Hailing from Lithuania’s capital come a small, relatively unknown band called Liedogs. What I attest below hopefully changes that to make them the titans of the art they seem to be. This is their 2021 album, To Split the Sea in Two. What I have missed out is a collection of songs that can easily pass as their greatest hits compilation. As a reminder, yes, this is a debut album. Let’s see if you believe me.
Always start with a stick of dynamite. Two knocks on the door doesn’t cut it anymore. Sea Forest is their first track with fine guitar work- an odd time riff with the band following flawlessly behind. Each tone has been polished like the rarest pearl from an oyster that was waiting to be found. Bleeding blues and classic rock blood, Liedogs set the bar very high with their opener.
Tearing open a new reality
The second is the single they had released, featuring Ceslovas Gabalis. If this special addition was all it took, the mammoth sound this song produced should be a case study. Liedogs go all out in a star-studded with chords and riffs special that you can revisit any time. Moses is officially in action, his hand seems to be raised with just the second song in.
The Keys follows a simple two change riff with some brilliant vocals. It allows each instrument to shine in little installments, from the fills of the drums to the bassline meandering away from the stream to join back in full force. The chime splits the song into two different sounds, united by the distorted bass that plays with cyclic, fractal energy.
Put a sludge band to shame with this next riff. Three Striped Birds could pass of as an acoustic on paper. But only on paper. The riff is resultant of a Kyuss and Wolfmother collaboration maybe. It couldn’t happen, but then Liedogs made their own interpretation that would be better. Almost impossible not to nod your head along to this song. Tempo change? Check. Punk level energy? Yes sir.
Home features the special sorcery that is Ceslovas Gabalis’ touch. The bass and guitars offset each other for a textural fabric of sound that transcends the mediocrity of single chords sustains. By the time vocals reach Home, they’ve hit a home run with sound. The song is beautiful, and the odd time beat just makes it a prog-rock masterpiece from this group. I loved the guitar tone that had the feel of a classic Les Paul all the way.
If I haven’t said it yet, here it is. All these tracks will melt a stadium pretty much to the ground. The riffs make you want to jump, hum or scream it out. Nuanced artists don’t do that, like in No Rest. They are pumping out one belter after another, and I am in disbelief how one group has achieved this quality in their debut. Superb.
The sound can’t remain the same
No two songs are similar, and Flooded House is one that goes off-track. It has a great odd-time opening, which moves into a funky riff style. In moments, it can sound like the best of blues and prog-rock that can be heard from indie bands anywhere. The background is spectacular, but so are the vocals, regularly complementing the rhythm set by the sound. The bass is king in many moments, stealing the spotlight for a solid amount of time before bringing in the arsenal.
After All.. Devotion is the next song on the track. The sound has a great reminded of Jimmy Page’s guitar in Houses of The Holy album. Not only does it completely change tone in many ways- we find diversity in delivery being Liedogs greatest strength. Like a tone and genre expert, the group moves in unison from style to style. With a soulful solo and bringing the most of compositional brilliance to the table, this song is devotion for the art itself.
Long range rock
For the length of a prog rock song, there is 7 minutes of pure rock to be discovered here. From Sweet to the intricacies of hard rock, Liedogs jump from the best of the best sounds. It’s A Mad Mad Mad World is a definite jam track that can keep the audience on their toes and freak out with a massive closer during the end of a set. It can also be a fire starter-fuel. We’re ready with the kerosene then. How it changes to the darker, more soulful and smooth sound during the second half of the song is a master class in transition.
Moses has split the seas. Serpent Woman plays in the background. As sad as it makes me to hear this album close, I know I can access it any time. The sound has been perfected for each track before publishing it as an album. It is one of the classiest approaches to a genre I thought I was jaded of. With creativity hemmed to their flag, they are the proud torchbearers of all that new rock has to offer. We might be in a flood of sorrow, but someone knows how to part a path with their sound.
Listen to their fantastic debut here:
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Discovered via http://musosoup.com
Promotional Disclaimer: The content in this post has been sponsored by the artist, label, or PR representative to help promote their work.Promotional Disclaimer: The content in this post has been sponsored by the artist, label, or PR representative to help promote their work.
Self professed metalhead, moderately well read. If the music has soul, it's whole to me. The fact that my bio could have ended on a rhyme and doesn't should tell you a lot about my personality.
