Review LIAR THIEF BANDIT “Icon”

With three albums and an EP to their credit, Malmö-based hard rockers Liar Thief Bandit have been working on their fourth full-length release called “Icon”. Such a promising title raises expectations and let’s see if the songs can live up to the promise.

Well, ‘icon’ is a big word, but what the Swedes offer is high-octane rock presented with passion and dedication. Ten years after the founding of Liar Thief Bandit, the trio is now an established player in the field of Scandinavian rock music, and the new album reflects their position. Starting with the up-tempo rocker “The Ultimate Sign”, the trio opens the album with jet stream power. The following “Death Pioneer” has the same rock’n’roll spirit as its basis and even though the tempo is more moderate, we are still thrilled by the power of the song.

Liar Thief Bandit don’t count on long and epic songs. What they have recorded is spot-on and passionate hard rock the Swedish way, including the bass-driven “Dying Effort”. The band don’t change their approach and cruise through these eleven songs with commitment and authority. “Recoil”, the furious “Traces of Use” and the blues-soaked “Can’t Slow Me Down”, all reflect a pure joy of life with the next party in mind.

It is also worth noting that there is no real tear-jerker on the album. The soulful ballad wasn’t something the band had in mind for “Icon”. What the fans get instead is pure rock’n’roll power from start to finish. “Icon” blows away any possible everyday tiredness and the music is more effective than any espresso. If you like hard rock from Scandinavia I can recommend Liar Thief Bandit. These guys know what they are doing and they do it in a great style. This album inhales the essence of hard rocking music.