"Invictus" is Liar's best album by a considerable margin, and is one of the key records from the Belgian (Flanders) H8000 metalcore scene. Those who have heard these bands will know what to expect; thrashy metalcore with lots of riffs borrowed from Kreator, Slayer, Cro-Mags and Ringworm, with some vegetarian diatribes and some stuff about not drinking or taking drugs (i.e., straightedge). This was a surprisingly potent brew back in 1997, though few people remember it these days. It is a shame.
Musically, this is a relatively simple record. Liar's sound is similar to Kreator in their "Extreme Aggression"-era, without the solos, and with more chanting. I like this stripped down approach to thrash metal, it scratches a particular itch. I appreciate guitar solos as much as the next metalhead, but I can also see how solos can disrupt the movement of a song. Still, this does sound a lot like Kreator. Hans Verbeke's bark is similar to Mille Petrozza in his prime. The drumming is both thrash and punk, the guitarist plays lots of Slayer phrases but doesn't overdo it like later metalcore bands. There are some back-up vocals like on the chorus "Steel Against Steel", which reminds me of Vio-lence or Leeway.
"Invictus" is better than the band's rushed, under-cooked debut album. Liar’s musicianship, tightness and song-writing are upgraded. There isn't anything as iconic as "Battlecries" from the debut, but the songs are more consistent. A couple of songs have tremolo-picked riffing that verges on black metal, such as the instrumental outro "Fx7" and the beginning of "Natural Order". The latter is probably the strongest track, managing to sound evil and aggressive at the same time. Other highlights include the rampant thrash of "New Born Fire" and the title track (the latter sounds like a Slayer/Kreator mash-up with added straightedge invective). There weren't many bands providing this thrash fix back in 1997, and songs like this beat anything Slayer and Kreator released around that time. Then there are more standard metalcore singalongs like "Blade", which I’m sure would have inspired mass pile-ons when performed live.
I like this stuff. It isn't big and it isn't clever, but it is good. The H8000 bands always sounded quaint and retro, so this has stood the test of time. Is “Invictus” a landmark album on par with Kreator in their 1980s prime? No, of course not. There are also a couple of H8000 records I prefer ("The Other Cheek" by Congress is the gold standard for me). Liar would develop in more of a death/black metal direction on their next album ("Deathrow Earth"). That album is more superficially impressive but less interesting, and hasn’t aged as well. If you want to hear some thrashing metalcore that doesn't suck, with a solid old school production, then "Invictus" is for you.
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