:02 | 92 |
| 6 | The Wrong Coat For You Mt. Heart Attack 3:59 | 92 |
| 7 | Hold You, Drum 4:42 | 86 |
| 8 | Its All Blooming Now Mt. Heart Attack 3:09 | 82 |
| 9 | Drum and the Uncomfortable Can 4:55 | 91 |
| 10 | You, Drum 1:15 | 80 |
| 11 | To Hold You, Drum 4:04 | 85 |
| 12 | The Other Side of Mt. Heart Attack 4:43 | 95 |
Total Length: 47 minutes
