We are discussing the entire face of LIES!' latest album with Rene and Sander, ranging from a philosophical overview of the lyrics to studio work, cover art creation, and even influences from the Netherlands band. We highlight the upcoming 2024 concert plans in this substantial and intriguing interview.
1. What inspired the intense anger and energy that permeates "Mind Pollution"?
LIES! is a band that's angry in our music, lyrics and live performances, without being tough guys. Just hardcore in its purest form but with a metallic edge. The thrash-oriented riffs with hardcore parts make you just want to go wild, and we definitely see that reflected in our live shows. There's a lot of energy in the tempos we play, and vocally, we feel it matches well.
2. How did bands like Terror and Merauder influence the sound and style of LIES! on this album?
We grew up with bands like Merauder and All Out War, bands playing a cross-over of metal and hardcore Those influences can definitely be heard in our sound. We've injected even more energy into it, drawing inspiration from bands like Terror, with catchy song structures and lyrics that stick with you and make you want to shout along.
3. Can you describe the process of combining thrash riffs with hardcore elements in your music?
That actually comes pretty natural. As mentioned before the main influence of LIES! is the metallic hardcore that was created mid tot late 90’s. The thing we love from that era is the way bands blended metal and hardcore. For us it’s a best of both world situation, where you get pointy, thight, rage driven thrash riffs combined with the pissed off, energetic hardcore. Till this day this is the perfect blend for us.
4. What does the song "Propaganda" represent within the album, and how did the collaboration with Worst Doubt come about?
The lyrics are about so-called propaganda, which we deal with to a greater or lesser extent on a daily basis. In a world of deception and manipulation, the main character feels trapped between two opposing forces. What is good? what is evil? Can people see through the facade of lies and manipulation? A wake-up call. That is actually the subject of the song.
The collaboration with Worst Doubt was an easy one. First of all we wanted a guest singer in this last part of the song that would match Rene his vocals. Hugo who did the artwork is also the singer of Worst Doubt. One plus one makes three.
5. How does LIES! carry on the legacy of Dutch hardcore bands like Born From Pain and No Turning Back?
That’s not for us to say. We just do our thing. We don’t tour a lot but do many weekenders and see many places. We’ve got a growing worldwide fanbase which is cool. We keep on writing new music like “Mind Pollution” and play as much as we can. If people see that as a new serious contender in the scene we are honored. It is not a goal at all.
6. What is the significance of the vortex and lightning storm on the album cover, and how does it relate to the album's themes?
The raging storm in our minds. Mind pollution is the vortex, chaos of impulses in our heads. The other songs on this record deal with other subjects.
7. How do the lyrics on "Mind Pollution" reflect the chaos and pressure of modern life?
The title track "Mind Pollution" best reflects the idea of polluting your mind, creating your own hell. Musically, it's like a tornado, and that's where it all began. That track felt like a devastating storm, which inspired the lyrics. The album isn't a concept album. The track "Wounds Into Wisdom" has the refrain "I'll hang with people who want more for me, not from me." This refers to people who only want to hang out with you when they can get something out of you.
Sometimes, the scene here feels like a big competition between bands and monkeys on a rock. Maybe it's the same for you sometimes. They always want something from you, but they're too ashamed to admit they hang out with you in front of their friends. We're quick to envy each other when someone takes a risk, uses different influences, throws too much metal into their core, gets the shows while others don't. We're good here at completely ignoring bands. And I'm not even talking about our band or anything. That's just how it goes, and it's never about how cool you are as a person. It's just unfortunate. The scene is so small. We'd rather hang out with people who want to do something for us, just like we want to do for them. Fortunately, we've built a big family, and it is always cool hanging out at shows
8. In what ways do you believe "Mind Pollution" impacts the listener's perception of humanity's self-inflicted destruction?
Well you can only hope listeners take away something from the lyrics. It’s not that we’re a band that tries to persuade people to act or think a certain way. We just feel it’s important to match the musical rage with a lyrical rage. We drive with a van to tour Europe, have iPhones and maybe dress in clothes made under poor conditions, so it would be hypocritical of us to preach and tell people what to do. We just spit it like we see it, and try to better ourselves for a better world. If anyone is inspired by something we put out there, than that’s amazing.
9. How did Hugo Zerrad's artwork contribute to the overall concept of the album?
We came up with the idea ourselves. We wanted an album cover artwork similar to Metallica's "Ride The Lightning" and the artwork for Worst Doubt's previous album "Extinction". Artwork that captures movement and depicts the storm or tornado. That's why Hugo Zerrad was the right man for this project, and he did an amazing job. Our vocalist, Rene, did the rest of the artwork.
10. What were some of the biggest challenges faced during the recording at 3181 Studio?
We’re in the luxury position that our guitarplayer Sander runs the 3181studio. So we don’t have a time/money meter running while tracking. This makes the recording part relaxing and makes it possible to experiment and try out different stuff. I think the biggest challenge for any band is to get the end result to match the vision you had going into the album making proces. We believe we achieved this with ‘Mind Pollution’.
11. How does "Mind Pollution" differ from your previous works in terms of musical evolution?
The goal with this album was to capture the intensity of the songs with the sound. We went for a dirtier sound compared to our previous releases. We think this reflects the entire vibe of the songs better than before, when we were more focussed on having clarity and transparency in our sound. Song wise we tried to get more to the point and make the songs more efficient. So the songs are shorter and more chorus driven than before. A way to really get the momentum and rage going. Selectively choosing a few moments on the album to slow down and pick it up again.
12. What message do you hope fans take away from the album?
In the middle of our busy lives, there's a kind of mess – 'Mind Pollution.' We're constantly connected, and we have a constant fear of missing out. We feel like we're always losing something. It muddles our thoughts and perceptions because we're bombarded with mixed signals and the need to always be plugged in. It's like we're stuck in a storm inside our heads – filled with anger, opinions, and outside influences.
We don't talk too much on the phone much anymore or have face-to-face conversations; instead, we're glued to our devices, which only adds to the chaos. This mental vortex messes with what we believe and even how we think. It feels like we're losing touch with ourselves because of everything happening around us. This internal storm can be overwhelming, shaking up our world and making us feel disconnected or even worse.
13. How do you balance the need for artistic expression with the commercial aspects of releasing an album?
I think we all have different answers about the expression. It is an outlet of rage for sure, but also the writing of music. It thrives us to get better and better on every record, same with recording the music. Business goals we don’t have. Only one thing is that we get heard. Hardcore or metal isn’t that commercial but if the music is good, the artwork is special - it will sell. If the network is good it will sell more.
14. What are the band's plans for the future following the release of "Mind Pollution"?
First of all, we have a lot of shows planned with LIES! both here in The Netherlands, mostly in Germany but also play in the UK in a few months. There are also some exciting festivals on the agenda. It might be a bit too early to announce, but together with a record label we're working on a vinyl version of our new album "Mind Pollution." This will be a special release including our comeback EP "Rebirth." Meanwhile, we've already written several new songs. They are in line with the sound of the new album. We close the year with a short tour with two legendary European bands.
15. Can fans expect any live performances or tours to promote the new album?
We're definitely keeping busy. We have a lot of shows lined up and we're already booking for the year 2025. Soon, we'll be playing at a cool festival in Essen, Germany. We'll be performing at Ruhrpott Revival Fest alongside bands like Arkangel and several special reunion acts such as Zero Mentality, Copykill, and Black Friday '29 and new breed. You can really see that the European scene is thriving. Old faces are organizing shows again or even playing in bands. Young folks are starting bands and attending shows. For those who want to keep up with us, visit LIEShardcore.com. And don't forget to grab our new 12" vinyl "Mind Pollution / Rebirth" record soon.
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It will be interesting to follow Lies over the next 9 months to see their approach with their desire to be active this year. They will tour Germany and the UK for several festivals, in addition to releasing two of their vinyl records for hardcore music collectors. One thing is certain: LIES! is a band to watch.
