SINGLE REVIEW: King Liar – Dead Monochrome/Escapism

from the sheer technical proficiency this band, to the sheer conviction of their performances, King Liar manage to conjure up a sound that feels inventive, engaging, and deeply refreshing to listen to

It’s been a whirlwind year for northern rockers King Liar. The alternative four-piece released their self-produced debut EP, ‘Undelusion’, last year, and have since spent almost every moment since performing, writing, and recording.

With supporting slots with scene icons such as Erotic Secrets of Pompeii and The Sukis, along with a rapidly growing collection of headline shows, King Liar clearly have carved themselves a strong position in the alt-rock scene, and part of the reason is why is just how unique this outfit is.

This latest double single, featuring the tracks ‘Dead Monochrome’ and ‘Escapism’, is a wildly creative affair, swinging from humble indie stylings to fierce progressive guitar riffs that would put the likes of Matt Bellamy (Muse) or Claudio Sanchez (Coheed & Cambria) to shame; their music is built to both engage and catch you wildly off-guard, culminating in a release that is as fascinating as it is exciting.

‘Dead Monochrome’ weaves staggeringly well-performed bass lines with tight percussive grooves to conjure up a slick, near-psychedelic experience that explores the havoc mental illness can wreak on your self-perception. The bass solo is a genuinely incredible piece of musicianship that acts as a fantastic moment of transition into a thunderously cathartic climax packed with gang vocals to truly add a sense of grandeur.

‘Escapism’, on the other hand, commences with an expansive acoustic led soundscape that carries a very subtle folksy undercurrent that perfectly encapsulates the environmental existentialism at the heart of the track. Yet whereas King Liar could have easily retained this sound for the entirety of the track, the band choose to evolve this song into an incendiary guitar solo that weaves together stylings from progressive and math genres in a cataclysmic fashion. It catches you completely off-guard; the musical talent across both tracks is simply astounding.

The same comment can be made for the vocal delivery across both songs. Evocative and human, the melodies conjured up across the span of this double single act as the perfect unifying factor for the complex instrumental elements, and perfectly encapsulate the thematic aspects of both tracks. The haunting nature of mental illness and the righteous fury against the slow devastation of the environment are both brought to life in unique and vibrant ways.

It’s all incredibly bold, and for a less band, the final product could easily be a pile of musical mush. However, from the sheer technical proficiency this band, to the sheer conviction of their performances, King Liar manage to conjure up a sound that feels inventive, engaging, and deeply refreshing to listen to. From the dreamy psych of ‘Dead Monochrome’ to the progressive evolution of ‘Escapism’, King Liar deliver on a mission to make their music anything but boring.

King Liar respect the musical rulebook, but they’re far from afraid to rip it up completely.


For Fans Of: Editors, Nothing But Thieves, Coheed & Cambria, Muse

Follow the band on social media below:

Instagram // Spotify