THE TENEBROUS LIAR – Jackknifed & Slaughtered

Headed up by renowned music photographer Steve Gullick, The Tenebrous Liar’s new album is somewhat of a depressing experience. That’s not to say that this is a bad album per se, but much like depression itself it seems to go nowhere and wallow in itself too much. Their sound has a very earthy quality to it, you can imagine the drums kicking up dust as the bass rumbles along, the choice of cover art is commendable as it mirrors the feel of the album brilliantly.
Gullick’s vocal delivery won’t be to everyone’s tastes, going as it does from rambling drunk to hypnotic preacher, but it fits in well with the fuzzy downbeat music. The first half of the album goes by without leaving much of an impression, then everything comes to a crushing halt with the fifth and title track, an absolutely abysmal 2 and a half minutes limps by before the track shows any signs of life, but even then it doesn’t seem to go anywhere.
One exciting thing about the album is the inclusion of a secret track, hidden at the end of a period of silence after the last song. It’s been a while since I’ve stumbled upon one, but unfortunately it’s just as unimpressive as the rest of the tracks.
You can’t help but feeling you’re missing something by listening to The Tenebrous Liar on record, something which may very well be rectified by seeing them perform live in a sweaty venue. As it stands though, this is a very uninspiring and tiresome album.