Until not so long ago, Peter Dolving was the front man of Swedish metal act The Haunted, and previous to that, Mary Beats Jane. Shortly after his departure from The Haunted, he created a furore by revealing the details of why he left, and giving some less than flattering remarks about his former bandmates (and without dwelling on the matter, the title of his new album seems rather fitting in context of his comments). He wasn’t exactly gushing in his thoughts on the music industry, either. Small wonder Dolving has quite a reputation for firing his opinions around on-line and that he’s such a divisive character. And so Dolving decided to do it himself for his debut solo release. Or, as he puts it, “Screw it. I'll just do it, and then let people decide, not record-company executives, A&R’s and cunts with nothing but their credit-rating in mind...”
I’m guessing I’m people, and it’s my job, I suppose, to relay whether or not the album’s any good to those who haven’t heard it. Well, as Dolving himself says of the record, “It’s not rocket-science. Rock-music guitars, drums and a good tune.... Don’t expect anything opportunistic, heavy metalish or Slayer like. There’s nothing like that here.”
It’s heartening to say that he’s right. Instead, Dolving positions the album in a vintage lineage that draws inspiration from bands like The Cure, Neu, My Bloody Valentine, Wire and New Order. It’s hardly a rehash, though, and the addition of some some dense murky production and some twists really makes ‘Thieves and Liars’ a very different proposition.
Opener ‘Meinhof’ is built around a swirling analogue synth that spirals in a repetitive motif over a motorik rhythm, before a hazy guitar welded to an insistent beat and grumbling bass throws shadows across ‘Song For You’. There’s a woozy vibe to ‘One Sweet Moment’, which sees a fractal Cure-esque guitar weave its way around a gritty rhythm section.
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More experimental tracks, such as the rather chaotic ‘Ordinary Folk’ and the theatrical ‘No Solicitors’ are rather less successful, but you’ve got to give it to him for not playing it safe, and besides, brooding meanders like ‘Sunday Morning’ which find Dolving in a more contemplative mood more than compensate. ‘Cocksucker Blues’ is not a Rolling Stones cover, but a bile-filled tirade of a song that comes on like a baggy indie number but with industrial production values that takes a turn for the Nine Inch Nails two thirds of the way in. ‘My Will To Die’ sounds like Led Zeppelin, only with a grating, industrial edge, Dolving snarling and sneering menacingly.
For those familiar with Dolving’s previous work, ‘Thieves and Liars’ will either be a source of joy or an extreme disappointment, but taken on its own merits, it’s pretty darn good.
Peter Dolving Online
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