Sat Apr 22 2023
1
Dreading this as soon as the genre was "noise rock" I'm sure it's arty and influential to someone. But as a listen it's unbearable for more than 10 seconds at a time. 1
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From the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
They Were Wrong, So We Drowned
Liars
2004
- Album Summary
They Were Wrong, So We Drowned is the second album by noise rock band Liars, released in 2004. The album is considered a massive departure from the post-punk-inspired style of their debut They Threw Us All in a Trench and Stuck a Monument on Top, exploring a more freeform, tribal sound. The album takes the form of a very loose concept album concerning witchcraft upon The Brocken (a mountain) during Walpurgis Night, and tales of witch trials in the area around the Harz Mountains in Germany. The recording coincided with the band's relocation from Williamsburg, Brooklyn to the woods of rural New Jersey, which also inspired the initial direction of the album. The focus upon the Brocken legends came when one of the band members mistakenly entered "Brocken Witch" into a search engine while researching the first song's title (called "Broken Witch" at the time). A screenshot of the music video for "We Fenced Other Gardens with the Bones of Our Own" resulted on the band's eponymous creepypasta. The album was included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
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Fri May 05 2023
3
I do like the theme and approach of this LP but it feels all a bit forced. I think something more melodic here and there would be the proper contrast to the ever-droning sound. It is the same problem for all LPs of this sort: It is just too much in the same direction.
Sat Jun 03 2023
1
Absolute hot garbage. I have no fuckin idea why you ‘need’ to listen to this album before you die other than to realize music this bad does indeed, actually exist.
Tue Apr 25 2023
2
This album is a huge miss from the editors. It’s not critically acclaimed or well-received, not at all popular, alternates between boring and flat-out bad, and it’s not even significant outside of a creepy pasta mentioned on the Wikipedia article for this album. I read the creepy pasta and even that was garbage. Maybe they should’ve instituted a 5 or 10 year buffer on new music before putting an album on the list just to stop something like this from happening. 3/10
Fri May 12 2023
1
Oof. Yeah, no way am I making it through all of this. Just fartin' around on the web and I see that Spin magazine gave this album an F and called it "unlistenable." Whoever that brave journalist is and where ever you are... I salute you.
Mon May 29 2023
3
Kinda like NIN if they were weird and goofy. I liked it! Don't know when I'd put it back on, so it gets a 3 instead of a 4. Hey, at least it isn't more post punk from the UK.
Tue May 16 2023
1
It’s kind of impressive that this can be released and end up on a list of 1001 albums you must listen to before you die
Wed Jun 14 2023
1
Instant hate.
Thu Jun 15 2023
1
Not in my edition of the book! 2004. 1 star. Pretentious, irritating, pointless noise. WTF is this shit doing this list, and who selected it?
Wed Jun 28 2023
1
1 because I'm feeling generous.
Tue May 09 2023
3
This was fine. I cannot say I found this to be anything special, although more listens may change my mind.
Tue Apr 18 2023
2
Idk, I feel I should like this more than I do. There are some cool punchier tracks here, but there’s just too much aimless noise that makes the album feel bloated, and this brand of post-punk just really isn’t my thing. 2.5/5
Wed Jun 07 2023
2
I'm generally enthusiastic with the stuff more outcast, experimental and noisy, but I can't see why this one is interesting or good. Nice try, tho.
Tue Jun 13 2023
2
Pretentious noise bullshit. 2 stars.
Mon May 29 2023
1
If a Hangover had a soundtrack. Truly horrible noises.
Wed May 31 2023
1
I couldn't listen to this, I tried to be objective, but this is just noise. I did not like it at all
Mon Jun 12 2023
1
I first listened to this in a busy natatorium where I couldn't hear a lot of detail, and I tolerated it more than hated it. I revisited later to see if my first impression was good, and friend, it was not. This album sucks.
Wed May 10 2023
5
Woah, based on the name and album art I did not expect such an experimental/dissonant sound. This is generally in my wheelhouse of musical pleasures so I'm down with it. Never knew the band so glad to broaden my knowledge. Crazy industrial-like drums with artsy vocal trappings, a combo I haven't heard much. Definitely propelled to a professional level with the production, which elevates it from indie-artsy-trappings to something a bit more grand. I'm into it, definitely gonna explore further. I should listen to listen to more noise-rock. Definitely not for everyone though.
Tue Jul 04 2023
5
I’m sure I’m being contrarian by giving this 5, but I don’t care.
Mon Aug 28 2023
5
Got really excited when I saw the really bad reviews. Most of the time what is really out there for others is right up my alley and it certainly was. As a lover of noise rock and experimental music this was a really nice find for sure.
Mon Sep 04 2023
5
Well this certainly gave me a WTF moment shortly into the first song… what kind of slog is this?! And then… click… something about sitting alone in the dark in a cabin listening to cleverly titled songs about brooms and witches… I’ve been known to embrace wackadoo music… this is pretty out there… do I really like this? Yes, I think I do. Do I expect to play this in the company of anyone else I know? Perhaps at a Halloween party? Even then I’d expect this musical selection to be quickly vetoed. I’ve listened to this a few times now and I keep thinking about this. I have subsequently discovered from Wikipedia that this was recorded in a cabin in the woods… strange coincidence… Crazy original. Crazy good. Crazy! Favorite songs: They Don’t Want Your Corn, They Want Your Kids and There’s Always Room On The Broom
Mon Sep 04 2023
5
I absolutely loved the first two-thirds of this. Fuzzy, screechy, whiny against some totally danceable grooves. The last few tracks lost my interest but I was captivated by most of it. Yes!
Sun Sep 17 2023
5
Huh. I was worried that this one would be a total torturous chore when I saw that it was noise rock. Got even more worried when I saw the average rating of 2.22 stars. But in the end I actually kind of enjoyed it. Yeah it's unhinged, avant-garde, noisy and haunting. It even feels quite tribal and definitely gives the atmosphere of a ritual sacrifice. The dance-punk element is there though, in enough measure to make this whole thing somewhat danceable. No doubt that it verges on aurally torturous at times, but maybe I'm just turning into a masochist? All I'm saying is if I'm in a situation where I'm about to be sacrificed, I'd ask for the murderous cult to put this on. It's approaching halloween so maybe I'm just in the mood for some spooky shit. Either way I enjoyed this and I think I could vibe with this again. Favourite: There's Always Room on the Broom
Wed May 10 2023
4
Liars at their peak before they go out the window with "Drum's Not Dead." They strike a decent balance between noise and rock. I like they way they start the album with the buzz of an amp that has an attached cord being touched to metal in a melodic/rhythmic way. Would make a good soundtrack to a horror movie.
Wed May 10 2023
4
Can't say I understand why this is on the list, but I am glad I listened to it. The arrangements and instrumentation are challenging, yet I found my head bobbing along to most of them. Feels like a scary campfire story in musical form.
Fri May 26 2023
4
Duurde even om met het genre vertrouwd te raken, maar daarna vond ik dit wel een goeie plaat
Tue May 30 2023
4
Det här var koolt! Gillade inte sångaren jättemykke men musiken var unik, groovy, nasty. Intressant att höra på fast ja int vet hur ofta jag kommer återvända. Skulle ske oftare om det inte fanns sång tror jag
Tue May 30 2023
4
Very cool album! I think their debut is their best, but as an evolution of those musical ideas and simultaneously a complete left turn this holds it’s own. I like the repetitive choruses used here and there, they’re catchy
Sun Jun 11 2023
4
I'm usually not one for experimental rock, but this album was a blast. Definitely worth the experience.
Fri Jun 23 2023
4
Way outside my comfort zone. I kinda liked it though? Terrible dinner music and I liked the album theme.
Tue Jun 27 2023
4
Occult noise rock? Ritual dance punk? I'm down! I think I've listened to most of Liars' output once or twice previously, but I could definitely do with spending more time with them. I like their schtick. Fave track - "There's Always Room on the Broom"
Tue Jun 27 2023
4
This is so great. Love the tracks Broken Witch, There's Always Room on the Broom, Hold Hand and It Will Happen Anyway as well as They Took 14 for the Rest or Our Lives. I look forward to spending more time with this band.
Wed Jun 28 2023
4
Someone from the early 2000s that I haven't heard of - this is either going to be awful or obscure. And boy is it obscure. It's noise. It's also good.
Wed Jul 12 2023
4
I had no idea what to expect going into this one. And I found that I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I was going to. I could see listening to this one again. Maybe not soon, but sometime in the future.
Sun Jul 23 2023
4
I liked it. I thought Liars were just another of those meh NME bands from the early 00s, but this is a noisy, weird and darlky fun record!
Wed Jul 26 2023
4
I was living in Brooklyn during the 00s and had fallen in love with the Liars from the start with "They Threw Us All in a Trench and Stuck a Monument on Top". Honestly when "They Were Wrong, So We Drowned" came out I was befuddled and felt a little betrayed and yet...after some time passed...was intrigued. It's easier for me now to see how they got from there to here and through on to other musical territory.
Fri Jul 28 2023
4
Brilliant! Totally outside-the-box, no two songs sound the same. The kind of thing I'm here for
Mon Jul 31 2023
4
Liars are great!
Fri Aug 11 2023
4
Nice album, had to listen to it a few times
Thu Sep 14 2023
4
The no wave brain tickles are most recognizable and appreciated, but there's plenty of push and pull happening as well. Semi-distinct is what I can only describe as fingers moving. If their decay is a kind of dance, dance is evoked here. Given the timbre, one has to add toes to those fingers; Adjust appetite accordingly.
Fri Apr 21 2023
3
Þetta er... áhugavert. Þarf að hlusta aftur við tækifæri. Mjög hrátt.
Tue Apr 25 2023
3
5/10. Didn't sound great, but the witchcraft themed concept album aspect of it did a lot to save it in my mind. I could listen to this in the background on Halloween.
Fri Apr 28 2023
3
Not as crazy as I expected
Tue May 30 2023
3
Billlll
Sun Jun 04 2023
3
An album that feels like each track is pulling in a different direction – was hoping for a bit more out of this one, certain songs are executed well and show strong songwriting, but when each track feels like it’s off a different album it’s hard to constitute a focused LP.
Sun Jun 18 2023
3
A concept album about witch trials: it sounds interesting! Weird opening. This first song is alright but very, very strange. I guess I should have expected that from an album about witchcraft? Clearly very experimental. They deserve the 'noise rock' label. Again, the first word to come to mind for the second track is just plain 'weird'. I do have to say that I don't think it's actually all that bad? Probably a 3. I mean, if you like this sort of thing, go listen to it. Not really my type, but maybe, just maybe, I'll come back to it. I did finish it and thought it was OK, bordering on good. It was also fairly easy to listen to -- not really a chore: probably because it was alright and because it was fairly short. 6/10.
Fri Jun 30 2023
3
Hard to categorise- at times a wall of noise, others there’s something fascinating going on. An album to come back to.
Sat Jul 01 2023
3
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Fri Jul 07 2023
3
This kind of music is not the most enjoyable ones, but this album deserves praise for its originality, depth (apparently, it tackles a struggle between a village and some alleged "witches: as well as the Walpurgisnacht legend which states that one of the ways to drive a way witches is by making noise), and overall interesting adventure that it packs. It may not be pretty, but art doesn't have to be pretty.
Mon Jul 10 2023
3
The right kind of experimental rock
Wed Jul 12 2023
3
Not what I was expecting. Pretty good, i'm just not sure if i'd listen to it again.
Wed Jul 12 2023
3
Maybe worth a single listen through. Some interesting sounds and songs, but nothing I need to explore further.
Wed Jul 12 2023
3
New band for me and wasn't sure what to expect but honestly it was ok, not great. I still may search out some more material.
Tue Jul 25 2023
3
Quite enjoyed this but can't say I was listening that closely ...
Fri Jul 28 2023
3
Pretty decent, a good mix between then-modern indie and eternally cool post-punk. Not the most exciting or original sound, but I think it works! C
Fri Jul 28 2023
3
Pretty good, this is an album that definitely held my interest the whole time, even though it never really went the places I wanted it to.
Wed Aug 09 2023
3
Rating: 6/10 Best songs: Hold hands and it will happen anyway
Sun Aug 13 2023
3
Didn’t know what to expect but enjoyed it.
Thu Aug 24 2023
3
Never heard of them before. I don't mind something experimental like this as a palate-cleanser
Sun Aug 27 2023
3
Not my kind of tea but it helped me focusing on work
Mon Sep 04 2023
3
I often felt that I hated this, but then I often felt fascinated by it. And sometimes it was really cool.
Fri Sep 15 2023
3
Really weird and interesting album, though it sounds like something that came from the 70s/80s rather than 2004 Creates a great primal atmosphere Favourite tracks: Broken Witch, There’s Always Room on the Broom, We Fences Other Gardens…
Wed Sep 20 2023
3
I did not dislike this album as much as so many others here seem to do. It's hypnotising and at times terrifying industrial avant-garde. Pretty? No, not at all, but that doesn't seem to be the goal of the album.
Thu Apr 20 2023
2
Weird
Fri Apr 21 2023
2
I should like this album more since I'm into noise/experimental music, but this album wasn't really for me. It's a bit directionless and all over the place. The first half of the album was worse than the second half where there were some better and more interesting songs. 2.5/5
Mon Apr 24 2023
2
Not my thing.
Mon May 08 2023
2
It just didn’t go anywhere.
Wed May 10 2023
2
Not sure what to make of this one.
Sun May 21 2023
2
The concept behind this album, exploring the legends of the Brocken Witch, is more interesting than the album itself. Often it feels as though the band have simply lost track of what they were attempting to say.
Mon May 29 2023
2
Wh..what
Fri Jun 02 2023
2
2-
Fri Jun 02 2023
2
Well at least this band has an original sound. They’re hard to categorize, sorta experimental industrial post punk. Although they have some intriguing beats and rhythms their album isn’t quite fully fleshed out, but they do have potential.
Mon Jun 05 2023
2
Not for me
Wed Jun 07 2023
2
I'm still unsure if I liked this album or not. In case of doubt, let's say I did not.
Wed Jun 21 2023
2
Noise album with not-so-great voice. It was ok :)
Fri Jun 30 2023
2
I really like experimental stuff but it has to be good. This just isn't. It tries with eerie noises and dark sounds but it only works on the closing track wich is the only one that I actually liked. The bird sounds and the quieter instrumentation was actually quite good... The rest is either terrible, annoying, bland or a combination of all. The vocals were pretty bad too and most songs would have been better as an instrumental 2/5
Wed Jul 05 2023
2
Entiendo que puede estar bueno pero creo que no estaba en el mood para escuchar tan random jeje me parecieron muy repetitivos y poco armoniosos los ritmos de las canciones.
Fri Jul 14 2023
2
Interesting, kind of rubbed me the wrong way I guess. Disappointing for me, as I liked some content but not some creative choices that they made. Hold Hands and it will Happen Anyway was my least favourite track.
Sun Jul 16 2023
2
Did not really get into the lofi noise vibe of it right now
Sun Jul 23 2023
2
This album had such an incredible amount of original experimentation that a listener should never feel bored, but here I am. 2/5
Tue Jul 25 2023
2
when your fanfic is crappy creepypasta, you're doing it wrong
Tue Jul 25 2023
2
Pants on fire.
Thu Jul 27 2023
2
1.5/5
Fri Jul 28 2023
2
Weird ass album. I didn't hate it, but for the most it didn't click with me. I don't get it, I guess. 2.49/5
Thu Aug 03 2023
2
A ne manquer sous aucun pretexte avant de mourir.
Thu Aug 03 2023
2
Personne n'a jamais écouté ça Robert il faut que tu te réveilles.
Fri Aug 04 2023
2
TROP DÉPRESSIF
Tue Aug 08 2023
2
A tech-ey musical element with nonsensical lyrics. Just not my thing. Had some good rhythm which I didn't dislike.
Wed Aug 09 2023
2
There's something here I could get into but the majority was just offputting.
Fri Aug 11 2023
2
Some good tunes buried among the gravelly arthouse flatulence.
Wed Aug 16 2023
2
I think I would’ve appreciated a lot of this stuff a year and a half ago, when I was really into experimental stuff. I just find it a little bit too nebulous and esoteric for me now, I don't have anything against it just not for me now
Fri Aug 18 2023
2
Usually up for a bit of experimental but this was curiously flat
Tue Aug 22 2023
2
Surprisingly subdued for something like this. Dancey in spots, but mostly meanders and only has flashes of anything interesting. Favorite track: "They Don't Want Your Corn, They Want Your Children"
Mon Sep 04 2023
2
My first impression left me with a hard NO on this one. However, I got interrupted and had to continue my listening task later. When I returned, I had lost my place...so I started over. My attitude changed a bit. There ended up being some moments that I found enjoyable. This enjoyment was balanced with some moments that would likely have me leaving the room if someone put this on at a party. So, overall, it is an album of extremes for me.
Wed Sep 06 2023
2
It's not that bad. I understand why people might hate it, but I also understand why people could like it. I liked the singer's voice and some of the music had an interesting sound, but it's not exactly something I want to listen to again. I think my favourite song was They Don't Want Your Corn - They Want Your Kids, but it was a bit hard to differentiate the songs for me.
Sat Sep 09 2023
2
Never optimistic with the label Noise Rock and sure enough I hated almost all of this. Struck me as reaching towards the wierdness of The Residents but nowhere near as clever or artful. At the end it did resolve into something tolerable but not enough to redeem it for me.
Mon Sep 25 2023
2
Really, guys? Why is this on here? I mean, I like some ‘experimental’ stuff such as Radiohead’s later stuff/Thom Yorke/Atoms for Peace, and I can see bits of them in this. Also early PJ Harvey. And the premise about the witches is fun. And some tracks were listenable. You know it’s not great though when you think to yourself ‘ooh this is a bit better’ and then realise that the album has finished and the station has moved on to something else Note to self: you have to listen to them all, all the way through, because that’s the game 💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻
Wed Apr 19 2023
1
Not my tempo
Thu Apr 20 2023
1
I did not like this album, but maybe I judge it wrong because I just listen the first song.
Fri Apr 21 2023
1
too repetitive for me!